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Competition and Regulation

Collaboration, competition & the digital economy

Blog, Competition and Regulation, Digital Economy /

Competition in the digital economy continues to be an important issue in the face of complex technology and dominant platforms with concentrated market power that stretches globally. The second part of this blog series explores the new approaches competition authorities around the world have been taking to deal with new competition issues in the digital economy. One common thread has been clear – local and global collaboration is essential to effectively deal with these new issues.

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Understanding the (+ve and -ve) effects of the temporary bans on alcohol sales in South Africa

Blog, Competition and Regulation /

The temporary alcohol bans in South Africa has resulted in great controversy. The country has undergone three bans on the sale, dispensing, distribution and transportation of liquor since March 2020, equivalent to 15 weeks of zero sales. This article explores the costs and benefits associated with the alcohol sales bans, specifically looking at the health and economic aspects. Such a discussion is critical given the known social and health harms associated with alcohol consumption and the industry’s significant contribution towards revenue, jobs, and gross domestic product.

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Trends in consumer financial education in South Africs

Blog, Competition and Regulation, Financial Markets /

There has been a significant effort among financial institutions to drive consumer financial education (CFE) programmes in line with the GN500 requirements. This blog undertakes an analysis across 14 banks and insurers and identifies four key trends in CFE programmes across target audience, delivery modes, monitoring and evaluation, and novel approaches. Financial institutions need to continue refining their CFE programmes to deliver the highest impact to improve financial literacy among South Africans.

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Competition & the digital economy

Blog, Competition and Regulation, Digital Economy /

There is increasing pressure globally to understand the dynamics of the digital economy and the implications on markets, from a competition perspective, the urgency has now increased due to the times we find ourselves in. Competition policy will need deal with complex issues including data, platforms and big tech while carrying out a careful balancing act between encouraging innovation and protecting consumers and creating an efficient marketplace.

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Have changes to transfer duty rates impacted on home ownership?

Blog, Competition and Regulation, Public Finance /

Home ownership is a goal that most citizens strive for. However, the currently constrained economic environment means that most South Africans will have to wait to own a home. The government can play a role in facilitating this endeavor through a range of fiscal and monetary policy tools. For example, recent amendments to the rate of transfer duties on residential properties may impact on the ability to purchase/finance a home. The evidence, to date, is not particularly promising.

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Taxes and democracy

Blog, Competition and Regulation /

While the annual admin of filing tax returns is deadly dull, the theory of taxation itself has some interesting side avenues. Its worth exploring these, given the current policy debate around radical economic transformation, and the appealing simplicity of the arguments that we should tax the rich more to transfer wealth to the poor. International and local experience suggests that it is unlikely to be that simple.

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When inclusive bank lending becomes harmful to consumers

Blog, Competition and Regulation /

Well-functioning financial systems support the functioning of all components of the economy, by facilitating transactions and the flow of resources between deficit and surplus economic units (Mishkin, 2007). A key asset of the South African economy is its well-developed financial systems. However, the regulation of such systems is a complex task, and regulatory failures in financial systems pose large risks for the wider economy. Given these concerns, it is interesting to examine some of the characteristics of the South African financial system, especially as regards consumer indebtedness.

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How much do state owned enterprises really cost us?

Blog, Competition and Regulation /

South Africa has opted to retain state control over a large number of companies which, in many other parts of the world, have been privatised. While state intervention can have an important role to play, for example in sectors where provision of services is important, but difficult to sustain on a commercial basis, there are often ways to achieve these objectives without resorting to state ownership of the organisation delivering the good or service. This obsession with state control has exacted a measurable cost to our economy.

How much do state owned enterprises really cost us? Read More »

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Established

2004

Level

2

BEE

400+

projects completed throughout Southern Africa