Baneng Moraswi Naape, 29, is an economist at the Competition Commission of South Africa, where he works alongside economists and legal counsel to develop economic analyses to explain how competition works in different markets. His work involves developing economic evidence concerning mergers and acquisitions, anti-competitive conduct and other related antitrust issues.
During his tenure at the Competition Tribunal, Baneng was involved in several high-level cases including the acquisition of Distell by Heineken, which saw several public interest-related conditions imposed. He holds a BCom honours in economics and is a PhD candidate. His family’s past experiences have inspired him to work hard after witnessing the financial implications of his parents not making it to university.
As part of his personal goals, he is developing the Baneng Foundation, which aims to create a training ground for social change by empowering youth and providing financial and technical support to rural communities.
During my tenure at the Competition Tribunal, I was involved in several high-level cases including the acquisition of Distell by Heineken which saw several public interest-related conditions imposed such as the establishment of an employee share ownership plan, employment commitments to reduce the number of potential retrenchments in South Africa as well as enterprise, supplier development and other conditions aimed at promoting broad-based black economic empowerment. Through this project, I learned about the critical role played by competition authorities not only in adjudicating competitive markets but also in promoting the greater spread of ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals.
Nelson Mandela is my ultimate role model. One important lesson I learned from him is the significance of forgiving others, not because they deserve it, but for one’s inner peace.