Back in 2007, when the bread cartel was bust wide open, I expected it to serve as a cautionary tale for other companies. Who else would wish to face the wrath of an entire nation? The case generated hundreds of newspaper articles, radio shows, TV broadcasts and cartoons smearing the reputation of the complicit companies, which, 10 years later, are still tainted by their collusive conduct. It was Imraahn Mukaddam, a Cape Town businessman, who blew the whistle on Premier Foods, Tiger Brands, Foodcorp and Pioneer for fixing the price of bread. Mukaddam himself was in the bread business, supplying thousands of loaves a day to shops in the Western Cape, so he was immediately suspicious when his suppliers increased prices. The collusion was not only in the Western Cape — these companies also divided markets and fixed the price of bread in four provinces.It shocked South Africans as the actions of these companies hurt poor consumers the most. In a 15-year review of the work of the Competit...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.