I'm busy investigating Malaysia & Singapore in terms of establishing a business high-tech consulting operation, with an outflow into specialised product manufacture - high-tech, high-value-added small-sized specialist items.

I'm planning on going off on a fact-finding tour early next year to try & evaluate the game in these two countries.

I'd really value information & links to the following:

1. Venture capitalists / investors;
2. Foreign business-establishment rules & contacts;
3. Relative cost-of-living - compared to Thailand;
4. Visas required for a South African national;
5. Any useful contacts, or business brokers, facilitators.
6. Inexpensive accommodation for a few weeks at a time.
7. Top 5 universities.

The thoughts are to investigate as far as possible beforehand & then doing a few exploratory trips. As I understand, a South African national can enter Singapore for up to 30 days at a time. I seem to remember Malaysia was something like 15 days.

I have a reasonable contact in Singapore who would probably be able to help a little on that end. In Malaysia, I know no-one.

Practically, I had performed a cursory level of due diligence a few years back, before settling on Thailand due to it's Detroit of Asia concept. Before that Singapore had been #1, with Malaysia #2. It seems like an opportune time to repeat the whole exercise.

Many thanks for your wisdom & assistance.