Some of the measures were brought into effect by the Regulations published by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Government Gazette of 18 March 2018.

Since it was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the World Health Organisation has now officially referred to it as a pandemic.

With heightened concerns among the general public about Covid-19, the Competition Commission of South Africa has noted many complaints from consumers about rising prices for essential goods, particularly some food, healthcare and hygiene goods.

The Competition Act prohibits suppliers and retailers from various acts of excessive pricing and collusive behaviour, which unfairly inflates prices and exploits customers.

The penalties for these offenses are serious, including a first-time offence of 10 percent of the company's annual turnover and a repeat offence 25 percent of annual turnover. 

The directors of businesses who participate in these acts face potential imprisonment for up to 10 years for collusive behaviour.

Minister Ebrahim Patel gazetted regulations in terms of the Competition Act and Disaster Management Act to strengthen the ability of the commission and the National Consumer Commission to respond to incidences of exploitative pricing.

Such regulations allow the commission to prosecute cases in which prices have significantly risen without any expense justification for the rise.

While South Africa grapples with this pandemic, the commission says it is working closely and coordinates with the National Consumer Commission to provide consumers with the best and most efficient protection against price gouging.

The Trade and Industry Minister and the Competition Commission commissioners and the National Consumer Commission have also been in consultation with the major retailers and pharmacy CEOs to discuss, among several other issues, concerns about price increases.

During this crucial moment, all retailers support the efforts of the government and regulators to protect the consumers.

Collectively, consumers are urged to also bring any concerns to the attention of regulators through the details available in their websites, or through this toll-free number - 0800 014 880.

The cases will be reviewed for swift action and forwarded to the necessary regulator, where complaints will be fast-tracked through referral and prosecution before the Competition Tribunal.

Amid this period of the state of National Disaster, the Commission will strictly prioritise such complaints to ensure that firms exploiting consumers are quickly charged and penalised.

African News Agency