Feasibility studies that funders actually accept
Bankable feasibility studies for South African businesses and projects — scoped, priced and built by a corporate finance team that sits on the other side of the table.
What a feasibility study costs in South Africa — and why
Most pricing confusion comes from treating "feasibility study" as one product. It is three:
- Desktop pre-feasibility — a structured go/no-go assessment built from existing data. Typically R40,000–R80,000 and two to three weeks. Right when you need to kill or confirm an idea before committing serious money.
- Standard feasibility study — primary market research, competitor analysis, operating model, and a defensible financial model. Typically R80,000–R180,000 over four to eight weeks.
- Bankable feasibility study — built to pass a lender, DFI, or investment committee: three-statement financial model, sensitivity and scenario analysis, technical and regulatory review, and risk mitigation. Typically R180,000–R350,000+, and the only version worth paying for if the study's purpose is raising capital.
Quotes far below these ranges usually mean a template document — which funders recognise immediately, and which costs you more than money when a committee declines.
What drives the price up or down
Four variables move the quote: the funder's standard (an IDC or DFI committee demands more than an internal board), primary research requirements (field research and customer validation cost more than desktop analysis), technical complexity (manufacturing, energy and infrastructure projects need engineering input), and financial model depth (a bankable three-statement model with sensitivities is a build, not a spreadsheet).
Who should do your feasibility study
The right question is not "who writes feasibility studies" but "who has sat in front of the committee that will read it." Caban's team has executed more than 200 capital raising, M&A and advisory transactions across banks, DFIs and private investors since 2012 — we build studies to the standard of the specific funder you intend to approach, because we know what each one rejects.
Feasibility study vs business plan
A feasibility study answers should this be done at all; a business plan answers how it will be done and funded. Funders often require both, in that order — and a feasibility study done properly becomes the evidence base of the plan. If you already know the venture is viable and need the funding document, start with a bankable business plan instead.
How Caban scopes a study
Every engagement starts with a scoping conversation: what decision the study must support, who will read it, and what evidence standard they apply. You get a fixed-fee quote against that scope — no open-ended billing — and a principal reviews every study before it leaves the building.
Questions, answered
How much does a feasibility study cost in South Africa?
Between R40,000 and R350,000+ in most cases. Desktop pre-feasibility studies sit at R40,000–R80,000; standard studies at R80,000–R180,000; full bankable feasibility studies for lender, DFI or investment committees at R180,000–R350,000+. Scope, research depth and the funder's evidence standard drive the price.
How long does a feasibility study take?
Two to three weeks for a desktop pre-feasibility; four to eight weeks for a standard study; eight to twelve weeks for a full bankable feasibility study involving primary research and technical review.
Who does feasibility studies in South Africa?
Corporate finance advisors, management consultants and specialist technical firms. For studies whose purpose is raising capital, use a team that has raised capital: they build to the standard of the committee that will actually read the document.
What is included in a bankable feasibility study?
Market analysis with primary research, competitive assessment, operating and implementation plan, technical and regulatory review, a three-statement financial model with sensitivity and scenario analysis, risk assessment and mitigation, and clear go/no-go conclusions.
What is the difference between a feasibility study and a business plan?
A feasibility study establishes whether a venture is viable; a business plan sets out how it will be executed and funded. Funders frequently require both — the feasibility study becomes the evidence base for the plan.