Namibia Watchdog Probes Rani Group and Six Suppliers Over Anti-competitive Claims

Namibia's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Rani Group and six major consumer goods companies over alleged anti-competitive behaviour. The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) said the probe was initiated after small retailers lodged a complaint alleging that suppliers reserve stock for Rani Group, charge them higher prices, demand upfront payments and exclude them from discounts. NaCC spokesperson Dina //Gowases announced the investigation on Tuesday.

The Rani group of companies owns and operates a chain of supermarkets in northern Namibia. The six companies being investigated are Namib Mills, Bokomo Namibia, Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company, Distell Namibia, Namibia Breweries and Anheuser-Busch InBev Namibia. The small retailers also allege that Rani Group opened retail outlets near their shops, forcing them to close their businesses.