The Competition Commission of South Africa (“Commission”) has published its Draft Guidelines on Minority Protections (“Draft Guidelines”), providing its view on when minority shareholder protections may amount to an acquisition of “control” and require merger control approval. Comments on the Draft Guidelines are due by 20 January 2026 at 16h30.
Our dispute resolution and regulatory team combines our lawyers' expertise in litigation, arbitration, investigations and alternative dispute resolution with our on-the-ground knowledge of international trade, regulatory and government affairs issues.
Our goal is to help you devise an approach to addressing and resolving disputes that best fits your business strategy.
Globalisation of world markets has brought almost limitless commercial opportunities. It also increases the potential for legal liability and regulatory compliance issues, exposing corporations to financial and reputational risk across multiple jurisdictions.
We regularly handle technically challenging and multi-jurisdictional matters and have the local strength and knowledge to advise on specific legal, cultural and procedural issues. We are one of the most active law firms in Africa, with lawyers throughout the continent working directly with our global litigation, arbitration, regulatory and government affairs teams to give clients access to one of the largest litigation practices in the world. We help companies address the entire range of technically challenging legal dispute and regulatory issues, working to deliver outcomes that meet their strategic goals in efficient and cost-effective ways. In a region where regulation and enforcement will only increase, we also know that effective compliance and avoidance of regulatory intervention is critical.
Local insight, global reach: with lawyers in 20 African countries, our teams understand the political, cultural, regulatory and economic contexts, and our lawyers on-the-ground can call on the support of our wider global Africa team with lawyers in Johannesburg, Casablanca, London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Perth, Hong Kong and Beijing. This global network enables clients to draw on the multidisciplinary resources and experience of one of the world’s biggest law firms, offering a fully integrated service across requirements and borders and drawing on our deep knowledge of national and international legislation as well as our strong working relationships with regulators and governments.
Key capabilities include:
- administrative law
- aviation litigation and regulation
- banking and finance litigation
- class actions
- construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes
- corporate and securities litigation
- cross-border litigation
- environment, health and safety
- global governance and compliance
- insurance and reinsurance disputes
- international arbitration
- international business and human rights
- international trade
- investigations
- IT and telecoms disputes
- product liability, mass torts and product stewardship
- real estate litigation
- tax controversy and disputes
- third-party funding
- white collar and corporate crime
Across Africa, antitrust and competition laws governing business conduct can be complex, and the consequences of non-compliance severe. Our teams help to bring clarity in this potentially uncertain landscape.
Our South African team has extensive experience in advising on both South African and African competition law backed by a team of lawyers in 20 African countries. We understand the political, cultural, regulatory and economic context in the region. Our lawyers bring a deep understanding of global antitrust and competition rules to help clients conduct business – and respond to investigations or enforcement actions – in focused and cost-effective ways.
Key contacts
- Legal500 2020 – Ranked in Band 3 in the Competition category.
DLA Piper advised Remgro Limited, a leading South African investment holding company, and its subsidiaries on a share subscription and exchange transaction with eMedia Holdings Limited (eMedia), a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), and the subsequent unbundling by Remgro of the eMedia shares it received from eMedia to Remgro's shareholders (Transaction).
On 25 October 2023, in Van Wyk and Others v Minister of Employment and Labour [2023] ZAGPJHC the Gauteng High Court declared that the provisions of sections 25, 25A, 25B and 25C of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 (BCEA) are invalid on the basis that they infringe the rights to equality and dignity in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa insofar as they unfairly discriminate between mothers and fathers; and between one set of parents and another on the basis of whether the children were born of the mother; conceived by surrogacy; or adopted. The corresponding sections 24, 26A, 27 and 29A of the Unemployment Insurance Fund Act, 2001 (UIF Act) were similarly found to be invalid. The declaration of invalidity was required to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court.
DLA Piper has represented Community Investment Ventures Holdings Proprietary Limited (CIVH) and its subsidiary, Maziv Proprietary Limited (Maziv), before South Africa's Competition Appeal Court (CAC), conditionally securing approval for the proposed ZAR14 billion merger involving Vodacom Proprietary Limited (Vodacom) and Maziv. On 15 August, the CAC conditionally approved the merger, overturning the Competition Tribunal’s earlier decision to prohibit the deal.
An amendment to South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) in April 2024 created a new criminal offence relating to the failure by members of the private sector or state-owned entities (SOEs) to prevent certain types of corruption.