South Africa launches formal probe into franchise market on 23 July
South Africa's Competition Commission opened a formal inquiry into franchising after complaints that contract terms and business practices may restrict competition and disadvantage SMEs and historically disadvantaged persons. Given the sector's large economic footprint (about 15% of GDP), the probe could raise compliance scrutiny and operating costs for consumer-facing listed firms and related local indices, but the timeline and outcomes remain uncertain near term.
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South Africa’s Competition Commission said it opened a formal inquiry into the domestic franchise market on 23 July 2024, following years of complaints that certain contract terms and business practices may undermine fair competition. The sector generated ZAR 999 billion (USD 60.5 billion) in turnover in 2023, accounting for about 15% of GDP and supporting more than 500,000 jobs. The investigation could raise compliance requirements and operating costs for locally listed consumer-services companies. SUS and ONUS, two South African consumer/retail-related index constituents, may face heightened regulatory sensitivity.