Simon Roberts

Special Advisor, Competition law and policy

Simon Roberts is a Professor of economics at the University of Johannesburg, where he founded the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), and a Global Practitioner at the University of Strathclyde.

He has worked extensively on issues of industrial development, trade, regional and global value chains, competition and economic regulation in Southern and East Africa, advising governments, competition authorities and regulators. In recent years Simon has focused on food markets in Africa in the context of climate change.

Simon served as Economics Director at the UK Competition and Markets Authority from 2019 to 2020 and the Chief Economist and Manager of the Policy & Research Division at the Competition Commission of South Africa from 2006 to 2012.  

He has been closely involved in the development of competition regimes across Africa and has testified as an expert witness in a number of major cases in South Africa. Simon has edited seven books, a number of journal special issues and published over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.