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Livingstone, Zambia | JULIUS BUSINGE | The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has officially launched the COMESA Competition and Consumer Protection Regulations 2025 in Livingstone, Zambia, marking a significant shift in the region’s competition and consumer protection framework.
The launch, which began on February 24, has drawn 185 delegates from across COMESA Member States and beyond, including senior government officials, judges, regulators, diplomats, businesses, and academia and consumer representatives. The launch is convened by COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC).
The event features critical discussions on issues such as “Global Trends in Competition Law and Policy,” reflecting the region’s intent to align with evolving international standards.
The new Regulations were approved by the COMESA Council of Ministers on December 4, 2025 in Lusaka and have since entered into force, repealing the 2004 framework that governed the Common Market for over two decades.
A new institutional identity
The adoption of the 2025 Regulations has resulted in the rebranding of the COMESA Competition Commission to the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC), signalling an expanded and more explicit consumer protection mandate.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Chief Executive Officer for CCCC Willard Mwemba said the changes underscore a deliberate emphasis on consumer welfare. While the Commission previously exercised consumer-related functions, the new law broadens both its mandate and enforcement scope.
The review process, which began in 2021, was internally driven and involved extensive public consultations. Contributions were received from a wide range of stakeholders, including multinational technology firms and regional operators, as COMESA sought to modernise its legal tools in response to market realities.
Officials noted that the 2004 Regulations had remained unchanged despite rapid transformations in global and regional markets. The digital economy in Africa, valued at over US$30 billion in 2025 and projected to grow significantly by 2030, has altered how producers and consumers interact, exposing gaps in the previous legal framework according to Mwemba.
The 2025 Regulations introduce mechanisms to regulate digital markets, including digital mergers and conduct by dominant “gatekeeper” firms. They strengthen merger control through a new suspensory regime, enhance investigative and enforcement powers, and explicitly address misleading representations and harmful online practices.
The new framework prohibits “dark patterns” — manipulative online design practices — as a per se offence, positioning the Commission among the first globally to take such a firm stance.
Advancing regional integration
Zambia’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Lillian Bwalya, described the launch as a milestone in strengthening the legal and institutional architecture of the Common Market. Bwalya said COMESA plays a big role in shaping regional trade and this the new rules are necessary for this purpose.
Delivering the keynote address, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, secretary general of COMESA said the Regulations reinforce Article 55 of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Treaty, which obliges Member States to prohibit practices that distort competition and undermine free and liberalised trade.
The new framework expands the public interest considerations in enforcement to include employment, participation of small and medium enterprises, environmental sustainability and innovation. It also provides for direct reference of matters to the COMESA Court of Justice, streamlining adjudicative processes and reinforcing the rule of law.
With 21 Member States, a combined population of 682 million people and a GDP exceeding US$1.1 trillion, COMESA officials said effective competition and consumer protection enforcement is essential to attracting investment, lowering barriers to entry and promoting inclusive growth. Foreign direct investment inflows into the region reached US$65 billion in 2024, reflecting growing investor confidence in a rules-based market environment.
Transparency and collaboration
The Regulations emphasise cooperation between the regional Commission, national authorities, other regional economic communities and continental bodies, particularly in light of Africa’s deepening integration agenda.
As the Commission begins implementing the 2025 framework alongside COMESA’s 2026–2030 Medium-Term Strategic Plan, officials pledged to ensure that enforcement remains transparent and supportive of business, while safeguarding consumers and preserving competitive markets.
The launch in Livingstone signals COMESA’s renewed commitment to building a fair, competitive and consumer-centric Common Market capable of responding to the demands of digitalisation, cross-border trade and inclusive regional development.
