JOHANNESBURG, March 30 (Reuters) – South Africa recorded foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of 16.0 billion rand ($1.07 billion) in the fourth quarter from outflows of 12.2 billion rand in quarter three, the central bank said on Tuesday.

The South African Reserve Bank said in its Quarterly Bulletin publication that the inflows in the latest quarter were due to non-resident parent entities increasing their equity investment and granting loans to domestic subsidiaries.

The country saw FDI inflows of 51.1 billion rand for the whole of 2020, down from inflows of 74.0 billion rand in 2019.

Portfolio investments, reflecting a record of buying and selling of securities such as bonds and shares, recorded inflows of 24.1 billion rand in the October-December quarter compared to outflows of 39.5 billion rand in the prior quarter.

Annual portfolio outflows however were at 159.3 billion rand against inflows of 87.5 billion rand in 2019.

($1 = 14.9676 rand) (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana Editing by Alexander Winning)

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