The Competition Commission has applied to the Competition Tribunal to revoke its approval of Premier Group’s share-swap acquisition of RFG Holdings, valued at about R6bn, or alternatively to require the merger to be refiled or its conditions amended.
The facts
- Approval: the Commission recommended approval with job-protection and supplier-development conditions in January 2026; the Tribunal approved the merger in April and it has been implemented.
- The allegation: the Commission says the parties did not disclose a planned closure of the Tulbagh fruit cannery, which could affect about 400 jobs and engage a job-protection condition.
- Premier’s position: Premier denies acting unlawfully or withholding information and says the proposed controlled closure was not a merger decision or implementation step.
- Status: pending before the Competition Tribunal. These are allegations; no finding has been made.
Why it matters
A revocation application against an implemented merger is rare and puts disclosure obligations during merger review, and the durability of public-interest conditions, at the centre of South African deal risk.
Sources
- R6bn showdown: Premier faces Tribunal over RFG merger dispute, BusinessDay, 8 October 2026
- Competition Commission kicks Rhodes merger can back at Premier, Daily Maverick, 7 October 2026
- Statement on the latest decisions by the Competition Commission, 8 October 2026
Related: RFG Holdings exit by Capitalworks and other shareholders.
