The Acacia team has worked extensively in the financial services sector in Africa including analysing mergers and acquisitions, abuse of dominance complaints and various policy and regulatory issues. We have developed particular expertise in the area of digital financial services and the competition and regulatory concerns which are relevant in these rapidly developing markets and have engaged in work that relates to these markets for a range of clients including the World Bank, CGAP, FSD and the FinMark Trust. In addition, we have worked extensively on issues relating to the regulation and pricing of interconnection, both for mobile and traditional payments mechanisms.
Our economists have been involved in a number of projects concerning mobile money, banking and financial inclusion in countries including Kenya, Uganda, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe. We have also conducted research and engaged in analysis for regulatory issues related to competition in banking. This includes providing impact assessments of the South African Banking inquiry for the Competition Commission of South Africa and the Department of Trade and Industry, a banking inquiry for the Bank of Jamaica, a leasing inquiry, and an inquiry into access to USSD for mobile payments for the Competition Authority of Kenya. We have also assisted in the economic analysis for mergers in the financial sector including a merger in financial services infrastructure and the insurance sector.