There is little doubt that the departure of US and European companies from South Africa has served only to remove a strong influence for more enlightened employment policies – and made Rand millionaires out of the managers who bought the businesses, but one effect of the disinvestment has been to leave Japan as the Republic’s biggest trading partner: now, however, two Japanese firms, NEC Corp and Pioneer Electric Corp have been embarrassed into halting sales direct from Japan to South Africa, although the flow of their goods to the country are not likely to be much affected; NEC has been doing about $4.5m a year directly with South Africa, and Pioneer $6.5m.
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