South Africa’s Competition Commission said on Thursday it had charged retailer Shoprite and its subsidiary Computicket with anti-competitive behaviour, and recommended a fine.

The commission said Shoprite and the event ticket seller had signed exclusive agreements that gave Computicket the ability to discriminate between large and small customers on prices.

The commission said the discrimination had forced third parties to engage with Computicket, excluding its competitors.

“The Commission has asked the Tribunal to impose an administrative penalty of 10 per cent of Computicket and Shoprite Checkers annual turnover,” the commission said in a statement in Johannesburg.

Shoprite was not immediately available to comment.

As a result, shares in the country’s biggest supermarket chain fell more than 4 per cent after the announcement, but had recovered to 183 rand, a decline of 1.84 per cent in early trading.

The case marks the second time the commission has referred Computicket to the Competition Tribunal, with a decision on similar charges.

This is the first time that Shoprite has been added as a respondent to the charges. (NAN)