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	How to do Business in SA Where to Start A good guide for investors about the dynamics and principles involved in the South African business environment is the Investor's Handbook Publication. The following issues are covered in this publication: Entry and residence of foreign investors and expatriate labour; Foreign exchange control; Business entities and registration; Sources of finance for the foreign investor; Property and licences, including intellectual property, cellular and banking licences as well as prospecting and mining rights; Land - acquisition, rezoning, sub-division and transfers; Site development, including information about building permits, environment assessment, electricity, water and telephones; Importing and exporting, which includes information about import and export permits, registration, customs, payment deferment, duty drawback, bonded warehouses and manufacturing under rebate; Tax registration for businesses, which includes information on tax registration, value-added tax, employee tax, regional levies and accounting policies; Other relevant laws, such as competition, environmental and labour laws; and Contact information for the labour sector, national investment agencies and the provincial promotional agencies. Investment Rules The following are a selection of investment rules for the South African Business sector: Competition Law A new Competition Law was finalised in the second half of 1998. It makes provision for the approval of mergers, if strict criteria are used, such as whether the new firms created would be dominant in their markets, the effect of the mergers and whether any other reasons in favour of the mergers existed, such as efficiency or competition in international markets. The new law aims to strike a balance between certainty and flexibility, by providing clear rules. Measures taken against anti-competitive practices are now more severe than those that prevailed under the previous Competition Law. Environmental Law Environmental legislation is receiving increasing attention in South Africa. Since 1994, various legislation has been introduced to protect the environment and promote its sustainable use, including: Labour Regulations Details on Labour Regulations can be found at http://www.labour.gov.za. Exchange Controls For exchange control regulation, please visit the Reserve Bank's website, on www.resbank.co.za Financial Regulations For more information on financial regulations, please visit: www.fsb.co.za The National Environment Management Act, No. 107 of 1998, which provides a legal framework for environmental development; Environmental impact assessments (EIAs), which are assessed at national and provincial level; The National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004, which provides a regulatory framework for the protection of South Africa's valuable species, ecosystems and biological wealth; and The World Heritage Convention Act, No. 49 of 1999, which covers the management, protection and sustainability of the country's world heritage sites. Incentives To find out more about the Investment Support incentives please select the relevant "Related dti offering" below. Investment Facilitation General information on investing in South Africa and the business environment; Detailed information for potential investors, on the various economic sectors in South Africa; Providing finance to explore investment opportunities in South Africa; Facilitating your company's investment; Facilitating direct government support in the form of incentives for your investment; Aftercare / ongoing contact and problem-solving, after your company invested in South Africa. Who to Contact Contact can be made via the following channels: the dti Customer Contact Centre - 0861 843 384 or e-mail: investmentsa@thedti.gov.za To contact the Provincial Investment Promotion Agencies (PIPAS) click here To contact the Regional offices, click here To contact any of our foreign representatives, please click on the regional links provided below: East Africa and SADC West Africa and Middle East Region Asia East Region Asia West Region Europe 1 Region Europe 2 Region Americas Region International Trade and Economic Development Division
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