Minister of Economic Development, Mr Ebrahim Patel, officially opened the 4th BRICS International Competition Conference on 12 November 2015 in Durban. The Conference is convened under the theme: “Competition and Inclusive Growth”. This is the first conference of BRICS Competition to be held in African continent.

In his opening address, the Minister highlighted the immense role played by competition authorities amongst BRICS countries in economic development. “The Competition Commission promotes employment and advance the social welfare of South Africa,” said Minister Patel.

South Africa’s Competition Commissioner, Mr Tembinkosi Bonakele, said BRICS countries share many similarities when it comes to competition policy.

“We learn a lot from the other BRICS nations because some of the cases are very similar to the ones that we are investigating; sharing the experiences of dealing with the cases is very important,” said Commissioner Bonakele.

The BRICS bloc represents an important voice for the developing countries in the global antitrust policy discourse. The conference has attracted over 500 participants from different parts of the world, with a strong representation from BRICS countries as well counterparts in the continent.

Other speakers at the Opening Ceremony were eThekwini Executive Mayor, Hon James Nxumalo; KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Mr Senzo Mchunu and MEC of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Mike Mabuyakhulu.

After the official opening, delegates went into parallel and plenary sessions, discussing a wide range of topical issues in the area of competition law enforcement such as:

• The Abuse of Dominance Enforcement, State-Owned Enterprises

• Public Interest issues in Competition

• Competition, Economic Development and Trade.