South Africa: Pricing the same as your competitors – unlawful or permissible?
One often observes in the marketplace that prices of products advertised or sold by two competitors are the same or similar. Commentators (especially on social media) are then quick to condemn this as unlawful price fixing. But is it necessarily so? A recent decision of the South African Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) shed some light on […]
Celebrating International Data Privacy Day in South Africa: “12 years of POPIA – what next?”
On 28 January 2026, the global community celebrated International Data Privacy Day. This year, its commemoration landed in a world where privacy and personal information protection are no longer optional, purely legal, regulatory, or compliance issues, but are central to how organisations design systems, deploy services and/or products, collaborate across ecosystems, and earn trust in […]
Lesotho’s new regulations: No Business Licences for Foreign Nationals
You may have seen the recent headlines relating to no trading licences for foreign nationals. Although how it works and what its reach remains murky. What is being implemented is Regulation 34 of the Business Licensing and Registration Regulations which reserves specific business activities exclusively for indigenous citizens. The rule is not a “foreigner vs. Basotho […]
LEX Africa supports African law students
LEX Africa’s CSR Programme supports worthy organisations operating in Africa. Lex:lead is a group of international lawyers and friends which offers an annual essay competition to law students from the world’s least developed countries for one-time financial awards. LEX Africa has for several years supported Lex:lead’s initiative which acts as a “stepping stone” for young, […]
Modernizing Ethiopia’s Courts: Electronic Filing & Virtual Hearings in Focus
In late 2025, the Federal Supreme Court launched a nationwide e-court initiative backed by new legal directives and technology investments to move court processes online with the introduction of electronic court filing and virtual hearings. This landmark shift aims to streamline legal procedures, improve court efficiency, and expand access to justice, all while ensuring compliance with […]
Fiscal Highlights: Angola’s 2026 General State Budget
The LEX Africa member for Angola, FBL Advogados, highlights the main tax changes in Angola for the 2026 fiscal year. Personal Income Tax (IRT) The exemption threshold for Personal Income Tax (IRT) has been increased to cover dependent employment income of up to AKZ 150,000.00 per month. Income up to this amount is no longer […]
The new 2025 COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Rules and Regulations
Introduction On 4 December 2025, the COMESA Council of Ministers officially revoked the COMESA Competition Rules of 2004 (“2004 Rules“) and the COMESA Competition Regulations of 2004 (“2004 Regulations“). This decision introduced a significant update to the region’s regulatory framework with the implementation of the new COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations, 2025 (“2025 Regulations“) […]
Code Red to Code Regulated: South Africa’s Data, AI and Cybersecurity Shift in 2025, and What’s to Come in 2026?
South Africa’s data protection, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (“AI“) landscape matured significantly in 2025. Key developments included: new POPIA regulations; a joint cyber security standard for financial institutions coming into effect; the Information Regulator issuing draft regulations for healthcare data; and the publication of an AI report by financial sector regulators. At least two notable […]
ARIPO Trade Marks official fee update on 1 March 2026
As from 1 March 2026 ARIPO will implement a new trade mark official fee structure. See some of the key adjustments below. The amendments provide for an increase in official fees payable under the Banjul Protocol. As from 1 March 2026 key fee adjustments include: For more information on the recent updates, contact Cronjé Inc […]
Shaping the Future of Zambia’s Mining Sector: Key Updates from Mining Indaba 2026
One of the key interactive platforms at the Mining Indaba is the Zambia Breakfast hosted by the Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies (AZMEC) in conjunction with the Zambia Chamber of Mines. It is usually sponsored by the top Banking and Financial institutions in Zambia. In the interaction between industry, stakeholders, etc., and the Minister […]