Facing challenges ranging from security threats to economic instability, ministers from Kenya, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe explain how they are working to remove barriers to future economic growth in their countries and implementing positive changes for future generations.

Iceland's economic meltdown of 2008 made the country synonymous with the global recession at the time. However, with a cautious recovery now under way – thanks in no small part to a tourism boom – there is a determination in the country to ensure that this growth is better balanced, and it is looking to foreign investment to achieve this.

Ecuador, for so long an underperformer in Latin America when it came to FDI, is experiencing an uptick in its investment fortunes. Its minister for foreign trade tells fDi how the country's growing middle class, new tax laws and links with trade partners are behind the turnaround.

Long considered Africa's leading economy, South Africa has struggled to maintain momentum in recent years, leading to rising unemployment and a contracting economy. A renewed emphasis on industrial development zones is seen as one way to preserve the country's regional FDI crown.

Political stability and thriving minerals and metals sectors have made Botswana stand out over the past few decades when compared to its southern African neighbours. And while an over-reliance on its diamond trade and worries over power shortages loom large, the country's attractiveness to investors remains strong.

Free zones are often seen as a cure-all remedy to the problems developing economies encounter when trying to attract FDI. However, the reality is that such projects need careful planning and long-term support if they are to fulfil such wishes, as Barbara Njau discovers.