The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd is a self-financing, national development finance institution (DFI) established in 1940 by an act of Parliament, the IDC act. It focuses on contributing to economic growth, industrial development and economic empowerment through its financing activities. The IDC has evolved from being a leading industrial player at national and regional (SADC) levels to being the first South African DFI to have its mandate extended to the rest of the African continent.