Whether or not government takes on a strategic business partner for embattled carrier South African Airways (SAA) remains under discussion, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said on Thursday.

"It will come out in terms of a process that is happening in SAA at the moment. I still want a turnaround strategic person or company to be appointed, to help us in SAA to work off our balance sheet," she told reporters in Cape Town.

Speaking at a government economics cluster media briefing, she stressed that the state did not have money to bail out SAA.

"And I think that came out very clearly in the [recently-tabled] medium-term budget policy statement."

Brown repeated that her department needed to look at a new business model for SAA.

"And then, to match that, a new financial model. And within that financial model, it will then determine whether we take a strategic partner, or whether SAA can live off its balance sheet.

"So it remains in the pool for discussion. It hasn't been removed," she said.