{"id":283192,"date":"2026-02-14T02:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T02:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/283192\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T02:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T02:52:08","slug":"queenstown-hospitality-group-republic-sold-to-ma-financial-in-40m-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/283192\/","title":{"rendered":"Queenstown hospitality group Republic sold to MA Financial in $40m+ deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
It also owns the largest portfolio of marinas in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as 45 shopping centres across Australia.<\/p>\n
Republic\u2019s acquisition is being completed through MA\u2019s hospitality division, Redscape Hospitality.<\/p>\n
The division is one of Australia\u2019s leading hospitality groups, employing more than 1600 staff across 40 venues in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. <\/p>\n
MA Financial’s Enda Stankard (left) and Christopher Swasbrook say they are committed to investing and growing businesses in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
MA Financial director Enda Stankard said hospitality was one of its specialities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an area we know a lot about. This opportunity came up in Queenstown to acquire a hospitality portfolio, and we really saw it as the best portfolio in the best location in New Zealand,\u201d Stankard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really nice portfolio that\u2019s been built up over 25 years by the team. We\u2019ve inherited a high-quality team, and it\u2019s a great starting point for us to expand from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republic co-founder Mike Burgess said the decision reflected both pride and confidence in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve loved the journey from opening Winnies in 2001 through to today, and we\u2019re very pleased the team is excited about what the future holds with Redcape,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Republic, the sale represents a natural transition point for the founders, who have spent more than 30 years in hospitality and are now ready to pass the baton.<\/p>\n
Stankard said the transition from an operational perspective would be seamless, with day-to-day operations, venue brands and leadership remaining unchanged.<\/p>\n
But now, as part of a larger hospitality platform, he said that the group would benefit from Redcape\u2019s scale.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be dealing with a larger group, so it helps with procurement. But we can also bring other expertise, staffing, hiring, training, marketing, you name it, there are extra benefits for the local team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a sector we\u2019re going into for the first time. This is a sector we\u2019ve been investing in for years and years, and Chris [Unger] and his team are very experienced hospitality investors and managers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unger, Redcape Hospitality\u2019s managing director, said the Burgesses and Republic chief executive Blair Impey had built an incredible portfolio of venues.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the hospitality-loving people that we are, we can\u2019t wait to work with Blair and the team as we continue the Republic journey together,\u201c Unger said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the pleasure of operating some of Australia\u2019s most iconic venues in its most iconic locations, and these venues are right up there with them.\u201d <\/p>\n
Investment scheme key<\/p>\n
The acquisition, which is targeting settlement in the coming months, is the second investment for the approved Active Investor Plus (AIP) fund.<\/p>\n
The Government pushed through changes in early 2025 to change the AIP visa category, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying it would create two \u201csimplified\u201d investment categories that would replace the existing \u201ccomplex weighting system\u201d.<\/p>\n
From April 1, 2025, the visa was split into two categories: Growth and Balanced.<\/p>\n
The acquisition, which utilised the Growth category, is one of the first operating-business investments made under New Zealand\u2019s AIP programme, which has attracted over 500 applications since it opened.<\/p>\n
Since then, over $3.16b has been committed to New Zealand by applicants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Growth category, which is the most popular category, does not allow investment in companies whose business model is based on a pure property play,\u201d Stankard added.<\/p>\n
\u201cOffices, shopping centres, residential, where you collect rent, that\u2019s not permitted, but operating real estate is.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings like hospitality, food and beverage, marinas, aged care, childcare, that is allowed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stankard said the acquisition was one of the first examples of a serious investment being made and deployed into a New Zealand business.<\/p>\n
He said the investors under the programme were keen to contribute to New Zealand, and were all applying for a residence visa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority of them want to contribute something to New Zealand and help the economy grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve gotten great reaction from investors when we talk them through it. It obviously helps that we\u2019ve got a track record and expertise in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also hinted at the possibility of further acquisitions, noting his preference to invest in sectors where they have expertise and in-house capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re reviewing a couple at the moment, but we will look to diversify. This will be a diversified fund; it won\u2019t just be a hospitality fund over time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you\u2019ll see more investments like this coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.<\/p>\n