Eleven major retail stores across the country - including Spar, Pick 'n Pay, Checkers, Clicks and Makro - are under investigation for hiking prices on items such as hand sanitiser, face masks and toilet paper due to the Coronavirus.
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel last week published a list of 22 critical products and categories which he instructed National Consumer Commission and the Competition Commission to monitor and ensure no unjustified price increases.
Acting consumer commissioner Thezi Mabuza said: “South Africa is in a state of disaster so we are therefore prioritising these cases.
“With regards to investigations, we have notified the 11 companies of our intention to investigate allegations of excessive price hikes and they have acknowledged our communiqué.”
The respective companies and stores in the province are: Spar, Plattekloof; North Safety, Paarden Eiland; Sea Side Pharmacy, Table View; and Pick ‘n Pay, Milnerton (all four are in the Western Cape).
Others were Silver Oaks SuperSpar, Pretoria East; Checkers Hyper, Kempton Park; National Overalls, Pretoria; Makro, Springfield, Durban; Clicks, Westgate Mall, Gauteng; Free State Pharmacy, Bloemfontein; and Mopane Pharmacy in Nelspruit.