When your business is worth saving, I will fight for it alongside you
Resilience Capital is not a consulting package. It is a different kind of arrangement: I take on the turnaround and share in the recovery. My outcome is tied directly to yours.
"Most turnaround consultants charge you whether they succeed or not. I do not think that is the right arrangement when a business is under real strain."
Barend van den Berg, CA(SA), founder of Centry Consulting
A turnaround model built on shared skin in the game
Resilience Capital is my turnaround and business recovery offering for South African businesses that are under real financial pressure. It is not a standard consulting retainer. The fee structure is tied to the outcome: success fees, equity participation, or a combination of both, depending on the situation.
This matters because it changes the dynamic entirely. When my reward depends on your recovery, I bring everything I have. I am not billing hours. I am invested in the result.
As a Chartered Accountant CA(SA) with deep experience in financial restructuring, valuations, scenario planning and commercial strategy, I have the tools and the judgement to assess a distressed business honestly, identify what is salvageable, and build a credible path forward.
Not every business in difficulty can be saved. I will tell you honestly if yours cannot. But if it can, I will commit to that recovery alongside you.
How this is different
No standard monthly retainer. The fee structure is tied to measurable recovery outcomes
Success fees or equity participation, agreed upfront, aligned to what a successful turnaround looks like for your business
An honest initial assessment. If the business cannot be saved, I will say so clearly before any engagement begins
CA(SA) qualified with hands-on experience in restructuring, valuations and financial strategy under pressure
Based in Stellenbosch, working across Gauteng and South Africa
Signs your business may need a turnaround
Most business owners in difficulty recognise several of these before they act. The earlier you do something, the more options you have.
Cash flow is consistently negative
You are paying creditors late, drawing on overdraft regularly, or making payroll decisions week by week.
Revenue is declining and you cannot explain why
Sales are down but the root cause is unclear. Pricing, market, product, team, cost structure or all of the above.
Creditors and lenders are applying pressure
You are receiving demand letters, restructuring conversations with your bank, or being placed on credit hold by key suppliers.
The management team is depleted or fragmented
Key people have left, trust has broken down, or the leadership team is pulling in different directions under pressure.
The business has good bones but is being mismanaged
There is a real business here, with genuine customers and a viable product, but the financial and operational management is failing it.
You have tried to fix it yourself and run out of road
You have cut costs, restructured once, changed the team, and it is still not working. Something more fundamental needs to change.
Three ways a turnaround engagement can be structured
Every distressed business is different. The structure of an engagement reflects the situation, the risk, and what a successful outcome actually looks like.
Success fee
A reduced or deferred base engagement, with a meaningful success fee tied to specific agreed milestones: profitability restored, debt restructured, business sold at a fair value, or another defined outcome.
Equity participation
In exchange for taking on a full turnaround mandate, I receive an equity stake in the recovered business. This is the highest-commitment model and applies where the business has genuine long-term value worth recovering.
Hybrid structure
A combination of a modest retainer, a success fee, and minority equity. Designed for situations where there is some ongoing cash capacity but the primary reward should be tied to the outcome.
What a Resilience Capital engagement looks like
It starts with honesty. Before anything is agreed, I need to understand whether the business is genuinely recoverable.
Initial conversation
A straightforward conversation about the business, the pressure it is under, and what has been tried. No fee, no commitment, no pitch. Just an honest exchange to understand the situation.
Rapid diagnostic
A focused review of the financials, the cash position, the debt structure, the cost base, the revenue drivers and the management team. The goal is a clear-eyed assessment of viability, not a lengthy consulting report.
Honest verdict
I give you a direct assessment. If the business can be saved, I explain what that recovery requires and what I am prepared to commit to. If it cannot, I tell you that plainly, and we discuss what the right next steps are instead.
Agreed structure and mandate
If we proceed, we agree the structure of the engagement, the fee arrangement, the equity position if applicable, and the specific milestones that define success. Everything is documented clearly before work begins.
Turnaround execution
I work alongside the leadership team through the recovery. This is hands-on, not advisory. Cash management, creditor negotiations, cost restructuring, revenue recovery, team stabilisation and strategic repositioning, as required by the situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is Resilience Capital?
Resilience Capital is Barend's turnaround consulting offering for businesses under financial pressure. Unlike a traditional consulting retainer, it operates on a shared-upside model where the fee structure, whether success fees, equity or a hybrid, is tied to the recovery outcome of the business.
What kind of businesses does Resilience Capital work with?
Businesses that are under genuine financial strain but have real underlying value worth recovering. This includes businesses with a viable product or service, real customers and revenue, but where financial mismanagement, market pressure, structural issues or a combination of these has brought them into difficulty.
Do you take equity in every engagement?
Not necessarily. The structure depends on the situation. Some engagements are structured around success fees, others around equity, and others as a hybrid. The right structure is agreed during the initial assessment phase and is always documented clearly before any work begins.
What if the business cannot be saved?
That is the first thing we establish. Before any engagement begins, Barend conducts an honest assessment of the business's viability. If it cannot be recovered, he will say so directly, and can help the owner understand the available options, including managed wind-down or sale.
How is this different from hiring a business rescue practitioner?
A business rescue practitioner operates within a formal legal framework under the Companies Act and takes over the management of the company. Resilience Capital is a commercial turnaround engagement that works alongside the existing management team. It is more flexible, faster to initiate, and does not require the formal business rescue process unless that becomes necessary.
Where are you based and do you work nationally?
Barend is based in Stellenbosch and works with businesses across Gauteng, the Western Cape and South Africa more broadly. Turnaround work often requires a significant hands-on presence, and location is factored into the scope of any engagement.
Related services
Resilience Capital often works alongside these services, particularly once a turnaround is underway and the business needs ongoing financial or strategic support.
If your business is worth saving, let's have an honest conversation about it
No pitch. No fee for the initial conversation. Just a direct, honest assessment of where your business stands and what, if anything, can be done.