ABSTRACT
For FDI to mitigate some of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and also to be effective as a driver for recovery, more robust post-investment work is needed. An FDI perspective that focuses only on an investor’s buy-in to a country’s value proposition at the time of entry is outdated. A post-Covid approach demands a holistic and long-term perspective, one that takes into account both follow-on investment and the effect of any externalities and joint value creation. The FDI industry would also benefit from considering the concept of Customer Life-time Value, which estimates how valuable a customer is, not just at the time of initial investment, but throughout the time it has a presence in the location. Such an approach, let’s call it Investor Life-Time Value, can contribute to FDI value creation. It would help visualise and better assess the impact of FDI on the host economy, as well as providing tools to move FDI decision making towards a life-cycle approach that captures all the benefits of FDI. Investor Life-Time value should be a priority for the FDI industry. For this to happen, there is a need for further research, new tools and leadership. The challenge and the rewards are there to be claimed.
