Description of Activities

Description of transaction: The Commission resolved to approve without conditions the acquisition that concerns a combined sale and swap of members' interest involving two family-owned Namibian close corporations, namely Rix Transport Close Corporation (“Rix Transport”) and Sanga Tours and Safaris Close Corporation (“Sanga Tours”). The effect of the sale and swap of members' interest involved Lionel Rix (“Lionel”) will transfer his members' interest in Rix Transport to Jean Venter (“Jean”); and Jean and Nikita Rix (“Nikita”) will transfer their combined members’ interest in Sanga Tours to Lionel. 

Acquiring group: The primary acquiring undertakings are Jean and Lionel, who are Namibian natural persons. Other than their respective members’ interests in Rix Transport and Sanga Tours, neither Jean nor Lionel holds any direct ownership or control in any other undertaking in Namibia. Their activities are therefore limited exclusively to their role as members of Rix Transport and Sanga Tours.

Target undertaking: The first primary target undertaking is Rix Transport, which is a Namibian close corporation engaged in the provision of cross-border and domestic freight-transport services. Its operations include cross-border transport between Namibia and South Africa; overnight linehaul services; consolidated freight movements; dedicated vehicle services for specific clients or routes; rigid Interlink Body movements; and limited local distribution and warehousing activities. 

Relevant market: Concluded that it is not necessary to definitively conclude on the relevant product market definition since there are no overlaps or vertical integration between merging parties’ activities and that the proposed transaction involves a sale and swap of members' interest amongst the same owners.

Merger Determination

The Commission found the proposed transaction unlikely to result in the prevention or substantial lessening of competition or result in any undertaking to acquire or strengthen a dominant position in the market and did not raise any public interest concerns.

Furthermore, as per section 50 of the Act, these approvals do not relieve parties from complying with any other mandatory statutory approvals that any of the parties to the merger must comply with under Namibian laws. 

Merger Determination No.1 of 2026__