Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector
This study explores the complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector—through an analysis of EcoCash’s market position and practices, and the regulatory steps taken in response. The study is grounded in the competition complaint made in 2014 by Zimbabwean banks against Ec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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LINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM)
2023-12-01
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| Series: | The African Journal of Information and Communication |
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| Online Access: | https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/15958 |
| _version_ | 1797382755998236672 |
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| author | Siphiwe Ncube |
| author_facet | Siphiwe Ncube |
| author_sort | Siphiwe Ncube |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This study explores the complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector—through an analysis of EcoCash’s market position and practices, and the regulatory steps taken in response. The study is grounded in the competition complaint made in 2014 by Zimbabwean banks against EcoCash to the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC), wherein EcoCash was alleged to have initially refused to share its unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) infrastructure with banks; and then later to have granted access only on discriminatory terms. The research assessed the market structure and market power in the Zimbabwe mobile money sector; the regulatory challenges that these market features pose; the market power and conduct of EcoCash; and the effectiveness of the measures taken by regulators to address the competition concerns raised in relation to EcoCash. The findings indicated that, in spite of regulatory attempts to dilute its power in the market, EcoCash was, at the time of the core data collection in 2021–22, still in a dominant position in Zimbabwe’s mobile money market.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:10:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0dc553e5d9d14423b854824b4641dc89 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-7205 2077-7213 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:10:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | LINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The African Journal of Information and Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-0dc553e5d9d14423b854824b4641dc892023-12-22T06:42:16ZengLINK Centre, School of Literature Language and Media (SLLM)The African Journal of Information and Communication2077-72052077-72132023-12-013210.23962/ajic.i32.15958Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sectorSiphiwe Ncube0University of Johannesburg This study explores the complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector—through an analysis of EcoCash’s market position and practices, and the regulatory steps taken in response. The study is grounded in the competition complaint made in 2014 by Zimbabwean banks against EcoCash to the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC), wherein EcoCash was alleged to have initially refused to share its unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) infrastructure with banks; and then later to have granted access only on discriminatory terms. The research assessed the market structure and market power in the Zimbabwe mobile money sector; the regulatory challenges that these market features pose; the market power and conduct of EcoCash; and the effectiveness of the measures taken by regulators to address the competition concerns raised in relation to EcoCash. The findings indicated that, in spite of regulatory attempts to dilute its power in the market, EcoCash was, at the time of the core data collection in 2021–22, still in a dominant position in Zimbabwe’s mobile money market. https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/15958mobile money, competition regulation, network effects, market power, market dominance, Zimbabwe, EcoCash |
| spellingShingle | Siphiwe Ncube Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector The African Journal of Information and Communication mobile money, competition regulation, network effects, market power, market dominance, Zimbabwe, EcoCash |
| title | Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector |
| title_full | Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector |
| title_fullStr | Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector |
| title_short | Complexities of competition regulation in Zimbabwe’s mobile money sector |
| title_sort | complexities of competition regulation in zimbabwe s mobile money sector |
| topic | mobile money, competition regulation, network effects, market power, market dominance, Zimbabwe, EcoCash |
| url | https://ajic.wits.ac.za/article/view/15958 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT siphiwencube complexitiesofcompetitionregulationinzimbabwesmobilemoneysector |