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The rainbow nation--a spectrum of opportunities.

Article Excerpt
The Republic of South Africa, located on the southern most tip of Africa, is a unique country. Its third free democratic election that took place on 24 April 2009 is testament to the progress that has been made since the fall of apartheid. Today, South Africa is the undisputed economic and political powerhouse of sub-Saharan Africa and the obvious regional headquarters for all major businesses operating in the region.

Economic growth had been solid for the last decade until the global financial crisis impacted the country. Growth has slowed to below 2% during the last two quarters, with the manufacturing and mining sectors being particularly hard hit.

However, 2009 is the South African year of preparation for one of the world's biggest festivals: the 2010 football world cup; an occasion that the whole South African population is immensely proud of. The event is providing the impetus for infrastructure developments and insulating the construction industry from the global downturn.

South Africa presents the healthcare industry with many opportunities. The HIV/AIDS pandemic led to the biggest government tender ever for anti-retrovirals (ARVs) in 2008. There are also other diseases prevalent in the region, such...

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