Econex
Insurance in Stellenbosch

As a result of our work in competition analysis we have had the opportunitiy to be involved in sectors of the South African economy where regulation plays an important role, e.g. the telecommunications, health and energy sectors.
The article following the release of the 2011/2012 CMS Annual Report quotes Econex senior economist, Mariné Erasmus, and refers to Econex's on increased utilisation of private hospitals by medical scheme members.

Econex has grown into a mature consulting firm, specialising in competition, trade and general applied economics. We have been providing expert economic advice for more than a decade to large clients in various sectors in the South African business environment. We pride ourselves in the level of expertise we bring to real world economic problems, based on our sound academic foundation and exceptional level of skills and expertise. We often draw on the intellectual knowledge base of our academic associates to provide our clients with specialised economic analysis in any field of economics. We provide in-depth competition and economic assessments tailored to your needs. We have established ourselves as one of the leading firms in competition economics when it comes to the analysis of mergers, competitive practices and abuse of dominance complaints in South Africa as well as the southern Africa region. Our work is focussed on markets where regulatory challenges emerge or persist, and where decision makers need in-depth economic analysis to make optimal decisions. Econex has assisted regulators (such as the Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) as well as private sector companies with detailed economic analyses. As a result, we have developed highly regarded practices and deep expertise especially in the energy, telecoms and health sectors. In addition, we have been involved in trade analysis in relation to the effects of tariffs (e.g. as proposed on scrap metal), and anti-dumping duties (e.g. Apart from the expertise of our permanent staff, we sometimes draw on the intellectual knowledge base of our academic associates, affiliated to either the University of Stellenbosch or the Bureau for Economic Research (BER). Econex was created in 2005 as a joint venture between Prof Nicola Theron and Prof Rachel Jafta, flowing from their consulting work as academic economists. In the decade since then, Econex has grown into a mature consulting firm, specialising in competition, trade and general applied economics. Subsequently, Econex has provided economic analyses on many of the important cases in sectors such as telecommunications, health, agriculture, etc. The latter was funded by a scholarship from the European Commission. The research component of the MSc was econometric based and questioned how institutions and natural resources interact to attract FDI to developing countries. Helen has also completed part-time courses, including business studies through the Gordon Institute of Business Science, as well as (ongoing) online international courses. In this position she carried out research for various corporate transactions. She also assisted JSE listed clients in their corporate governance dealings, with reference to both local and international regulatory frameworks. At Econex, Helen has authored a series of submissions for the private healthcare inquiry. She has also prepared independent analyses to advise clients in competition cases and corporate transactions. Since joining Econex Helen has assisted clients in the broad sectors of hospital services, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and consumer goods, industrials and agriculture.