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Opening the South African Economy: Barriers to Entry and Competition

Thando Vilakazi, Sumayya Goga, and Simon Roberts, editors
Opening the South African Economy: Barriers to Entry and Competition
ISBN: 978-0-7969-2589-3
$35.00
2020/254 pages
Distributed for HSRC Press
"Highly recommended." —Choice

"A persuasive book.... The authors offer an agenda to meet the urgent challenge."—Eleanor M. Fox, New York University School of Law

"Compelling economic research and a fascinating read." —Frederick Jenny, European Center for Law and Economics, ESSEC Business School

"A timely review of South Africa's journey to opening up markets." —Mondo Mazwai, Competition Tribunal of South Africa

DESCRIPTION

Choice Outstanding Academic Book!

What does it take for local entrepreneurs to effectively compete in South Africa? What factors affect entry and participation in sectors where established firms have existed for years? And with what impact?  Addressing these questions, Opening the South African Economy highlights the challenges posed by concentration, inequality, and exclusion across the country's economy.

Following an assessment of the current state of the economy, detailed case studies recount the experiences—good and bad—of well-known South African entrant firms in areas critical for facilitating economic growth. The authors then reflect on the role that government policies can play in achieving a more open, inclusive, and competitive economy; the use (and misuse) of specific policy tools; and possible paths forward.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thando Vilakazi is executive director of the Centre for Competition, Regulation, and Economic Development (CCRED) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Sumayya Goga is a senior researcher at CCRED. Simon Roberts, professor of economics and econometrics at UJ, is lead researcher at CCRED.

CONTENTS

  • Introduction—S. Goga and T. Vilakazi.
  • Key Competition Challenges in the South African Economy—J. Bell and S. Goga.
  • ENTERING MARKETS: WHAT DO RIVALS REQUIRE?
  • Entry Challenges in Vertically Integrated Industries: Insights from Three Agro-Processing Value Chains in South Africa—M. Nkhonjera.
  • Barriers to Entry in Concentrated Industries: A Case Study of Soweto Gold—P. Mondliwa.
  • Confronting Entry Barriers in South Africa's Grocery Retail Sector—S. Chisoro-Dube and R. Das Nair.
  • Contesting the Skies: Entry and Rivalry in the South African Airline Industry—T. Vilakazi.
  • South African Community Newspaper Publishers: The Effects of Exclusionary Strategies on Independent Firms—A. Ngwenya.
  • The Competition Implications of Recent Developments in the Liquid Fuels Supply Chain—A. Paelo et al.
  • REGULATING FOR RIVALRY IN NETWORK INDUSTRIES.
  • Bridging the Digital Divide in South Africa: Case Studies in Incumbency vs. Competition—G. Robb.
  • Competition, Barriers to Entry, and Inclusive Growth in Retail Banking: Capitec Case Study—T. Makhaya and N. Nhundu.
  • Breaking Barriers Through Different Business Models: Mobile Money in South Africa and Kenya—A. Paelo.
  • REVIEWING POLICIES FOR INCLUSION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
  • Assessing the Record of Competition Law Enforcement in Opening Up the Economy—S. Roberts.
  • Lost Opportunities? Barriers to Entry and Transnet's Procurement of 1064 Locomotives—R. Crompton and L. Kaziboni.
  • Black Economic Empowerment and Barriers to Entry—P. Mondliwa and S. Roberts.
  • CONCLUSION.
  • Towards a More Competitive and Open Economy—the Editors.