RBB

13 March 2020

Uniplate abuse of dominance decision overturned

On the 25th February 2020, the Competition Appeal Court of South Africa (“the CAC”) overturned the decision by the South African Competition Tribunal that Uniplate (one of the two major suppliers of number plate blanks and the machines used to emboss number plates in South Africa) had engaged in an abuse of a dominant position by tying the supply of number plate blanks to embossing machines. The economic evidence, and in particular that concerning evidence of (a lack of) anticompetitive effects, played a central in the CAC’s findings. RBB was instructed by Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, attorneys acting for Uniplate, in the matter and worked alongside advocate Mark Wesley. RBB partner Richard Murgatroyd gave expert evidence (under cross-examination) before the South African Competition Tribunal in the matter, and assisted the legal team in the appeal before the CAC.

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