Request for Proposals: Shaping digital competition policy and regulation in South Africa

1 February 2025
Event type: Call for Work
Event date: 7 April 2025, 5:00pm
to 7 April 2025, 6:00pm

The digitalisation of the economy and the dominance of a few large platforms providing digital services have significant implications for South Africa’s growth and development trajectory.

Context
The rise of digital intermediation platforms, particularly in e-commerce, has transformed traditional retail and services sectors. These changes impact consumers—through access, pricing, and variety—and entire value chains.  In South Africa, local digital platforms are emerging to compete with Big Tech.  Ensuring that start-ups and SMEs, which might compete with or rely on large digital platforms, operate without undue constraints imposed by incumbents is critical. Furthermore, the competitive dynamics of these platforms have implications for international trade and foreign investment policies.  From a development perspective, the impact of platform competition on labour markets and inequality is a growing area of concern.

Globally, policymakers have recognised the opportunities and risks associated with digital platforms.  The European Union, through legislation like the Digital Markets Act, is leading efforts to regulate competition in the digital economy.  In South Africa, interest in these issues has grown, as evidenced by two market inquiries by the Competition Commission on digital platform markets.

Project Overview
In response, Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA) has launched a research initiative focused on the economics of digital platform competition in South Africa and the relevant competition policy and regulatory responses.  This project aims to build a robust body of evidence-based research to guide South African policymakers in this rapidly evolving field.

This Request for Proposals follows input from an ERSA Policy Roundtable held in Pretoria in late 2024, where experts from South African universities and the Competition Commission identified key themes and questions in digital competition policy and regulation.  A list of these themes and questions can be downloaded [here].

Call for Proposals
ERSA invites submissions for up to 10 proposals to write working papers that provide in-depth analysis of these themes. Proposals addressing related topics within broader competition policy and regulation will also be considered.

Submission Guidelines

  • Click [here] for proposal template and guidelines
  • Proposal Submission Deadline: 7 April 2025
  • Evaluation: Proposals will be reviewed by ERSA’s Research Committee, with external feedback as needed. To reduce the risk of impartiality, committee members will be prevented from commenting on proposals from their colleagues.
  • Notification of Decisions: 18 April 2025

Expectations Placed on Accepted Proposals

  • Present preliminary findings at a researchers’ workshop in September 2025.
  • Present near-final findings at a conference in December 2025.
  • Submit final papers to the ERSA Working Paper Series by 1 February 2026.
  • Submit policy brief or executive summary.

Ownership and Dissemination
Researchers will retain ownership of their work.  ERSA reserves the right to promote and disseminate the research findings to the broader academic and policy community.  The Research Committee may request periodic progress reports.

Funding
Final papers will be published in the ERSA Working Paper Series, subject to the formal review process. Papers accepted for publication will receive R50,000.  Researchers must also provide a policy brief, executive summary, or economic note summarising their findings.  Additional funding is available for travel and or necessary research costs, subject to an assessment of value for money.

Proposal Submission Form

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