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The Daily Insight

How do monopolies affect the economy?

Author

James Craig

Published Mar 17, 2026

The monopoly pricing creates a deadweight loss because the firm forgoes transactions with the consumers. Monopolies can become inefficient and less innovative over time because they do not have to compete with other producers in a marketplace. In the case of monopolies, abuse of power can lead to market failure.

Is monopoly good for the economy?

Firms benefit from monopoly power because: They can charge higher prices and make more profit than in a competitive market. The can benefit from economies of scale – by increasing size they can experience lower average costs – important for industries with high fixed costs and scope for specialisation.

Are monopolies good for society overall?

Monopolies over a particular commodity, market or aspect of production are considered good or economically advisable in cases where free-market competition would be economically inefficient, the price to consumers should be regulated, or high risk and high entry costs inhibit initial investment in a necessary sector.

Are monopolies indefinitely bad for society?

Can Denel be classified as a monopoly in South Africa?

Yes, it can be regarded as a monopoly. Denel was founded as a private company, but due to the nature of its major industry, weaponry, it cannot be considered a typical consumer-oriented corporation.

Is monopoly bad for society?

Why is Apple not monopoly?

Apple owns patents for iOS and for the App Store platform. Apple is not a monopoly. It does not produce necessity goods and it does not force consumers to use its products or the App Store.

Which companies are state owned in South Africa?

List

NameIndustryOwnership type
SasolEnergy27.3% government owned
SentechTelecommunicationsFully government owned
South African AirwaysTransportFully government owned
South African Broadcasting CorporationBroadcastingFully government owned

Who started Denel?

It was created when the manufacturing subsidiaries of Armscor were split off in order for Armscor to become the procurement agency for South African Defence Force (SADF), now known as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and the manufacturing divisions were grouped together under Denel as divisions.