Competition Tribunal weighing effects of selling mining industry’s only producer of ‘a critical input’ to a Czech firm.

South Africa’s competition authorities still have not yet approved the 2021 sale of Sasol’s sodium cyanide business.

The Competition Commission (CompCom), concerned that the sale of the country’s only producer of sodium cyanide will harm the local mining industry, did not allow the transaction when the parties initially applied for approval. This led to an appeal to the Competition Tribunal to reconsider the proposed sale. At stake is nearly R1.5 billion, quite a big step in Sasol’s programme of divesting from its non-core businesses. Click here to read full article