The management of South African budget carrier FlySafair has declined to comment on a report that investment firm Harith General Partners is courting the airline for a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) deal that could give the South African state indirect control of the domestic market.

"FlySafair management are not shareholders. Any commentary on a topic like this would need to be obtained by right of reply to the entities involved. As always, FlySafair remains focused on its operations and its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable air travel to the South African public," chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon said in response to a request for comment.

ch-aviation has also reached out to FlySafair's Irish-linked shareholder, ASL Aviation Holdings, and Harith General Partners for comment.

According to a report by South Africa's The Citizen newspaper, Harith General Partners is negotiating a deal to acquire a stake in FlySafair, which is under pressure to rectify its foreign ownership violation. Harith is partly owned by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which is wholly owned by the South African government. It is South Africa’s largest asset management firm and manages public sector funds, including the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).

The Citizen argued that a deal with FlySafair, if concluded, could give Harith General Partners indirect control of 76% of the domestic aviation market through FlySafair's 60% domestic market share, plus South African Airways' state-ownership. Critics warn that this would tighten government influence and risk political interference.

FlySafair won an urgent court interdict suspending a February 2026 deadline to fix its ownership structure, when the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on October 7 set aside an Air Services Licensing Council (ASLC) order pending a judicial review. The court action effectively pauses enforcement of a ruling that found FlySafair’s parent, Safair Holdings, in breach of rules requiring 75% local ownership. The airline is challenging findings that ASL Aviation Holdings effectively controls 74.86% of the company through a trust structure. A court hearing is expected only after January 2026.

Harith General Partners was 80% shareholder of the Takatso Aviation Consortium, whose strategic equity partnership (SEP) bid to acquire 51% of SAA fell through in March 2024. Harith also considered investing in now-defunct South African Express but ultimately decided not to pursue the acquisition.

Ownership of Johannesburg Lanseria airport is primarily held by the GEPF, represented by the PIC, and the Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund (PAIDF), which is managed by Harith General Partners.