SAAC is a firm of business rescue practitioners licensed by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, and we act for companies in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and across Nelson Mandela Bay. We meet clients at Regus, Harbour View Building, Oakworth Road, South End, by appointment, and the practitioner works on site at your company for as long as the matter requires. The first discussion is free and confidential.
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A business rescue practitioner is licensed nationally, not by city, so an appointment in Gqeberha is filed and run exactly as it would be anywhere else in the country. Our permanent offices are in Sandton and Stellenbosch, and we meet Gqeberha clients at the Regus centre named above, by appointment. Once appointed, the practitioner works at the company's own premises, with its books, its staff and its creditors, for as long as the matter needs.
Nelson Mandela Bay's official unemployment rate reached 33.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, up 3.3 percentage points on the first quarter and 6.7 points on a year earlier. That was the largest rise of any metro in the Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey published in August 2026. The Eastern Cape as a whole recorded 47.5 per cent, the highest provincial rate in the country, against a national figure of 33.6 per cent. In the first quarter of 2025 the metro's rate had been 22.3 per cent. For a director in Gqeberha those numbers mean customers who have stopped paying and staff who cannot be redeployed. Demand is thinner than it was eighteen months ago, and the motor plants' suppliers feel it first.
The metro's own services add to the strain. Nelson Mandela Bay could not account for 60.39 per cent of its bulk water in the first half of 2025/26, with more than 6,000 leaks logged. Combined dam levels were just over 40 per cent in March 2026, after a national drought disaster was declared for the Eastern Cape on 31 January 2026. The Impofu Dam ran dry in June 2022. The metro recorded about 2,000 electricity outages between May 2025 and April 2026, and a seventh pylon collapsed in March 2026. National Treasury reported in June 2026 that the municipality's irregular and wasteful expenditure was the highest in the country and that it takes 189 days to pay creditors. In July 2026 Treasury withheld about R600 million of its equitable share.
The motor industry remains the metro's engine, and its troubles land in Gqeberha first. On the Business Chamber's figures, Nelson Mandela Bay builds 41 per cent of South Africa's vehicles and houses more than a third of its component manufacturers. The assemblers are busy. Volkswagen's Kariega plant set a monthly record of 17,009 vehicles in July 2026, and a R750 million press shop opened at Struandale in late 2025 to feed Isuzu's D-MAX line. The supply chain has had a harder run. Goodyear announced in June 2025 that it would close its Kariega tyre plant after 78 years, with about 900 jobs affected. Ford cut 73 posts at Struandale in 2025. Dana Spicer Axle began retrenchments in Kariega in May 2026, and Stellantis paused its Coega plant in July 2026.
Areas we act in: Gqeberha CBD, Newton Park, Walmer, Struandale, Markman, Deal Party, Sidwell, Korsten, Kariega, Despatch, Coega, Greenbushes, and elsewhere across Nelson Mandela Bay. See also business rescue in the Eastern Cape.
Applications and court matters arising from a rescue in Gqeberha are dealt with in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Gqeberha, which sits at 2 Bird Street in the city centre. Gqeberha is a local seat of the Division. The main seat is at Makhanda, with further local seats at Bhisho and Mthatha and a circuit court in East London. There was public debate in 2026 about relocating the main seat, but Makhanda remained the main seat at the time of writing. A voluntary rescue under section 129 of the Companies Act begins by board resolution and does not need a court order. The court becomes involved when a creditor or other affected person applies under section 131, when a party seeks leave to proceed against the company during the moratorium, or when a decision of the practitioner or the creditors is challenged. Court work is done through attorneys, and Gqeberha has an established profession that practises in this Division daily.
You are not alone. Thousands of South African business owners face these pressures every year — and most can be resolved through business rescue if you act in time.
When cash flow dries up, creditors are at your door, or liquidation feels unavoidable, it is overwhelming. You have invested years — sometimes decades — building your company. The thought of losing it all is devastating.
But there is still a way forward — if you act now. Business rescue under Chapter 6 of the Companies Act provides a legally protected pathway to restructure, stabilise, and recover. SAAC has guided over 130 companies through this process.
The single most important thing you can do right now is speak to a licensed practitioner. It costs nothing to have that conversation, and it could save everything.
Talk to a Practitioner NowWe specialise in helping South African companies avoid liquidation and regain stability through proven, legally structured rescue strategies.
Immediate moratorium on creditor claims under Chapter 6 of the Companies Act — buying you the time and space to restructure.
Bespoke business rescue plans developed by experienced practitioners — realistic, legally compliant, and stakeholder-approved.
Expert negotiation with banks, SARS, suppliers, and landlords to restructure debt and preserve stakeholder value.
Operational restructuring, cash flow management, and post-rescue support to restore profitability and long-term stability.
From your first confidential call to full recovery, we guide you through every step of the business rescue process.
We start by understanding your unique situation — finances, creditors, operations, and options — in complete confidence.
We develop a legally compliant rescue plan designed to stabilise your business and protect employees, creditors, and shareholders.
We handle all creditor negotiations, court filings, and legal protections — so you can focus on running the business.
We guide you through execution, monitor progress, and provide ongoing support until your business is back on solid ground.
Having gone through the same experience of starting SAAC, I feel your pain. I can remember those days and nights when business demanded too much — up early trying to crack problems, often pondering if success would come tomorrow. It's understandable, but now you know you are not alone. This is where SAAC comes in: so that one does not ever arrive at such a point, overpowered or left in darkness when business challenges hit.
Big businesses or small, no matter the industry, we stand as a reliable ally. We do more than business rescue, restructuring, or distressed turnarounds — we provide something invaluable: hope and support when things are tough.
Every business is different, but some questions come up again and again. Here are quick answers to help guide your next step.
Every day you delay, your options narrow and risks grow. Business rescue is only available to companies that are financially distressed — not yet insolvent. The window to act is now.
Our practitioners are available for immediate consultation. Call, email, or visit one of our offices.
West Tower, 2nd Floor
Nelson Mandela Square
Maude Street, Sandton 2146
Ground Floor, The Vineyard Office Park
Building 2B, Devon Valley Road
Stellenbosch 7600