COMESA’s Increased Oversight Over The Digital Economy

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has introduced a significant changes in its merger control and antitrust regimes through their amended Competition Regulations of 2025. Aside from general amendments to the regimes—including shifting to a mandatory and suspensory merger control regime and expanded authorities to enforce behavioral antitrust violations—they established a distinct notification threshold for transactions in the digital economy and specific conduct obligation for digital businesses. These designated thresholds aim to expand the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission’s (CCCC) ability to review and address substantial implications for competition posed by deals involving technology-driven and platform-based businesses even where traditional turnover thresholds are not met.