Updated 28 October 2026
The honest answer is four to nine months from your first conversation to money in your account. Some sales are quicker, a few take longer. What decides it is mostly in your control — and most of it can be sorted out before you start.
The timeline, stage by stage
- Know your number — a few minutes. A first price range so you know whether selling makes sense now.
- Prepare — two to four weeks. Checking your numbers, writing the anonymous business profile and building a buyer list.
- Find buyers — four to ten weeks. Quiet approaches, signed confidentiality agreements and first meetings.
- Agree the deal — six to twelve weeks. Comparing offers, agreeing terms in writing, then the buyer checking your books and contracts.
- Close — two to four weeks. Final contracts, payment and handover.
Five things that speed a sale up
- Financial statements reviewed or audited by an independent accountant. Buyers spend less time checking what they already trust.
- Tax affairs that are up to date. Outstanding returns or disputes with SARS are one of the most common causes of delay.
- Signed contracts with customers, suppliers and staff, all in one place.
- A manager who can run the business while you focus on the sale.
- More than one serious buyer. Competition keeps everyone moving.
What slows a sale down
Surprises. A lease that can't be transferred, a key customer contract that ends on a change of owner, a licence in the owner's personal name, a shareholder who hasn't agreed to sell. None of these kill a deal on their own, but found late, each one adds weeks and gives the buyer a reason to renegotiate.
Should I wait for a better time?
The best time to sell is usually when profits are rising and you still have energy for the handover — not after a bad year or when you're exhausted. If the business isn't ready yet, six to twelve months of preparation often earns back far more than it costs.
