On Monday, the Takatso Consortium issued a short statement, assuring that it was committed to completing its deal with the South African government, under which the consortium would acquire 51% of State-owned South African Airways (SAA). It further assured that it was “working closely” with the responsible government ministry, namely the Department of Public Enterprises.
This close cooperation was required to make certain that the various pre-conditions and approvals required to financially close the deal were fulfilled. In parallel, the approval process at the Competition Commission was “proceeding steadily”.
“The consortium shares Government’s view that the transaction will be an eminent example of a public/private partnership in one of South Africa’s most important sectors,” it affirmed in its statement. “Takatso has an experienced and capable team ready to operate SAA as soon as all regulatory approvals have been achieved.”
The consortium, it added, was eager to help develop the South African aviation sector, create jobs, and increase air connectivity across Africa. It was looking forward to the completion of the current stage of the deal.