Business for Sale

What Business for Sale does

Business for Sale is an online marketplace platform operating in the South African SMB M&A sector, enabling entrepreneurs, business owners, brokers, estate agents, and franchisors to list, search, and transact businesses, franchises, and commercial premises. The platform hosts over 600 active listings across South Africa and Namibia, segmented into 336 businesses, 56 franchises, and 34 premises, with categorisation across accommodation, retail, manufacturing, food, services, and property verticals. The company is headquartered in Pretoria, Gauteng, and operates as a privately held, owner-operated business with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external investors.

The underlying technology is a self-service web-based marketplace with an integrated CRM and Seller's Platform offering centralised enquiry management, marketing report generation, and access to a Business Valuation Tool and Draft Contract Services (employment, commercial lease, shareholders agreements). Supporting modules include the Knowledge Bank educational content library (34 buyer articles, 38 seller articles) and an email newsletter subscription. The platform also extends into auction listings (vehicles, property, machinery) via partnership with Aldes Auctions.

The business model is primarily subscription-based: sellers purchase 30-day monthly subscription listings, with premium advertising packages offering enhanced visibility and lead generation. Supplementary revenue is generated from expert business valuation services for brokers, accountants, and franchisors. The go-to-market is product-led growth via SEO, content marketing, email newsletters, and a channel partner network of business brokers and franchisors who supply listings and refer clients. Customer segments are horizontal, addressing business buyers, business sellers, brokers/agents, and franchisors in parallel.

Name

Business for Sale

Legal name

Business for Sale

Website

https://businessforsale.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Business for Sale is a South African online marketplace for buying and selling businesses, franchises, and commercial premises, serving entrepreneurs, brokers, and franchisors via subscription listings and a CRM-enabled seller platform across South Africa and Namibia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Brokerage Marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

Business-for-Sale Marketplaces & Listing Platforms (FSAEAIAK)

Keywords

• Business brokerage
• Franchise marketplace
• Business listings
• Commercial premises
• Business valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Listings: 30-day subscription packages for sellers to advertise businesses, franchises, and premises on the platform
2. Premium Packages: Premium advertising packages offering higher visibility and enhanced lead generation for sellers
3. Business Valuations: Expert market-related valuations for business owners, brokers, accountants and franchisors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Business for Sale operates an online marketplace platform that lists businesses, franchises, and commercial premises for sale across South Africa, Namibia and abroad. The platform provides paid 30-day subscription listings and premium advertising packages for sellers, brokers, and franchisors, supported by an advanced CRM and Seller's Platform, market-related business valuation services, and draft contract services to facilitate deal closure.

Product overview

Business for Sale operates as an online business broking marketplace platform in South Africa. The core offering is the Business Listings Platform, a searchable database of over 600 businesses, franchises, and premises for sale across South Africa, Namibia, and abroad. Supporting this are the CRM and Seller's Platform for managing sales, the Business Valuation Tool for market-related valuations, the Knowledge Bank providing educational content for buyers and sellers, and Draft Contract Services for facilitating deal closures. The platform targets entrepreneurs, agents, brokers, franchisors, and business owners seeking to buy or sell businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Listings Platform An online searchable marketplace platform where entrepreneurs, investors, and brokers can browse 336+ businesses, 56+ franchises, and 34+ premises for sale across South Africa, Namibia and abroad, with filtering by location, sector, category, price, and profit.
• CRM and Seller's Platform A tailor-made customer relationship management and seller's platform for private owners, estate agents, franchisors, and brokers to manage business sales, including valuation tools, professional marketing reports, and centralized email and enquiry management.
• Business Valuation Service A market-related business valuation service enabling business brokers, accountants, and franchisors to provide accurate valuations to clients preparing to sell a business.
• Draft Contract Services A service providing draft legal contracts including employment contracts, commercial lease agreements, and shareholders agreements to facilitate the closing of business sale transactions.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aldes Business BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing broker partner using the Business for Sale platform to promote and advertise all available businesses for sale. Represents a significant channel partner driving listings and enquiries on the platform.
• Burger Business BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorActive broker partner listing 31 businesses and receiving 386 enquiries through the platform. Praised the professional consumer-friendly setup of the website.
• The Practice - Franchising & Business ConsultancyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUses the Premium Package for franchise and business consultancy services. Provided testimonial on the quality of leads generated.
• Rental BuddiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompany selling new business opportunities countrywide, advertising exclusively through Business for Sale platform. Sold 5 new distributors within 2 months.
• Aldes AuctionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresents auction listings for vehicles, property and machinery through the platform. Auctions include Ford commercial vehicles, industrial property, and automotive equipment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Flippa: Online marketplace for buying and selling websites, SaaS, apps, and digital businesses. Comparable peer in the business-for-sale category, especially for digital and online businesses that align with several of Business for Sale's listings.
• Empire Flippers: Online business brokerage specializing in the sale of internet businesses and digital assets. Comparable in providing end-to-end workflow tools (valuations, listing, transaction support) and serving similar buyer/seller segments.
• BizBuySell: The largest business-for-sale marketplace in the United States, listing tens of thousands of businesses across categories. Highly comparable to Business for Sale as a horizontal marketplace connecting business sellers, brokers, and buyers via subscription listings.
• BizQuest: US-based business-for-sale marketplace operating a similar listing-based model with broker and franchise categories. Comparable in audience (SME buyers, brokers, franchisors) and revenue model (subscription/premium listings).
• Quiet Light: Online-focused business brokerage offering full-service sale support for digital businesses. Comparable in workflow depth (CRM, valuation, negotiation) and buyer/seller audience overlap.
• BusinessesForSale.com: Global online marketplace for buying and selling businesses and franchises across multiple countries. Directly comparable in business model (subscription listings, broker participation, valuation tools) and serves as the primary international analogue to Business for Sale.

Broad incumbents

• Gumtree South Africa: Major general classifieds platform in South Africa where businesses and franchises are occasionally listed alongside broader categories. Comparable as an alternative listing channel but lacks Business for Sale's specialized brokerage tools.
• OLX South Africa: Global classifieds platform with South African operations covering general goods and commercial categories. A potential adjacent alternative for buyers searching for business opportunities, though lacking specialized brokerage features.

Emerging players

• Acquire.com: Marketplace for acquiring small SaaS and tech startups. Partial overlap with Business for Sale on online/tech business listings, but narrower scope toward technology businesses and a younger platform.

Regional players

• Property24: Leading South African property listing platform with a commercial real estate segment that overlaps with Business for Sale's 'premises' category. Comparable in regional market dominance but focused on real estate rather than operating businesses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-for-sale-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business for Sale