Tau appoints two Deputy Commissioners to Competition Commission

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said the appointments form part of wider efforts to fill critical leadership positions within the department and its agencies.

South Africa's Competition Commission will welcome two new Deputy Commissioners in September, with Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau appointing Busikhosibakhe David Majenge and Tamara Leigh Mokoka to the senior leadership roles.

Their appointments will take effect from 1 September 2026 and are expected to strengthen the Commission's executive team at a time when the institution continues to handle competition investigations, enforcement matters and merger reviews across the South African economy. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said the appointments form part of wider efforts to fill critical leadership positions within the department and its agencies.

Leadership appointments support Commission stability

The dtic believes filling the two Deputy Commissioner positions will give the Competition Commission greater leadership stability while building the institutional capacity needed to carry out its responsibilities under the Competition Act. The Commission plays a central role in investigating potentially anti-competitive conduct, assessing mergers and prosecuting cases within South Africa's competition framework.

Tau said stronger leadership across the department and its agencies would support the government's industrial policy and economic growth priorities, while the appointments at the Commission would help maintain continuity in enforcement work. He added that the new leadership capacity should strengthen accountability, institutional credibility and the Commission's ability to deliver on its mandate.

The department described the appointments as an important step in supporting the Commission's work to promote and maintain competition, protect consumers and contribute to more inclusive economic growth.

Majenge brings years of legal experience

Majenge enters the Deputy Commissioner position with extensive institutional knowledge after spending much of his career at the Competition Commission. He has served as Divisional Manager of Legal Services and Chief Legal Counsel, while his previous responsibilities have also included a period as Acting Deputy Commissioner.

His career at the Commission began in 2008 when he joined as Head of Corporate Compliance, before becoming Principal Legal Counsel in 2009 and taking leadership of the Legal Services Division in 2014. His years within the organisation have given him direct experience of the legal and regulatory issues that shape competition enforcement in South Africa.

Majenge was admitted as an attorney in 2000 and holds a BProc degree from the University of Fort Hare as well as an LLM from the University of South Africa, combining his academic legal background with more than a decade of senior experience inside the Commission.

Mokoka adds merger and economic expertise

Mokoka steps into the Deputy Commissioner role after serving as the Commission's Divisional Manager for Mergers and Acquisitions, where her responsibilities included leading the assessment of merger transactions and contributing to the development of merger policy and practice.

Her experience places her close to one of the Commission's most visible responsibilities, as proposed mergers can require detailed examination of their effects on competition, workers, consumers and broader public-interest considerations before regulatory decisions are made.

Mokoka holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Rhodes University, an Honours degree in Commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master of Commerce in Economics from Wits, giving her a strong economics background alongside her practical experience in competition regulation.

New deputies to support investigations and enforcement

Majenge and Mokoka will support the Commissioner in overseeing the Commission's investigative, enforcement and merger review functions, with their appointments adding senior leadership capacity across areas that directly affect how competition law is applied in South Africa.

The Competition Commission operates as an agency of the dtic and is one of three independent statutory bodies created under the Competition Act to regulate competition between firms. As the investigating and prosecuting agency within the competition regime, its work includes examining business conduct and transactions that could restrict competition or affect the functioning of markets.

With Majenge bringing deep legal and institutional experience and Mokoka contributing extensive merger and economic expertise, the two appointments give the Commission additional executive capacity as it continues its work across South Africa's changing economic landscape.