South Africa gives nod to Glencore, Xstrata deal

The logo of Glencore is seen in front of the company's headquarters in the Swiss town of Baar September 7, 2012.

LONDON (Reuters) - Glencore's (GLEN.L) $33 billion (20 billion pounds) takeover of miner Xstrata XTA.L looked set to clear a regulatory hurdle on Monday as South Africa's Competition Commission recommended that the deal was given the go-ahead.

Glencore, the world's largest diversified commodities trader, is still waiting for approval from EU antitrust regulators and China's Ministry of Commerce to buy the roughly 66 percent of Xstrata it does not already own.

The Competition Commission of South Africa, where both companies mine thermal coal, said it recommended that the country's Competition Tribunal, its anti-trust regulator, approve the deal subject to conditions agreed with Glencore regarding the employment of around 180 employees.

"The commission concluded that the transaction is not likely to lead to a substantial prevention or lessening of competition," it said in a statement.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Rhys Jones)