Competition Act, 1998 (Act No. 89 of 1998)

Chapter 2 : Prohibited Practices

Part A : Restrictive Practices

4. Restrictive horizontal practices prohibited

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(1)An agreement between, or concerted practice by, firms, or a decision by an association of firms, is prohibited if it is between parties in a horizontal relationship and if—

[Words preceding section 4(1) substituted by section 3(a) of Notice No. 1354, GG 21880, dated 13 December 2000]

(a)it has the effect of substantially preventing or lessening competition in a market, unless a party to the agreement, concerted practice, or decision can prove that any technological, efficiency or other pro-competitive, gain resulting from it outweighs that effect; or

[Section 4(1)(a) substituted by section 3(b) of Notice No. 1354, GG 21880, dated 13 December 2000]

(b)it involves any of the following restrictive horizontal practices:
(i)directly or indirectly fixing a purchase or selling price or any other trading condition;
(ii)dividing markets by allocating market shares, customers, suppliers, territories or specific types of goods or services; or

[Section 4(1)(b)(ii) substituted by section 3(a) of Notice No. 175, GG 42231, dated 14 February 2019]

(iii)collusive tendering.

 

 

(2)An agreement to engage in a restrictive horizontal practice referred to in subsection (1)(b) is presumed to exist between two or more firms if—
(a)any one of those firms owns a significant interest in the other, or they have at least one director or substantial shareholder in common; and

[Section 4(2)(a) substituted by section 3(c) of Notice No. 1354, GG 21880, dated 13 December 2000]

(b)any combination of those firms engages in that restrictive horizontal practice.

 

(3)A presumption contemplated in subsection (2) may be rebutted if a firm, director or shareholder concerned establishes that a reasonable basis exists to conclude that the practice referred to in subsection (1)(b) was a normal commercial response to conditions prevailing in that market.

 

(4)For purposes of subsections (2) and (3), "director" means—

[Words preceding section 4(4)(a) substituted by section 3(d) of Notice No. 1354, GG 21880, dated 13 December 2000]

(a)a director of a company as defined in the Companies Act, 1973 (Act No. 61 of 1973);
(b)a member of a close corporation as defined in the Close Corporations Act, 1984 (Act No. 69 of 1984);
(c)a trustee of a trust; or
(d)a person holding an equivalent position in a firm.

 

(5)The provisions of subsection (1) do not apply to an agreement between, or concerted practice engaged in by,—
(a)a company, its wholly owned subsidiary as contemplated in section 1(5) of the Companies Act, 1973, a wholly owned subsidiary of that subsidiary or any combination of them; or
(b)the constituent firms within a single economic entity similar in structure to those referred to in paragraph (a).

 

6)The Minister must make regulations in terms of section 78 regarding the application of this section.

[Section 4(6) inserted by section 3(b) of Notice No. 175, GG 42231, dated 14 February 2019]