n Professional Accountant - South Africa : doing business the hard way : economy

Abstract

The ease with which one can start and operate a business is an indicator which provides insight into how readily citizens - and non-citizens, for that matter - can engage in productive, commercial activities. It should, therefore, be of some concern that South Africa is going backwards on at least one key monitor which measures ease of doing business. According to the World Bank's 'Doing Business' report, the country is ranked 41st out of 189 countries, down from a 2012 ranking of 35th. However, while this is worrying, all is not lost, as research from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) shows that South Africa remains a key destination for investment by foreign companies.