The public and researchers will from December 15 have access to a merger database published by the Competition Commission of South Africa (“Commission”), said the regulator in a statement.
This is the first-ever merger database to be developed in South Africa and is aimed at advancing research within the competition law and economics fields. The merger database which contains details of some 3 440 assessed mergers spanning over a decade is a culmination of a recently completed joint project between the Commission and the World Bank. The data will not only help inform research by the Commission and external researchers on the design of the legal and institutional framework for an effective competition policy in emerging markets but also allow the Commission to increase its effectiveness on merger review.
To date, the merger database has been used in projects including the well-known Concentration Tracker Report published last year and many other research projects currently underway.
The merger database contains mergers notified to and assessed by the Commission between January 2011 to March 2021. It incorporates details of 3 440 assessed mergers including information on merger classification, market characteristics identified during the merger investigations, factors and approaches of the assessment conducted, and the Commission’s decision on the merger investigations.
The public and researchers with interests in competition law and economics can now access the nonconfidential version of the merger database on the Commission website at www.compcom.co.za.
The information contained in the non-confidential merger database only presents the data relating to the classification of the merger, the broad sector of the firms, the identified relative markets, the theory of harm, and basic information on the competitive assessments undertaken during the merger investigation, the approval status, and types of remedies/conditions placed on the merger (where applicable) as well as any other non-confidential information of the merger.
Any questions about the merger database can be addressed to the office of the Chief Economist via email at ccsa@compcom.co.za.
