COMMISSION REFERS NUMBER PLATE BLANKS CARTEL CASE TO TRIBUNAL FOR PROSECUTION
The Competition Commission (“Commission”) has, on 18 March 2026, referred a complaint against three companies operating in the number plate blanks manufacturing sector to the Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) for prosecution. The companies are Uniplate Group (Pty) Ltd (“Uniplate”), New Number Plate Requisites (Pty) Ltd (“NNPR”) and Unique Number Plate (Pty) Ltd (“Unique Number Plate”).
The three companies compete in the manufacture and supply of number plate blanks. They are alleged to have entered into an agreement and/or engaged in a concerted practice to fix prices and trading conditions for the supply of number plate blanks to, among others, embossers. This conduct contravenes section 4(1)(b)(i) of the Competition Act 89 of 1998, as amended (the Act). The conduct is alleged to have started in 2023 and is ongoing.
The investigation found that, from at least June 2023, the companies discussed and agreed to fix the prices of number plate blanks supplied to customers throughout the country. They also agreed on the amounts of the price increases and the dates on which each would issue its price-increase letter. The companies further agreed to impose a surcharge of R10 on all number plate blanks sold in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The dismantling of this cartel will reduce the prices of number plate blanks and enable, among others, smaller embossers and firms owned by historically disadvantaged persons to enter and participate in number plate embossing market across the country,” said Commissioner Doris Tshepe.
The Commission seeks an order from the Tribunal declaring that the companies contravened section 4(1)(b)(i) of the Act and are liable to pay an administrative penalty of up to 10% of their respective turnover.
[ENDS]
Issued by: Siyabulela Makunga, Spokesperson
On behalf of: The Competition Commission of South Africa