The brief from two founders in Sandton
The clients were two co-founders based in Sandton, both running a privately held business with family ties, key staff and a growing balance sheet. Their main concern was simple to say but hard to solve: how to protect the business if one owner died, became disabled or wanted to exit, while still making sure the next generation was not left with confusion or forced decisions. They wanted clarity on shares, cash flow, trusts and who would take part in the family conversations.
The brief also included a sensitive point that comes up often with business owners in Gauteng. One family member was active in the business, the other was not, and both owners had different views on timing. We had to bring order to the conversation without turning it into a legal fight. The instruction was to keep it calm, practical and suitable for future action, with no pressure to buy any product that did not fit the plan.
- Client type: two business owners in a private company
- Town: Sandton, with family links to Cape Town and Durban
- Main issue: liquidity for buyout, succession and estate clarity
- Extra need: next-generation readiness and cleaner family communication
Constraints we had to work around
The first constraint was time. The owners were coming into a busy trading period and could not spend hours in meetings. The second was liquidity. The business had value on paper, but not enough spare cash to fund a sudden exit without creating pressure on operations. The third was family expectation. There were adult children and a spouse in the picture, and the owners wanted the plan to respect both ownership rights and family fairness.
There was also the usual South African reality of dealing with documents that are often out of date. Old wills, unsigned notes, and share references that no longer matched the company records had to be checked line by line. We found gaps in beneficiary wording, one trust reference that needed tidy-up, and a retirement benefit nomination that had not been reviewed in years. Small things, but they matter when the wheels need to keep turning.
- Outdated will instructions and beneficiary wording
- No clear liquidity source for a forced buyout
- Mixed family expectations around succession timing
- Need for short, focused meetings due to business pressure
What we supplied and how we worked
We started with a full asset map, then moved into shareholding, estate exposure and cash flow pressure testing. That let us see what would happen if one owner died, became unable to work or retired earlier than planned. We then built a coordinated plan covering wills, trust structuring, retirement income planning and a practical succession conversation guide for the family.
Our team handled the work in a fixed sequence so the owners did not get lost in jargon. Anika Fourie led the estate planning side, Megan Naidoo checked the trust structure, Ruan le Roux modelled retirement timing, and Sibusiso Dlamini worked through the wealth transfer angles with the owners. Zanele Mokoena kept the process moving, which mattered because one of the clients was often in meetings in Rosebank and the other travelled between Sandton and home. Lukhanyo van der Merwe oversaw the full process and signed off the final plan with the clients.
- Asset mapping across business, personal and trust holdings
- Liquidity analysis to test buyout pressure under different scenarios
- Will coordination for each owner
- Trust structuring review for intended heirs and control points
- Family meeting format for a calm succession discussion
- Plan review schedule with update points after any major change
The timeline from first meeting to signed plan
The work ran over six weeks in total. Week 1 was the fact-finding stage, with document collection and a first meeting in Sandton. Week 2 focused on asset mapping and the review of existing estate papers. Week 3 and Week 4 were used for liquidity analysis, share transfer options and a comparison of family outcomes. Week 5 was for the family meeting and trustee briefing, and Week 6 was for final amendments and sign-off.
That pace gave enough time to do the work properly without dragging it out. It also allowed the clients to sleep on key decisions, which helped because one owner was uneasy about how a buyout would affect working capital during load-shedding months when operations already needed careful planning. We kept the process measured and the paperwork tight, because unfinished instructions are where families get stuck later.
What changed once the plan was in place
The biggest result was certainty. The owners left with a clear set of documents and a family process that matched the reality of their business. They knew what would happen if either one died or stepped out, how liquidity would be generated, which assets sat outside the business, and how the next generation could be introduced without creating entitlement problems.
The plan also gave them language they could actually use with their families. Instead of speaking around the issue, they had a sequence for the conversation and a clear note on roles. That reduced tension and stopped assumptions from building up. The business now has a cleaner route for continuity, and the family has fewer surprises waiting in the wings, which is what most owners want but seldom say out loud.
- Cleaner instructions for succession and estate administration
- Better visibility on liquidity needs and timing
- Reduced risk of dispute between family and business stakeholders
- Clearer path for the next generation to be briefed properly
What we would do again for similar owners
We would repeat the same method for other Sandton business owners because it respects both the numbers and the people. Start with the asset map, test the cash impact, review the will and trust papers, then bring the family into the conversation at the right time. That order matters. If you begin with emotion or product talk, the useful details get missed.
For owner-managed businesses, we would also keep the review cycle tight. A plan like this should be checked after a share change, a property purchase, a major borrowing event or a family change such as marriage, divorce or a new child. On the advisory side, one annual review is usually enough if the business is stable. If things move quickly, do it sooner. Small updates now save a lot of clean-up later and that is just common sense.
For families with assets across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Paarl or Durban, the same principles still apply. The paperwork must match the real ownership picture, the cash has to be available when needed, and the next generation should know where they stand before a crisis arrives. That is the kind of work we do best.
Key facts
| Project type | Estate planning and succession structuring for two Sandton business owners |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 6 weeks from first meeting to signed-off plan |
| Core focus | Liquidity, shares, wills, trusts and next-generation readiness |
| Key outputs | Asset map, liquidity analysis, family meeting guide and plan review schedule |
| Advisers involved | Lukhanyo van der Merwe, Anika Fourie, Sibusiso Dlamini, Megan Naidoo, Ruan le Roux, Zanele Mokoena |
| Service areas | Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Durban, Somerset West, Claremont and online |
