6–18 months
Liquidation
The business closes; assets are sold to pay creditors, with anything remaining going to shareholders.
When it fits
Business is burning cash with no viable path forward and no strategic buyer will pay more than the asset value.
African & East African context
An honest exit platform includes this. Not every business exits upward — sometimes orderly wind-down is the right answer.
Cap table impact
All shares cancelled after creditor priorities are paid.