Vodacom Agrees on Merger Terms with Competition Commission

The Competition Commission has agreed to no longer oppose Vodacom's planned acquisition of a 30% stake in Maziv after the parties reached an agreement on revised conditions to alleviate competition concerns. The merger, initially prohibited by the Competition Tribunal due to competition and public interest issues, now includes substantial commitments such as maintaining lower-cost broadband packages and improving capital expenditure commitments. These efforts are aimed at enhancing competition between fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fixed-wireless access (FWA), ensuring third-party access to the network, and introducing divestiture processes. The revisions also include structural governance changes in Maziv to prevent vertical foreclosure and improved public interest commitments, such as additional investment in digital infrastructure. The appeal will be presented unopposed to the Competition Appeal Court, and if approved, Vodacom anticipates substantial benefits in connectivity and economic contributions in South Africa.