M&A advisors for the South African mid-market

M&A advisory built for the South African mid-market

Most South African M&A value is created or destroyed before anyone reaches the negotiating table. Caban's M&A practice starts where outcomes are actually decided: valuation grounded in comparable South African transactions, deal structuring across SA and UK jurisdictions, preparation that survives due diligence, and negotiation led by the principal who priced the business — not a junior handed the file.

Sell-side, buy-side, and the deals in between

• Selling a business — confidential valuation, buyer identification (trade, PE, and international through Caban Capital's UK network), process management, and negotiation to close.
• Acquisitions — target screening, due diligence, pricing discipline, and integration-aware structuring.
• Partial exits and recapitalisations — founders taking money off the table while keeping upside.
• Distressed and special situations — where our turnaround practice and M&A desk work as one team.

What makes Caban different among M&A advisors

Three things. Principals only — the person on your deal has bought, built and sold businesses personally. Cross-border reach — a London presence and US fund relationships bring international buyers to South African deals most local advisers never surface. Aligned fees — retainers kept modest, success fees carrying the weight, structure agreed in writing before work begins. A first conversation is confidential and without obligation.

What size of transaction do we advise on?

We take mandates from R4.5 million or US$250,000 upwards, and our enquiries run from there to US$10–15 million and beyond. The floor is deliberate. A principal-led process takes the same senior time on a small deal as on a large one, and below this level the fee cannot cover it. We would rather say so at the start than take a mandate we cannot serve properly. Enquiries reach us in rand from South African owners and in US dollars from international firms, and the minimum applies in either currency.

How does selling a business with Caban work?

1. A confidential enquiry. You tell us the type of transaction, the sector and the approximate size. No company names are needed at this stage.
2. An NCNDA. Before any company details are exchanged, we sign a non-circumvention and non-disclosure agreement (NCNDA), and we ask buyers to do the same.
3. Valuation and preparation. We value the business against comparable South African transactions and what buyers in your sector are paying, then prepare it to survive due diligence.
4. Buyer identification. We approach trade buyers, private equity and international buyers, including through our London presence.
5. Offers, diligence and negotiation. A principal manages offers and negotiates to completion. A prepared sale typically runs 6–12 months from mandate to completion.

How does buying a business with Caban work?

On the buy side we start with your acquisition criteria: sector, size, geography, the stake you want and how you plan to fund it. We screen targets against them, approach owners confidentially, test pricing and diligence findings, and structure the offer. Larger deals may need merger approval from the Competition Commission, and the notification thresholds changed on 1 May 2026, so our buy-side guide sets out what applies. If you want to be matched with sellers as they come to us, register your acquisition criteria and we will sign an NCNDA before sharing anything about a live opportunity.

What about management buyouts, mergers and valuations?

Management teams buying their own business, two companies combining, and owners who first need to know what their business is worth all come through this practice. Our guides to management buyouts and to valuing a business for sale explain how each works, and our business valuation page explains how we approach a first valuation. In the enquiry form below, choose “Merger or management buyout” or “Value my business” and we will take it from there.

How is confidentiality protected?

Caban does not publish client names or the details of completed transactions. Your first enquiry carries no company details, and before names, financials or anything that could identify a business are exchanged, we sign an NCNDA. Most sale processes begin months before anything is public, and we treat every enquiry that way.

What happens after I send an enquiry?

1. We check that the transaction is at or above our minimum. If it is not, we point you to resources that suit a smaller deal.
2. A principal emails you our NCNDA within two working days.
3. Once it is signed, we ask for the details we need and arrange a confidential call.
4. If we are not the right adviser, we tell you so plainly.