SAA is worth saving - Gordhan

Gordhan paid a visit to the staff of the airline on Monday morning at the SAA head office in Kempton Park.

The visit followed comments by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni at an investor conference in New York last week that there is no need for the state to run an airline it cannot afford.

SAA, which has not generated a profit since 2011, survives on state guarantees and is regularly cited by credit ratings agencies as a drain on the government purse.

It recently received a R5 billion cash injection from the government.

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During his motivational speech, Gordhan told the staff that for the company to thrive they need to look at a different business strategy.

"The South African public is losing patience with SAA, the South African business does not believe that SAA is a viable business and I said to you equally at the beginning it is for you and ourselves working together with a greater sense of urgency to prove you make this a good business," says Gordhan.

Gordhan told the staff that they cannot pass the buck to someone else.

"This is a good airline, a good reputation and a reputation that is worth saving. This is an airline that is a bad business and some radical things need to be done in order to make it a good business," Gordhan says.

His visit followed the resolution taken by the African National Congress (ANC) at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend, that the SAA will not be shut down.