Description of Activities

Description of transaction: The Commission resolved to approve without conditions the acquisition of (1) the entire business and sale of assets of Union Tiles by Union Group, and (2) the entire shareholding in Phoenix by Acquadale. 

Acquiring group: The first Primary Acquiring Undertaking is Union Group Propriety Limited (“Union Group”), a limited company duly incorporated in accordance with the laws of South Africa, and the second Primary Acquiring Undertaking is Acquadale Holdings Propriety Limited (“Acquadale”). The two Primary Undertakings are subsidiaries of Origin Corp (Pty) Ltd, which is controlled by Riverdale Investment (Pty) Ltd, and together they constitute the (“Acquiring Group”). The Acquiring Group is involved in the supply of chemicals in the agriculture and mining sectors, protective equipment, coatings, the manufacturing and distribution of plastic packaging products, as well as the fabrication of steel piping throughout South Africa. The Acquiring Group has no business activities in Namibia.

Target undertaking: The first primary target undertaking is Union Tiles Proprietary Limited (“Union Tiles”), a South African retail and wholesale group that provides tiles and other housing equipment in South Africa and Namibia, and it is owned by the AV Ghisleni Family Trust and the GA Ghisleni Family Trust. In Namibia, Union Tiles controls Union Tiles (Windhoek) (Pty) Ltd and Union Tiles (Swakopmund) (Pty) Ltd, and both are private companies duly incorporated in accordance with the laws in Namibia and are actively dealing in tiles and other household products. The second primary target undertaking is Phoenix Machine Properties Proprietary Limited (“Phoenix”), a South African property holding company with no business activities in Namibia.

Relevant market: Defined the relevant product market as the supply and distribution of wall and floor tiles and decorative coating in Namibia.

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. 

Merger Determination No.6 of 2025_