​​​​​​​The legal position on whether internal restructurings within South African businesses require prior approval from the competition authorities has been uncertain for some time. In a welcome development, on 24 January 2025, the Competition Commission took steps to clarify this issue by publishing draft guidelines on internal restructurings.

​​A business rescue plan (a plan) should ideally benefit all affected persons in the best way possible, and a vote in support of its adoption or rejection should not be premised purely on self-interest while disregarding the collective benefit of all affected persons.

A recent High Court judgment highlighted this fact, setting aside the major creditors' votes on the grounds of inappropriateness, and investigating the creditors' conduct during the business rescue process.