Antitrust authorities in South Africa have said there is no further action to be taken against fats and oil supplier Sime Darby, over its activities involving alleged collusion with Unilever in the manufacture and supply of edible oils and margarine.

South Africa’s Competition Commission said on 1 March it was seeking an order declaring that Unilever and Sime Darby contravened competition laws and that Unilever was facing a fine.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

However, the Commission has since clarified “there is no further settlement to be concluded” with regards to Sime Derby, because the company had previously admitted to breaching competition laws.

A Commission spokesperson apologised for the “confusion” in its recent announcement. Sime Derby “as second respondent have settled the matter and their settlement was confirmed on 20 July 2016”, the spokesperson added.

According to the spokesperson, Sime Derby agreed to pay an administrative penalty of ZAR35m (US$2.7m), which the Commission said was less than 10% of the firm’s annual turnover for the year ended February 2012, in addition to other measures regarding its future conduct.

The Commission said previously that both companies had “entered into a sale of business agreement, which contained a clause in terms of which they agreed not to compete with each other in respect of certain pack sizes of margarine and edible oils”, in contravention of competition laws.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

A spokesperson for Unilever told just-food: “As this matter is subject to litigation, we will not be commenting on it.”