MBABANE – In 2024, the CCC conducted 12 investigations into restrictive business practices, with complaints originating from Mauritius, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
Sectors under scrutiny included digital finance, telecommunications, fast-moving consumer goods, energy, pharmaceuticals and construction.
While Eswatini was not a source of complaints, the findings and enforcement precedents set in these cases will guide local regulators in identifying and addressing similar issues within the kingdom.
One major investigation was in the agro-processing sector, a relevant area for Eswatini’s sugar and agri-based industries. The CCC’s intervention in these sectors strengthens market access for small producers and reduces barriers created by dominant firms.
The CCC significantly ramped up its consumer protection work in 2024. A total of 10 consumer complaints were investigated, covering e-commerce platforms, cross-border goods delivery and misleading product labelling—issues that increasingly affect Eswatini’s growing base of online shoppers and cross-border traders.
Key areas of concern included:
- False advertising on online platforms
- Delayed or undelivered goods in cross-border sales
- Lack of clear return or refund policies
The commission also hosted advocacy sessions on consumer rights, launched consumer awareness campaigns and prepared for the rollout of its Consumer Welfare Policy, which will be implemented across all COMESA countries starting in 2025.
For Eswatini, the harmonisation of consumer protection laws and procedures means that shoppers and small businesses will have more consistent recourse when buying goods or services from regional suppliers. Advocacy remained a pillar of CCC activities, with 26 stakeholder engagements conducted in 2024. These included training of judges, law enforcement officials, lawyers and government officials in competition law enforcement.
Eswatini benefitted from regional capacity-building sessions aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of national competition agencies. Additionally, the CCC continued to develop a digital knowledge platform to support NCAs with case law, best practices and enforcement toolkits.
On the research front, the commission produced three major studies:
1. Airline sector consumer survey – Results will inform future passenger rights protections.
2. Cross-border food markets and agricultural inputs – A collaboration with the University of Johannesburg that identified exploitative pricing and exclusionary practices.
3. Healthcare access and pricing – Examined the role of competition in making medicines and services more affordable.
Full story in today's paper.
Leave a comment