French Pharmaceutical Giant Eyes Medswana Acquisition

The Competition and Consumer Authority of Botswana has received a merger notification from CFAO Healthcare Société Anonyme regarding the proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in Medswana Proprietary Limited. If approved, CFAO Healthcare will gain sole control over the Botswana-based pharmaceutical wholesaler. The notice, published under section 49(1) of the Competition Act 2018, confirms that CFAO Healthcare is part of the larger CFAO Group, which is ultimately controlled by Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corporation, a public company listed on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges.

CFAO Healthcare operates as a pharmaceutical logistics and healthcare solutions provider. It controls E.P.DIS France and MissionPharma A/S, distributing medical products across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Botswana. Within the country, CFAO Group’s presence is primarily through Hertz Botswana, which provides material handling and warehousing equipment, though CFAO Healthcare itself does not control any local firms.

The directors of Hertz Botswana are Moses Keone Sebolai, Julian Visagie, and Carel Gabriel Volschenk. Medswana, incorporated in Botswana, is jointly held by Rene Lombard, Mark Allan Fallows, and Pieter Jacobus Le Grange. The company directly controls Medswana Shareblock Proprietary Limited, and post-acquisition, it will also control Medswana Properties Proprietary Limited.

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Together, these entities form the Medswana Group, which supplies medicines and healthcare products to both public and private healthcare providers in Botswana. Directors of Medswana are Rene Lombard, Pieter Jacobus Le Grange, and Mark Allan Fallows. The group’s operations include sourcing, warehousing, quality assurance, regulatory support, and distribution of pharmaceuticals.

The proposed transaction would consolidate CFAO Healthcare’s position in the Sub-Saharan pharmaceutical market, integrating Medswana’s local distribution network into its regional operations. According to the merger notice, “Upon the implementation of the proposed transaction, the Acquiring Enterprise will solely control the Target Enterprise.” The Competition and Consumer Authority will review the merger to ensure compliance with Botswana’s competition regulations. No financial terms were disclosed in the notice.

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