Ramachandran Ottapathu, one of the directors of Choppies Enterprise, a leading Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) quoted retailer has notified the Competition Authority of his intention to acquire the entire issued shareholding of Warbler Holdings (Pty) Ltd in IT4Africa (Pty) Ltd; Goldtech (Pty) Ltd; Healthwest Africa (Pty) Ltd; and Solid Logistics (Pty) Ltd.
Ramachandran, through his company, BLUEHEARTS (PTY) LTD intends take over the four companies together with all assets related to their business operations.
Warbler Holdings is incorporated in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Botswana, and is a holding company for IT4Africa (Pty) Ltd, Goldtech (Pty) Ltd, Healthwest Africa (Pty) Ltd and Solid Logistics (Pty) Ltd, the target enterprises. The director of Warbler Holdings is Mr. Meempat R. Narayan. The four subsidiaries are incorporated in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Botswana and are primarily operational in Gaborone.
IT4Africa is a wholesaler and supplies the following products to air-corn dealers, value added providers, resellers and retailers in Gaborone and other parts of the country(Botswana): Computers; Cell phones; Tablets and accessories; Anti-virus and Security software products; Mobile Phones; Air-cons; Printers; Projectors; Scanners and Accessories. The following are brands that IT4Africa trades in: Acer Computers; eScan; Hisense; Epson; Lexmark; and Samsung.
Goldtech Holdings is a wholesaler and supplies the following products to retail stores, value added providers and resellers in Gaborone and other parts of the country (Botswana): Home and Kitchen appliances; Personal Grooming Products; and Consumer Electronics under the brand name of Samsung; Kenwood; Wahl and Sinotec.
Healthwest Africa sells home appliances & consumer electronics; and personal grooming and kitchen appliances under the brand name of Hisense and Philips. Healthwest sells its products primarily in Gaborone.
Solid Logistics provides logistics, warehousing and freight services currently to its associated companies being: IT4Africa; Goldtech and Healthwest Africa.
Meanwhile Gladys Ramadi, manager of communications and advocacy at the Competition Authority said the authority will hold a public hearing regarding the intended acquisition.
“The hearing will be held with each of the parties to the transaction and other interested parties, pursuant to section 58(3)(a) of the Competition Act. The hearing is intended to allow the parties to the transaction to make verbal representations to the Authority with respect to the transaction as well as allow their competitors and the general public to express their views on the acquisition”.
Furthermore, Ramadi said that other interested parties not party to the proposed transaction will be afforded an opportunity to voluntarily submit to the Authority any document, affidavit, statement or other relevant information in respect of the proposed acquisition.
“The hearing will be held at the Competition Authority offices on the 11th July, 2016, at Plot 28, Matsitama Road, Main Mall, old BEDIA Building, at 14:30hrs”, read part of the statement circulated to the media late Friday.
