The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Commission has been rebranded to the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (quad C).
In a landmark event for the region, the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCC) also launched the COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations.
The new regulations were unveiled by COMESA Secretariat Executive Secretary Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, marking a new era for consumers across the 21 COMESA Member States.
The launch took place yesterday in Livingstone, Zambia.
The regulations were approved and endorsed by the Council of Ministers on December 4 last year. They repeal the 2004 regulations that have been in force for over two decades under the oversight of the former COMESA Competition Commission (triple C), which commenced operations in 2013.
Kapwepwe described the milestone as a significant evolution in the regional legal and institutional framework governing competition and consumer protection in the COMESA region.
She noted that the regulations come at a critical moment as COMESA prepares its 2026–2030 Medium-Term Strategic Plan and as the quad C begins implementing its own 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.
Kapwepwe said the launch signals a stronger, modern approach to fair markets, business accountability and consumer rights.
“These instruments place strong emphasis on deeper regional integration, an enabling business environment, digital transformation, sustainability and consumer welfare. The regulations are critical mechanisms enshrined under the COMESA Treaty to support the achievement of COMESA’s objective of a single integrated market.”
She referenced Article 55 of the COMESA Treaty, which prohibits practices whose objective or effect is the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the Common Market.
“We should always be reminded that such practices have the potential to negate the objective of free and liberalised trade in the Common Market,” Kapwepwe said.
Kapwepwe said the 2025 regulations aim to close gaps identified in the 2004 framework and introduce modern tools suited for today’s markets.
Among the key reforms are:
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Strengthened merger control through a new suspensory regime
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Enhanced enforcement powers
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Mechanisms to regulate digital markets, including digital mergers and gatekeeper conduct
The regulations also explicitly provide for consumer rights protections, including safeguards against misleading representation and harmful online practices such as dark patterns and unsafe digital content.
Importantly, the updated framework expands the public interest lens to include:
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Employment protection
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Small and medium enterprise (SME) participation
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Environmental sustainability
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Innovation
The move ensures that enforcement efforts contribute to inclusive growth and economic resilience across the region.
