Description of Activities

Description: The Commission resolved to approve without conditions the acquisition by Varun Beverages Limited of The Beverage Company Proprietary Limited.

The acquiring group:The acquiring group manufactures, distributes, and sells a wide range of carbonated soft drinks as well as a large selection of non-carbonated beverages, including packaged drinking water sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo.

Target undertaking: The target undertaking produces a variety of carbonated soft drinks, bottles private-label carbonated soft drinks for various retailers, and also produces a range of mixes, energy drinks, and bottled water.

Relevant market: The Secretariat defined the product market as the market for carbonated soft drinks, “non-alcoholic beverages.” 

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.

However, as stated under section 50 of the Act, this approval does not relieve parties from complying with any other mandatory statutory approvals that any of the parties to this merger must comply with under Namibian laws.