South Africa Launches Probe Into Takealot, UberEats & Other Online Markets

The South Africa Competition Commission (Comp Comm) has the likes of Takealot, Airbnb, Uber Eats, and Google Play in its sights, as it’s preparing to launch its Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry on Tuesday, May 18.

According to a report on Business Tech, the Competition Commission claims that its investigation will cover online markets in which the sales of goods and services are transacted between businesses and consumers. This essentially means that e-commerce marketplaces, in which consumers can buy anything from food, to software, accommodations, and travel (on ride-sharing apps, for example) will be under the spotlight.

The report goes on to state that the Comp Comm has identified several corporate entities that are cause for concern. Among them are Takealot (and by extension Superbalist), Uber Eats and Mr Delivery, Airbnb, Google Play, and the Apple App Store.

While all these entities operate in different spaces (food delivery, online shopping, app purchases, and the like), the Commission’s complaint about all of them is the same: they all hold a very dominant position and, in some instances, are the only options for their consumers.

“Online markets have become an increasingly important channel for businesses to reach consumers, a trend which has accelerated under the Covid-19 pandemic and which is likely to continue,” the Commission said in a statement.

“Online markets provide consumers with the convenience of comparing a wide range of options and then safely purchasing online. For businesses, the online markets offer a ready-made infrastructure to sell online and a means to reach an enormous number of consumers nationally and internationally.”

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