South Africa: Competition Commission unlikely to made decision on AB InBev, SABMiller merger this week

South Africa’s Competition Commission is unlikely to make a decision on whether to recommend Anheuser-Busch InBev NV’s takeover of SABMiller Plc this week, further extending the regulatory process, Bloomberg reported on May 25 citing a person familiar with the situation.

The antitrust body is continuing with the investigation into the $106 billion deal, said the person, who asked not to be named as the deliberations are private. There is a possibility of completing the probe this week, but it’s very small, the person said. The Competition Commission has missed at least four earlier deadlines to complete its probe into the takeover of SABMiller, which traces its roots to Johannesburg.

AB InBev is seeking regulatory approval around the world to combine with SABMiller, creating the world’s largest brewer. The maker of Budweiser and Stella Artois won support from the European Union on May 24 after agreeing to offload SABMiller brands including Peroni and Grolsch.

26 May, 2016