Over 1,900 Businesses Shut Down In South Africa

Loading player...
Dr Eric Levenstein, director and head of the Business Rescue, Restructuring and Insolvency practice at Werksmans Attorneys talks about Stats SA has published the latest liquidation data for South Africa, showing that company liquidations shot up over 30% in December 2022 year on year – although overall closures for the full year were slightly lower than the year before.

According to Stats SA, South Africa saw 159 liquidations in December 2022, up 30.3% from December 2021.

Most of the liquidations were voluntary (V), with only seven being compulsory (C) or ordered closures.

For the full year, 1,907 businesses and companies were liquidated, down from 1,932 that had to shut their doors in 2021.

Most of the businesses that closed in the country were in financing, insurance, real estate, and business services, followed by trade, catering and accommodation.

The community, social, and personal services industries were also hit hard by liquidations – but a large portion of companies that shut down were also unclassified.
24 Jan 2023 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

SAFDA’s plan to rescue Tongaat-Hulett and protect farmers’ livelihoods

South Africa’s sugar industry faces a critical moment as Tongaat-Hulett, one of the country’s oldest and most prominent sugar producers, confronts provisional liquidation despite ongoing efforts to stabilise the business. South African Farmers’ Development Association (SAFDA), led by Chairperson Dr Siyabonga Madlala, has stepped in to assure farmers and employees…
19 Feb 2PM 17 min

South African professionals are facing a new era of stress

South African professionals are facing a new era of stress, one that is no longer confined to busy periods or isolated pressures but embedded in the fabric of everyday life. The 2025 Profmed Stress Index released on Thursday reveals a workforce grappling with financial strain, toxic workplace cultures, systemic instability…
19 Feb 2PM 11 min

Budget 2026: Tax Policy Choices and revenue strategy under fiscal pressure

As South Africa prepares for the 2026 National Budget Speech on 25 February, revenue collection and tax policy are expected to take centre stage. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana faces the difficult task of sustaining fiscal consolidation while supporting economic stability in an environment of modest growth and rising expenditure pressures…
19 Feb 2PM 12 min

Navigating personal finance challenges

As South Africans face a growing cost-of-living squeeze, more households are turning to credit not for luxury, but simply to cover everyday essentials. Rising prices for groceries, transport, school fees, rent, and electricity mean many families are borrowing just to survive, and debt is increasingly becoming a lifeline, with dangerous…
19 Feb 2PM 12 min

PG glass, Glasfit accused of price fixing in automotive glass market

South Africa’s automotive glass industry is under the spotlight after the Competition Commission found that two major players, PG Glass and Glasfit, allegedly operated as a cartel, working together to fix prices. The Commission has now referred the matter to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution, arguing that the companies entered…
19 Feb 2PM 11 min