A variety of products and services is intended to capture more of the consumer surplus, but there is the danger that a brand can become too stretched as the cost of servicing different segments can exceed their contribution. 

The passing of the Movable Property Act has the potential to significantly improve the acccess to conventional collateral for Kenya's 153 000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

African-focused private equity funds have benefitted from market beta to deliver attractive returns. With these passive forces dissipating, leading firms recognise that they need to change focus.

Our work in health, agriculture, infrastructure, financial systems, market systems and evaluation and learning has one purpose: to accelerate Africa's development process.    

Bank branches are far from being coffee shops, but some buzz of activity is definitely needed to create a positive customer experience.

With so few new entrants to the South African labour market annually, the pressure is on banks to compete for the few new customers to retain their client base.

Are CEOs of banks becoming IT managers rather than bankers as managing the cost of IT and the capability trade-off it provides play a key role in securing the sustainability of earnings? 

As global and domestic economic conditions continue to improve, exchange rates in a number of African counties are expected to display a greater degree of stability over the coming years.

What has led to the 35% drop in departure fees that passengers leaving South African airports will pay from 1 April 2017? Economics can provide guidance on how appropriate  prices are determined and should evolve in a regulated setting.

The Competition Commission is to probe automotive aftermarkets following their scoping study that found that certain industry practices limited competition to the cost of the consumer. 

Banks have similar products, the same distribution channels and core banking systems, and regularly exchange staff between themselves. The question then is whether a lotus flower can emerge from this algae of sameness? 

Twenty-one of the largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa are highly dependent on commodity exports – whether petroleum, aluminium, copper, diamonds, cocoa, cotton or tobacco – to drive their growth and development.