SA's global rankings in 2012

The World Competitiveness Report has just pronounced that SA’s ranking has improved by two places from 52nd to 50th.

More surveys on just about everything:

• According to the Open Budget Index 2010, South Africa has the most transparent budget in the world. (International Budget Partnership)

•  South Africa’s debt to GDP ratio is 40 percent (USA 100 percent, Japan 200 percent, UK 90 percent). The World Bank recommends a ratio of below 60 percent.

•  South Africa is ranked 1st out of 142 countries in respect of regulation of security exchanges according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12

• South Africa's banks rank 2nd in the world for soundness, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12.

• South African Tax Revenue has increased from R100-billion in 1994 to R742.7-billion in 2011-12 and the individual taxpayer net from 2.5-million taxpayers in 1994 to 10.7-million in 2011

• South Africa is ranked 1st in respect of auditing and reporting, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12.

• The South African rand was the second best performing currency against the US Dollar between 2007 and 2011, according to Bloomberg’s Currency Scorecard.

• The number of tourists visiting South Africa has grown from 3.9-million in 1994 to 11.8-million in 2010. South Africa is ranked among the top five countries in the world in respect of tourism growth (growing at three times the global average).

• The percentage of the South African population with access to clean drinking water has increased from 62 percent in 1994, to 93 percent in 2011. Access to electricity has increased from 34 percent in 1994, to 84 percent in 2011.

• Since 1994, 435 houses have been built each day for the poor.SA has 45-million active cell phones (population 49-million) — ranking in the top five globally in terms of cell phone coverage.

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SAA drops Cape Town - London

South African Airways announced this week it is halting daily direct flights between Cape Town and London, to avoid losses amid shrinking demand.

The national carrier will close the Cape Town route, operational for 20 years, in August when two daily flights with increased capacity from Johannesburg will become its sole leg to Heathrow.

"A thorough analysis of the route made it clear that we could use our aircraft more profitably elsewhere, while continuing to ensure excellent business and tourism links... via Johannesburg," said Theunis Potgieter, SAA commercial general manager.

"It is also clear that we would lose money on the direct route in the future, whereas it is possible for us to operate more optimally between Cape Town and London via our Johannesburg hub," he said in a statement.

But the local tourism industry is not convinced.

"Our research has indicated that the London-Cape Town route still holds strong economic value for the Western Cape and neighbouring Eastern Cape," said Nils Flaatten, CEO of development agency Wesgro. "International airlines identified this and are increasing their capacity during peak season. Many business and leisure travelers from the United States are using London as a connecting flight into Cape Town and we are at risk of losing these visitors, as the traveling time has been extended even further."

"This is disappointing news for Cape Town’s tourism industry and we fear it could affect tourism arrivals from the UK and the rest of Europe negatively," commented Cape Town Tourism CEO, Mariëtte Du Toit-Helmbold.

To see the full article on iafrica.com, click here