The first objective of this paper is an ex-post approach that tests the pull-side determinants ofrnFDI inflows into SSA countries during the last two decades. To attain this objective, cross-sectionrnmultiple regression analysis is employed over three sub-periods (1980-84,1985-89rnand 1995-1999), by treating five years average values of the both the dependent variable (perrncapita FDI inflows) and the theoretically postulated explanatory variables. For this purpose,rnthirty-four SSA countries are included in the sample of the study. From the estimated results,rnthe most important determinant variables are natural resource potential, infrastructure, realrnGDP per capita (market size), exchange rate variability and the rate of inflation. The firstrnthree variables are playing positive role in attracting FDL whereas the latter two are playingrna negative role. Lending interest rate, cost of labor and the degree of openness are thernfactors that have negative relationship with FDI inflows in addition to the above variablesrnduring the first period, while weak governance has negative impact for the second period. Inrnthe third period, political instability, fiscal deficit, labor cost and corruption are factors thatrnnegatively affect FDI inflows. Due to the multicollinearity problem, the alternative use ofrnhuman capital in place of income (during 1980-84 and 1995-99), and measure of the degreernof openness in place of the natural resource potential (during 1995-99), both explained thernFDI inflows positively. Interest rate was significantly determining FDI inflows into the SSArncountries only during the period of high level of joint venture FDJ Unlike the early periods ofrn1980-84, in the recent period of globalization, relatively more open countries attract higherrnFDJ Under the hitherto circumstances, debt burden (unlike other developing regions) hasrnplayed little role in hampering FDI, and tax incentives have little impact in attracting FDI forrnSSA countries.rnThe second objective is concerned with testing the impacts of FDI on the economic growth ofrnSSA countries directly, and through its impact on gross domestic saving, indirectly. To thisrnend, simultaneous equation model in panel data is estimated by treating growth of output andrngross domestic saving as endogenous variable and lagged value of FDI and other variablesrnas exogenous variables. Data from twelve SSA countries over the period of 1987-98 was usedrnfor this test. The estimated result shows that FDI has negative but insignificant direct andrntotal effect on the growth of output of the sample SSA countries, but it has positive indirectrneffect on the growth of output through domestic saving. As the assumption of efficient marketrnand perfect mobility of factors of production doesn't hold in for the SSA countries, the impactrnof FDI on economic growth is unsatisfactory.