American Chamber of Commerce

Friends of AmCham

Business Leadership SA (BLSA): Business Leadership South Africa is an association of South Africa's largest corporations and multinational companies.
Business Unity SA (BUSA): Business Unity South Africa was created in October 2003 through a merger of the Black Business Council and Business South Africa. BUSA represents South African business on a macro-economic that affect business at the national and international levels. Its function is to ensure that business plays a constructive role in the country's economic growth, development and transformation and to create an environment in which businesses of all sizes and in all sectors can thrive and expand.
The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE): The Centre for Development and Enterprise was established in 1995 and is an independent policy research and advocacy organisation. It is one of South Africa’s leading development think tanks, focusing on critical national development issues and their relationship to economic growth and democratic consolidation. Through examining South African realities and international experience, CDE formulates practical policy proposals outlining ways in which South Africa can tackle major social and economic challenges. CDE has a special focus on the role of business and markets in development.
The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA): The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) was established in 1993 and is at the forefront of strengthening and facilitating the commercial relationship between the United States and the African continent. The CCA works closely with governments, multilateral groups and business to improve the African continent's trade and investment climate, and to raise the profile of Africa in the U.S. business community.
The Free Market Foundation (FMF): The Free Market Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation founded in 1975 to promote and foster an open society, the rule of law, personal liberty and economic and press freedom.
The Global Business Coalition (GBC): The GBC represents over 200 multi national companies dedicated to fighting the HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria epidemics. The GBC is the focal point for the private sector at the Global Fund.
The National Business Initiative (NBI): The NBI was launched in 1995 by former President Mandela and has been a leading business coalition on the broader role of business in sustainable development over the first decade of democracy in South Africa.

Today, the organisation is an alliance of forward-thinking South African and overseas companies that are committed to actualizing the NBI vision of a thriving South African society with a market economy that functions for the benefit of all.

The NBI focuses on education and skills development, economic growth and sustainable development.
The NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF): The NBF was formed in 2003 and its mandate is to enable, facilitate and promote enterprise to conduct sustainable and profitable business on the continent whilst encouraging the competitiveness of Africa in the global context. The organisation’s intention is to establish a platform for business to understand the principles of NEPAD and to effectively engage in NEPAD initiatives from a private sector perspective.
The SA Business Coalition on HIV AIDS (SABCOHA): SABCOHA is a membership driven organisation that provides information on HIV/AIDS workplace programmes and policies. It represents the private sector on the National AIDS Council and interacts with government.
The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): The South African Institute of International Affairs was founded in Cape Town in 1934 and is an independent, non-governmental organisation which aims to promote a wider and more informed understanding of international issues among South Africans.
SAIAA seeks to educate, inform and facilitate contact between people concerned with South Africa's place in the world, and to contribute to the public debate on foreign policy.
The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR): The Institute manages the Amcham Bursary Fund on behalf of Amcham. The bursary fund was started in 1994 with a fund of R1,2m and provides bursaries for disadvantaged students to study at tertiary institutions in Gauteng, mainly in fields requiring mathematics and science. To date 45 students have benefited from the Bursary. In 2007 conditions for the bursary were changed to degrees in IT, commerce and science at 3 Gauteng universities.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCofC): The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents 3 million businesses around the world. Amcham pays an annual affiliation fee to the USCofC.
U.S. Commercial Service - Southern Africa: We provide a range of services to U.S. businesses interested in doing business in Southern Africa, as well as to Southern African businesses interested in importing U.S. products and services.
US Embassy, Pretoria: WELCOME TO THE U.S. MISSION TO SOUTH AFRICA

This Mission includes 310 U.S. staff and 560 locally engaged staff employed by 28 U.S. Government departments and agencies. In addition to the Embassy in Pretoria, there are Consulates in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Many U.S. Government departments, such as the Foreign Commercial Service, the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Overseas Foreign Disaster Assistance and Food for Peace have based their regional operations in South Africa, reflecting the facilities and services available in South Africa.

The United States values its ties to South Africa. Both countries share a commitment to democracy and individual freedom, and to strong private sector engagement in the economy. In 2005 two-way trade amounted to $9.3 billion. South Africa is an important leader in its region and a key diplomatic partner for the United States. The U.S.-South African bilateral relationship is expanding across the board.

THE U.S. MISSION PROVIDES SERVICES:

We represent the people of the United States, the U.S. Government and President George W. Bush and his policies.

We protect and promote U.S. interests, such as the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens in South Africa.

We encourage and facilitate trade between the U.S. and South Africa.

We sponsor educational exchanges, and counsel students seeking to enroll at U.S. universities.

We issue visas for travel to the U.S.

We assist South Africa through partnership programs in a number of areas including health, combating terrorism, building democracy and helping to assure regional stability.

U.S. ASSISTANCE

In 2005 U.S. official economic assistance to South Africa totaled about $200 million, with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) the largest component of that assistance. Other programs such include medical research, judicial training and crime fighting, educational exchanges and military co-operation.

In addition, the U.S. Government is the biggest contributor to many multilateral programs and institutions such as the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, that finance large projects in South Africa.

U.S. corporations, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens support many assistance programs here. These programs emphasize health and education, two top priorities for South Africans. The impact of these programs often is greater than the level of funding might suggest due to the ongoing involvement of U.S. institutions.
USAID South Africa: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S. government agency responsible for development assistance. USAID believes that to succeed in its global mission, it will support sustainable and participatory development, emphasize partnerships, and use integrated approaches to promoting development.

USAID/South Africa is one of about 80 Missions that manage a country program. Our goal is sustainable transformation from apartheid conditions to sustainable development conditions. We assist government and non-government institutions in South Africa to contribute to the political, social, and economic empowerment of the disadvantaged majority population, both men and women.

With limited resources, USAID/South Africa must make hard choices in deciding which proposals for development assistance will be funded. We will pursue partnerships with organization's whose goals are consistent with USAID's overall mandate as an organization. Details of USAID/South Africa's development objectives are below. To advise development partners of funding opportunities, USAID will, from time to time, publish, in the local press, specifics on activities to be funded.

USAID/South Africa's main concern in reviewing proposals for assistance is the potential partner organization's overall plan, including:

a statement of the organization's long-term goal or vision;

an articulation of the objectives the organization plans to pursue, with or without USAID/South Africa funding, and a description of how the organization plans to allocate resources to accomplish them over a period of 2 to 5 years; and

the measures and targets by which your organization will monitor and evaluate your program performance.