Competition Commission is considering a probe into township and rural malls [SOUND]

# The Competition Commission is considering market-conduct investigations into malls and shopping centres in predominantly black urban communities and rural areas. In its Rural and Township Economy Project 2026 report, the commission found that many township entrepreneurs want to trade in malls but are blocked by high rentals, exclusivity clauses, and landlords favouring established brands. The township economy is estimated to be worth about 900-billion-rand annually. The commission’s chief economist James Hodge says exclusionary practices identified include unequal procurement conditions and discriminatory supply agreements: