The Competition Tribunal has approved the purchase of FlySafair by Harith Aviation. The deal gives Harith a 100% stake in South Africa’s biggest domestic airline, TopAuto reported.
The parties are now working through the last regulatory approvals and conditions needed to carry out the deal. They expect it to be completed before the end of 2026.
“It is a demonstration of long-term South African capital backing a successful South African business,” said Sipho Makhubela, CEO of Harith General Partners.
Makhubela said the deal was much more than an investment in an airline. He said FlySafair had built a trusted brand with a strong management team.
“Our role is to support that success with patient capital while enabling the next phase of growth,” he said.
According to the report, FlySafair will keep flying without any break. Its current management team will stay in place. The airline will also keep its low-cost model and the same offer for customers.
FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie said the airline was pleased with the Tribunal’s ruling. “It is a significant milestone for the transaction and reflects confidence in the future of the airline,” he said.
“We are excited about the road ahead with our incoming shareholder, and about the opportunities to strengthen our foundations and to grow the South African passenger aviation market,” Conradie added.
Conradie said it had been business as usual for the airline and its customers. He said this would continue while the remaining conditions are met.
Makhubela said Harith saw aviation as an important driver of connection and economic activity. “Reliable and affordable air travel expands access to opportunity, supports tourism and trade and contributes to broader economic growth,” he said.
The deal did not pass without a challenge. After the Competition Commission approved the sale, privately owned airline CemAir asked the Tribunal to block it.
Advocate Dwight Snyman, who represented CemAir, raised concerns about overlapping ownership. He said Harith holds a 37.5% stake in Lanseria International Airport, where FlySafair is based.
The rest of Lanseria is controlled by the Government Employees Pension Fund, represented by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The PIC also holds a 30% share in Harith General Partners.
Snyman warned that this overlap could lead to sensitive business information being shared by mistake. He also argued it could give FlySafair an unfair edge at Lanseria.
CemAir further raised concerns that the merger could weaken competition between Lanseria and airports run by the Airports Company South Africa. The PIC holds a 20% stake in ACSA.
The Competition Commission replied that, under terms already agreed, the PIC would hold only a small indirect interest in FlySafair. Other terms include controls on sharing information between the parties.
The terms also require that goods and services offered to other airlines at Lanseria are not given on unfair terms.
The Tribunal reserved its decision after the hearings. It has now told Harith Aviation that the deal is approved.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TopAuto.co.za. Image: TopAuto.co.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.