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. 

In competition law enforcement, lessons from past decisions are valuable. Most competition law decisions are taken in conditions of uncertainty - they rely on forward-looking analyses underpinned by hypotheses and theories about market dynamics and business behaviour.  

2016 has come rapidly to an end. It has been a challenging and busy year across the globe. For us it has also opened up opportunities for growth in both the region and the skills and expertise that we offer our clients.

The performance and regulation of South African state-owned entities (SOEs) have been a major focus in 2016 with South African Airways now having cumulative guarantees of about R14-billion (USD 125-million) gathered over the past five years.

Social savings and lending groups could play a role in reaching the 25% of South Africans who remain under or unserved by financial institutions - especially in rural areas.

Public interest considerations emerged as a key topic for debate at the Competition Law, Economics and PolicyConference held in October 2016 in South Africa.