The African competition watchdog organizations have announced that they will be collectively interrogating the market conduct of global digital firms. The organizations include the Kenya Competition Authority, the South Africa Competition Commission, and the Nigeria antitrust authority. This action puts big techs like Google and Meta, which have faced investigations and remedial action in other jurisdictions, on alert.
This is a significant move by the regulators as they look to address concerns over competition and consumer welfare in Africa. The working group will be tasked with investigating specific areas of concern, such as price discrimination, misleading advertising, and forced marketing.
The Common Markets of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission, which represents 21 countries, is one of the new groups formed to address the growing concerns affecting African digital markets. The group plans to work together to overcome any obstacles that might limit the growth and expansion of African digital platforms.
The establishment of the working group and leadership team is seen as a major step forward for the Europe-US Privacy Shield, as it signals that member states are committed to ensuring the security of personal data transferred between the two regions.
Member states will be able to sharpen their legislative instruments by developing or bridging gaps in their legislation. However, certain areas of competence, such as criminal law, police cooperation and asylum policy, will still lie with the EU. The new instrument will allow member states to address these areas selectively while remaining within the confines of EU law.
The Competition Authority of Kenya is calling for the formation of a global forum in order to interrogate market conduct that has been the subject of investigation and remedial action in other international jurisdictions, but which remain unattended in African markets to the detriment of African consumers, businesses and economies. The forum would be designed to identify best practices and share best practices between jurisdictions in order to protect consumers, businesses and economies.
Even small businesses need to be online for their customers to find and buy products. But what is the best way for them to do this? What are some of the issues that small businesses should consider when choosing a digital marketing strategy?
One of the key challenges that the African regulators will face is how to handle market inquiries collaboratively while enforcing competition laws independently according to each country’s own regulations. This will be a difficult task, as it is estimated that two-thirds of countries in Africa have competition laws.
The business plans of the new company are ambitious and reflect the growing trend of digital natives seeking to operate their own businesses. The group plans to focus on e-commerce, aggregator services (online travel agents & online classifieds), matchmaker services (e-hailing & delivery services like Uber, and Glovo), digital advertising (search and social media sites like Google, and Facebook), fintech, and app stores. These areas represent a wealth of opportunity as the number of people using technology grows exponentially. With so many options available to consumers, it is essential for any business to stay ahead of the curve in order for it to thrive. By positioning itself as a leader in these cutting-edge industries, this company is sure to establish itself as a key player in the marketplace.
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The strategy is intended to create a level playing field for African digital firms and promote their growth, through the enforcement of competition law and policy. This will ensure that the market remains competitive, helping to spur innovation and growth.
According to the author, digital firms with a global presence may bring innovations to African markets, but they may also stifle the development of domestic platforms. Enforcement of these companies in Africa is important in order for local businesses to thrive and compete. By understanding barriers to entry and expansion that are affecting local platforms, regulators can help promote innovation while protecting consumers.
Given the recent scrutiny meted out to Meta, it is clear that anticompetitive behavior in Africa is not going unnoticed. However, the company seems determined to change its ways and ensure that consumers are always taken into account. This recent verdict by Jumia also shows that companies must be careful about how their terms and conditions are drafted, as there is a risk of consumer welfare breaches.
These investigations and actions by the government are a sign of things to come for global tech monopolies, as they face an increasing risk of antitrust enforcement. This could result in smaller companies being able to compete more effectively, leading to better products and innovation.
