THE COMPETITION Commission had recommended to the Competition Tribunal that Steinhoff International’s R62.8 billion acquisition of Pepkor Holdings be approved without conditions, it said yesterday. According to the watchdog’s statement, Steinhoff is a retailer that sources, manufactures and retails furniture and households in Europe, Africa and the Pacific Rim. Pepkor is an investment holding company based in South Africa with retail interests in Africa, Australia and eastern Europe. In November, Steinhoff entered into a deal to purchase a 92.3 percent stake in Pepkor. This would make billionaire Christo Wiese a minority stake holder in the enlarged business, according to a Bloomberg report. – Siphamandla Goge