JOHANNESBURG - It's all systems go for South Africa's biggest retailer to acquire some stores belonging to Massmart.
The Competition Tribunal has approved the transaction with some stringent conditions.
Last year, Shoprite offered Massmart, the owner of Game and Makro, over R1.3 billion to buy 56 Cambridge Food and Rhino Cash and Carry grocery outlets and just over 40 liquor outlets.
Some of the conditions set out by the tribunal include the sale of stores it identified as highly problematic for competition to SMMEs, not related to Shoprite.
There will be no retrenchments and Shoprite says the merger will create more jobs.
Pick n Pay and Spar argued that the transaction should be blocked.