Other companies that made their move into Central and Eastern Europe was Ster-Kinekor during 1999, under the name Ster Century. They opened several cinema complexes across the region, but by 2003 they sold all their remaining European cinema business interests.

Another major SA company who made a move into Hungary was the construction firm, Group Five who bought a substantial stake in the Hungarian road concession company Mecsek, which was a road concession company established in Hungary during 2007 to design, build, finance and operate freeways in Hungary. Group five together with European partners Aberdeen Infrastructure Funds, began a strategic equity partnership by investing into Intertoll, which housed Group Five’s chief European investment and concession assets.

Internal has a portfolio of transport international concessions, under which Intertoll develops, invests in and operates toll motorways through regional businesses that included those in Hungary. Sadly by 2019, due to financial challenges faced by Group Five in Africa, they began to sell off their international business interests to raise capital for their main holding company back in SA. They filed for bankruptcy in 2019, but were not alone in the South African construction industry, as they were the 5th contractor to do so in less than a year.

The Mondi Group, which was established in South Africa during the 1960s, was another corporate that ventured into Hungary. They have a regional sales dealerships, as well as several production plants in the country. The various plants produce products ranging from Industrial bags to flexible packaging products.

Pekor the South African investment and holding based company which was primarily owned by Christo Wiese, had an international footprint, manageing a portfolio of retail chains that focused on the value market selling mainly footwear, clothing, and textiles. The Company established its European arm called ‘Pepco’ with a business model that focused on offering discounted items ranging ranging from clothing to houseware to lower income, middle class portion of the market in towns across Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2014 the company was sold to Steinhoff International in exchange for about 20% of Steinhoff’s issued shares. At present, due to the financial challenges faced by Steinhoff International, the Pepco group could possibly eventually be sold by its South African parent Steinhoff. Today Pepco has about 170 stores throughout Hungary, and many others spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

NEPI Rockcastle ventures into the Central and Eastern European (CEE) market and acquired two large shopping Malls in Budapest Hungary. In 2017 NEPI Rockcastle acquired the largest shopping centre in Budapest – Arena Plaza for Euros 275 Million. During 2018 this commercial property investor and retail centre operator acquired a controlling share in Budapestʼs Mammut shopping mall, for Euros 254 Million. Mammut mall has 61,300 square metres of lettable area with a range of retail tenants including anchor tenants such as the movie theatre – CinemaCity, sports shop – Hervis, Interspar, H&M, electronics retailer – Media Markt and the large clothing store – Reserved. Their present plan is for the expansion of the Arena Shopping Centre in Budapest to grow from 42,000 sqm to 60,000 sqm, which once the plans are realised, (completion expected by end of 2022) the Arena Mall will become the largest shopping centre in Hungary. The Hungarian Retail commercial properties and operations, make up about 10% of their investment portfolio across 9 countries in the CEE region.

The SA based pharmacy group Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited is a global specialty and branded multinational pharmaceutical company, with a presence in Hungary.

During 2016 – Ascendis Health, a South African JSE listed healthcare Products provider, bought the leading European sports nutrition producer – Scitec Nutrician, based in Hungary. The value of this business deal was Euros 170 Million.

By 2020 the company decided on some major restructuring and decided to sell off their European non-core assets and concluded a deal between its subsidiary – Ascendis Health International Holdings, and the Dutch company – Atlas Invest, for the sale of its Scitec business unit.

SA’s NASPERS, a global multinational internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world, has made several strategic investments in Hungary and the surrounding CEE region. Their areas of acquisitions and investments covered fintech financial services solutions; and online retail sites including electronics retail stores, online auction sites and an online product comparison portal.

The large SA Corporate logistics company – Imperial Logistics also saw the great opportunities in CEE and recently invested in Hungary, as they viewed Hungary as a major growth market. Imperial Logistics International subsidiary, Panopa expanded its CEE operations, establishing Panopa Logistik Magyar Ltd, managing the container management services for the large Mercedes-Benz Factory in the town of Kecskemét. This contract includes the central collection, cleaning, bundling and sorting the returnable containers into which material is supplied directly to the factory line, before they are provided to the suppliers again. Then in 2014 they also established themselves in Györ, about 130 km from the capital Budapest, where the massive Audi Factory produces the latest engines, and assembles the TT and the A3 convertibles for the international market. The spectrum of logistics services provided by the Imperial Logistics International subsidiary Panopa, range from procurement logistics and warehouse management to sequencing, preliminary assembly, production supply, spare parts logistics, as well as worldwide organisation of shipments, right through to the management of vehicle fleets.

JT Ross, a South African based company has recently during 2019, entered the Hungarian industrial market with the purchase of the Aerozone Business Park from M7 Real Estate. The complex consists of 15,000 sqm of office space and a further 48,000 sqm of industrial space.