South African Competition Commission seeks to revoke Premier-RFG merger

The South African Competition Commission has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal to revoke the conditional approval of a R5.6 billion merger between Premier Group and RFG Holdings. The regulatory move follows the decision by Premier to close the Fruit Processing Western Cape (FPWC) cannery in Tulbagh, just months after the deal was finalized in March 2026.

The Commission alleges that both companies failed to disclose material information regarding plans to close the facility during the initial review process. During the merger hearings, both parties reportedly provided explicit assurances that no manufacturing facilities, production lines, or equipment would be closed, integrated, or disposed of. The approval was heavily contingent on these public-interest conditions, specifically regarding employment protections.

The proposed closure of the Tulbagh facility, one of only two fruit-canning operations in South Africa, threatens the jobs of over 400 permanent and fixed-term workers and could impact thousands of seasonal workers. Premier Group cited structural deterioration in the global canned-fruit market as the reason for the shutdown, noting that the facility's heavy reliance on exports made it unviable. The Commission's action follows investigations triggered by complaints from labor unions.