African infrastructure investor Harith has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement to acquire FlySafair, one of South Africa’s most successful and consistently performing airlines, marking a significant development in the country’s aviation sector. The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals, including review by the Competition Commission and relevant aviation authorities .
The proposed acquisition follows a long-standing shareholder exit process at FlySafair that has been under consideration for several years. Harith said the investment reflects strong confidence in FlySafair’s operating model, management team, and long-term growth prospects, and aligns with its strategy of strengthening an integrated African transport ecosystem .
Founded in 2006, Harith manages more than US$3 billion in assets across energy, transport, logistics, and digital infrastructure. The firm is marking its twentieth year as a long-term investor in African infrastructure and has positioned the FlySafair transaction as part of its broader connectivity and mobility thesis.
Business as usual at FlySafair
FlySafair confirmed that the transaction would not alter its day-to-day operations. The airline will continue to operate under its existing brand, leadership, and strategy, maintaining its focus on affordability, reliability, and operational discipline.
Since commencing operations in 2014, FlySafair has built a strong reputation for punctuality and efficiency. The airline has been ranked the world’s most on-time low-cost carrier by Cirium five times, most recently in 2025, and has repeatedly won Skytrax’s Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa award. It currently operates an extensive domestic network and a growing number of regional international routes .
Harith said its intention is to provide patient, long-term capital to support FlySafair’s existing strategy rather than to fundamentally change the airline’s operating model.
Familiar name in South African aviation
The transaction brings Harith back into the aviation spotlight following its earlier involvement in the attempted acquisition of South African Airways through the Takatso Consortium. That proposed deal, announced in 2021, ultimately failed to reach completion amid regulatory, legal, and political challenges.
Unlike the SAA transaction which centred on the restructuring of a state-owned legacy carrier, the FlySafair acquisition targets a privately run airline with a proven commercial track record and a strong balance between cost control and network growth. Industry observers see the move as a materially different proposition, both in risk profile and execution complexity.
Regulatory processes ongoing
FlySafair noted that a separate regulatory process related to ownership and licensing matters, following findings issued by the Air Services Licensing Council in early 2025, remains ongoing and subject to legal review. The airline emphasized that the Harith transaction was not initiated in response to those findings and does not automatically resolve them .
Both parties said they will continue to engage transparently with regulators as the approval processes unfold. Timelines for completion will depend entirely on regulatory outcomes.
A significant signal for the market
If approved, the acquisition would place one of South Africa’s most strategically important domestic airlines under the ownership of a long-term infrastructure investor, reinforcing FlySafair’s position at the centre of the country’s air transport system.
For South African aviation, the deal signals renewed institutional investor confidence in well-run airline businesses, at a time when operational reliability, affordability, and connectivity remain critical to economic growth.
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