Under which conditions do companies engage in the provision of collective goods and services if the state lacks the capacity to do so? To what extent do multinational firms engage in a ’race
to the top’ fostering rather than undermining regulation? The empirical analyses in the individual chapters look at business responses to some of South Africa’s most pertinent governance
challenges, HIV/AIDS and environmental pollution. The contributors look at firms in four industry sectors: the automotive industry, the mining industry, the food and beverage industry and the
textile industry. These four sectors comprise a significant number of foreign as well as local companies, with or without brand name, which cater to different market segments within South
Africa, differ in size and are exposed to varying pressure from NGOs and foreign competitors.
