The current shift of financial power from multi-national organizations such as World Bank, I.F.C and others to Sovereign Wealth Funds presents developing nations such as Zimbabwe with a new source of foreign direct investment. A sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is a state-owned fund composed of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, property or other financial instruments. Sovereign wealth funds have gained world-wide exposure by investing in several Wall Street financial firms. These firms needed a cash infusion due to losses resulting from the credit crunch caused by the mortgage meltdown which started in the USA.
Canada and South Africa interact in mining across the entire spectrum of the mining industry, from exploration, financing and services, mine development, and mining operations to processing. A few examples make the point: