Simon Roberts is a professor of economics in the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development which he established in 2013 at the University of Johannesburg. He held the position of Economics Director at the UK’s CMA between March 2019 and October 2020, and served as Chief Economist and Manager of the Policy & Research Division at the Competition Commission of South Africa from November 2006 to December 2012. In addition, Simon has consulted extensively on competition matters and has been an expert witness in a number of major cases. Simon holds a PhD from University of London (Birkbeck College), MA from University of East Anglia, and BA (Hons) from Oxford University. He has published widely on competition and economic development.
Simon Roberts
Professor, Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development, University of Johannesburg
African Market Observatory
Global Practitioner, University of Strathclyde
Recent publications:
Chisoro and Roberts (2023) Grower Power for Value Creation in High-Value Horticulture? The Case of Citrus in South Africa, European Journal of Development Research.
Roberts (2023) Competition, trade, and sustainability in agriculture and food markets in Africa, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 39(1), Spring 2023, 147–161.
Roberts, Simbanegavi, Vilakazi (2022) Cementing regional integration or building walls? Competition, cartels and regional integration in the cement industry in Africa, The World Economy
Andreoni and Roberts (2022) Governing Digital Platform Power for Industrial Development: Towards an Entrepreneurial-Regulatory State, Cambridge Journal of Economics
Latest opinion pieces:
Food crisis in Africa: the high cost of imported fertilisers is adding to the problem, Simon Roberts, Ntombifuthi Tshabalala, The Conversation, 25 July 2023
2020 Awards
Distinctions
Nominee, 2020 Antitrust Writing Awards: Academic, Cross-Border Issues
Nominee, 2014 Antitrust Writing Awards: Academic, Dominance
