What is the role of competition policy?

​South Africa has achieved anemic economic growth levels over a sustained period of time. Most markets in the economy have persistently remained highly concentrated and the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality continue unabated. In such times, default instruments such as macroeconomic tools are insufficient and restricted by the need for fiscal consolidation. It is in this context that the role of microeconomic tools such as competition policy and its enforcement can play a critical part in turning the current economic situation around. 

The focus on "Competition and Inclusive Growth" is thus a reference to the need to understand the role of competition policy (and enforcement) in promoting robust and inclusive economic participation in order to stimulate and maintain economic growth for the benefit of all in South Africa.

Speaker:

Tembinkosi Bonakele has been with the South African Competition Commission for the past 12 years. He was appointed Commissioner in April 2014.  Bonakele has occupied various positions in the Commission’s core divisions. He was appointed Deputy Commissioner in 2008 and prior to that worked as head of mergers, head of compliances and senior legal counsel.

Bonakele established the Commission’s cartel division and has worked on all of the Commission’s major cases over the past ten years, including the bread and flour cartels and the construction bid-rigging cartel cases, Telkom and SAB abuse of dominance cases and a number of high profile mergers. He has been involved in negotiating most of the Commission’s ground-breaking settlements and helped develop the Commission’s corporate leniency policy as well as the Construction Fast Track Settlement Policy.

Bonakele is an admitted attorney and holds a BJuris and LLB from the University of Fort Hare and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria.

Bonakale currently serves as the chairperson of the African Competition Forum, a network of 35 African competition agencies, and is a member of the International Competition Network steering group.

Additional Info

Registration: 17:45-18:00

Starts: 18:00

Ends: 19:30

A light cocktail dinner will be served after the event.

Would like to attend but can't afford to? Email nkawus@gibs.co.za for one of the limited free seats.

Please note that Forums are open to the media and recorded and edited for City Press and GIBS.