IN THE COMPETITION TRIBUNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA
Case No: 109/LM/Sep07
In the matter between:
PSG FINANCIAL SERVICES LTD Acquiring Firm
And
ALTERNATIVE CHANNEL LTD Target
Firm
_______________________________________________________________
Panel : D Lewis (Presiding Member), Y Carrim (Tribunal Member)
and N Manoim (Tribunal Member),
Heard on : 15 November 2007
Decided on : 15 November 2007
Reasons issued on : 11 December 2007
REASONS FOR DECISION
APPROVAL
[1] On 15 November 2007, the Tribunal unconditionally approved the merger between
PSG Financial Services Ltd (“ PSG”) and Alternative Channel Ltd (“ Alternative
Channel”).
THE TRANSACTION
[2] PSG Financial Services Ltd (“PSG”), the primary acquiring firm, is controlled by
PSG Group Ltd (“ PSG Group ”). PSG Group is not controlled by any firm. It controls a
substantial number of firms in South Africa. 1 PSG, the primary acquiring firm, controls
various firms, 2 including Channel Life Holding .
[3] Alternative Channel Ltd, the primary target firm, is controlled by Channel Life Ltd
(“Channel Life ”). Channel Life is controlled by Channel Life Holdings (a wholly owned
subsidiary of PSG), which holds 33.9% of the shares and Sanlam Life Insurance Ltd
(“Sanlam”), which holds above 50% of the shares.
[4] In terms of the Sale of Shares Agreement PSG is Purchasing 98% of Alternative
Channel’s entire issued share capital.
RATIONALE FOR THE TRANSACTION
[5] Channel Life, which controls Alternative Channel, is controlled by Sanlam. Sanlam
wants Channel Life to focus on the emerging market. As result it has been decided
that Alternative Channel, with its products better suited for institutional clients and high
net worth individuals, should be sold to a suitable purchaser. PSG, which is active and
wants to continue offerings its products to institutional clients and high net worth
individuals, has been identified as a suitable purchaser. After the implementation of the
transaction Alternative Channel will become part of PSG and Sanlam will cease to have
interest in the business.
THE PARTIES’ ACTIVITIES
[6] Alternative Channel sells linked life products. 3 A Linked life policy is an investment
1 The merging parties have claimed confidentiality over the PSG Group structure.
2 The merging parties have claimed confidentiality over these details.
3 The Long Term Insurance Act defines a linked policy as a long term policy of which the
amount of the policy benefits is not guaranteed by the long term insurer and is to be determined
2
product that requires the insured to invest an amount of money with the linked life
insurer for a minimum of five (5) years. The restriction on the ability of the investor to
access the funds during the five year period distinguishes the product from other
investment products such as unit trusts. Apart from linked life products Alternative
Channel does not offer any other service.
[7] PSG Group is a financial services and investment company that offers a range of
products.4 PSG Group also provides marketing and brokerage services to Alternative
Channel. PSG Group does not offer any linked life products, as does Alternative
Channel.
[8] The Commission also noted the fact that the transaction results in a vertical
integration between the parties in that PSG markets and distributes Alternative
Channels’ products. PSG also provides brokerage advice services to Alternative
Channel.
COMPETITION ANALYSIS
HORIZONTAL ANALYSIS:
[9] The Commission together with the parties submitted that there is no horizontal
overlap in the parties’ activities as PSG Group does not offer any linked life products
and Alternative Channel’s activities are limited to linked life products. Neither is the
linked life products sold by Alternative Channel nor the range of investment products
sold by PSG substitutable. We have not examined this contention in great depth as
PSG’s market share is insignificant. Nevertheless we find the Commission’s
conclusion on the basis of evidence available to us reasonable.
solely by reference to the value of particular assets or categories of assets which are specified
in the policy and are actually held by or on behalf of the insurer specifically for the purpose of
the policy.
the policy.
4 These includes corporate finance; retail banking; asset management; portfolio management;
stock broking; local and offshore investment; life insurance; short and long term investment and
private equity investments.
3
VERTICAL ANALYSIS:
[10] The Commission submitted that there are no competition concerns that
arise from the vertical integration between the merging parties. Alternative
Channel has a low market share 5 in the market for linked life product. PSG also has
an insignificant market share in the markets for marketing services to linked life
policies6 and brokerage advice service. 7 In their respective markets both Alternative
Channel8 and PSG 9 compete with participants with significant market shares.
CONCLUSION
[11] We find that the transaction does not raise any significant public interest issues
and accordingly approve the merger without conditions.
_______________ 11 December 2007
D Lewis Date
N Manoim and Y Carrim concurring.
Tribunal Researcher : P S Munyai
For the merging parties : Hofmeyr Herbstein & Gihwala Inc
5 [Confidential: 2% 5%].
6 [Confidential: 2% 5%].
7 [Confidential: 0.5 3%].
8 In the market for linked life products alternative Channel compete with Allan Gray (10.56%);
Investments Solutions (48.14%); Coronation Life (8.9%); Mcubed (6.3%) and others.
9 In the market for the provision of marketing services to linked life policies PSG compete
against companies such as ABSA (4.5%); Sasfin (1%); Alpha Capital (1%) and Grand Thornton
Capital (1%). In the market for brokerage advice service PSG compete with Peregrine Securities
(20%); Deutsche securities (20%); JP Morgan (20%) and RMB (20%).
4
For the competition commission : I Selaledi
(Mergers & Acquisitions)
5