Original Research

Valuation practices under business rescue circumstances in South Africa

Shaneen Conradie, Christiaan Lamprecht
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences | Vol 24, No 1 | a3721 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v24i1.3721 | © 2021 Shaneen Conradie, Christiaan Lamprecht | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 26 May 2020 | Published: 26 April 2021

About the author(s)

Shaneen Conradie, School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Christiaan Lamprecht, School of Accountancy, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Abstract

Background: A business rescue plan should indicate the benefits of adopting a business rescue plan as opposed to the benefits of immediate liquidation. Performing a valuation is thus a vital aspect of the business rescue process as the estimated values determine the amount to be divided between creditors and, if possible, shareholders. Conventional valuation methods have the underlying assumption that the business is a going concern (based on liquidy and solvency tests). However, a company in business rescue is not necessarily a going concern, nor in liquidation, leaving the company in a grey area in terms of valuation.

Aim: This research explored how the business rescue value of a financially distressed company is determined.

Setting: The setting for this study was South Africa.

Method: Thematic analysis of qualitative data collected through 11 semi-structured interviews with senior business rescue practitioners (BRPs).

Results: When the intention is to return the company to solvency, the BRPs prepared a short-term, undiscounted cash flow budget to determine the business rescue value, but without including a terminal value in the projected cash flows. In contrast, when the intention is to obtain a better return compared to immediate liquidation, BRPs follow an asset approach to determine the business rescue value. The results also showed that the business, digital and relational acumen of the BRP is a major influencer in the business rescue value.

Conclusion: The financial elements identified and substantiated in this study may serve as best practice guidance in the business rescue industry and lead to an expansion of the existing valuation theory.


Keywords

Business rescue practitioner; business rescue value; Chapter 6; Companies Act; financial distress; going concern; liquidation; valuation

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Crossref Citations

1. Informing the Vote: The Business Rescue vs Liquidation Decision
Wesley Rosslyn-Smith , Nicole Varela Aguiar De Abreu
Southern African Business Review  vol: 25  year: 2022  
doi: 10.25159/1998-8125/8564