Following more than two decades of non-engagement in South Africa, the World Bank resumed activities in the early 1990s through a comprehensive program of economic policy advice and capacity building. Starting in the mid 1990s, the Bank continued its program of policy advice and technical assistance, and also began to provide funds for development projects. Although there have only been two loans funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (the 1997 Industrial Competitiveness and Job Creation Project, for US$24.5 million, and the 2002 Municipal Financial Management Technical Assistance Project, for US$15 million), several environmentally focused projects —totalling nearly US$40 million — have been funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

For more information on World Bank-administered GEF projects, click here.

For more information on World Bank activities in South Africa, please refer to the Country Brief.