Five notable South African deals
We highlight five South African investments, as featured in our Dealmaker’s Log.
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We highlight five South African investments over the past 12 months, as featured in our Dealmaker’s Log, a database of reported investment deals, exits, and fundraising milestones. Subscribe to this service here
1. Harith moves to buy South African low-cost airline FlySafair
Harith and its affiliates entered into a sale and purchase agreement to acquire FlySafair, a South African low-cost airline. The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals, including approval by the Competition Commission and relevant aviation authorities. Read the full article
2. Phatisa consortium to aquire Zaad
Phatisa, through its Food Fund 3, together with a consortium of investors, agreed to acquire Zaad.
Zaad is a South Africa-based investment holding company specialising in the agricultural inputs sector. Through its portfolio, Zaad operates across the agri-inputs value chain, including seed breeding, production and distribution of forage, field and vegetable seed, alongside crop protection solutions with operations spanning across the African continent. Read the full article
3. New Forests invests in South Africa’s Rance Timber
New Forests, a global manager of nature-based assets, announced that its African Forestry Impact Platform has invested in Rance Timber, a forestry and sawmilling company in South Africa.
Rance, which traces its history back more than a century, manages over 14,000 hectares of pine plantations and operates two sawmills. It supplies a range of timber products to markets in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Read the full article
4. South Africa: Ata Capital in logistics deal
Ata Fund III, managed by Ata Capital, completed the acquisition of Booksite Proprietary, a specialist third-party logistics and warehousing provider serving South Africa’s publishing and book sectors.
Booksite offers a full suite of value-added services from order processing, customer services and warehousing to distribution, credit management, and collections all from a strategically located facility in Cape Town. Read the full article
5. AfricInvest backs South African agtech platform Nile.ag
AfricInvest, through its Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF), led a R200 million (about $11.2 million) funding round for South Africa-based agri-tech platform Nile.ag. The round also included a co-investment from FMO and renewed backing from existing investor Platform Investment Partners.
Nile.ag started as a marketplace for fresh produce but has since grown into a broader digital platform serving farmers. It now offers inputs, financing and data tools that support the entire agricultural cycle – from ordering seeds and fertiliser to sourcing packaging post-harvest. Read the full article
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Unsurprisingly, these deals are all focusing on businesses with real assets and real cash flow. Airlines, agri-inputs, timber, logistics — these are businesses that already work, and the capital is going into improving how they operate, not proving they should exist.