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STANBIC SIMPLIFICATION OF GROUP STRUCTURE

Release Date: 19/08/1999 12:44
Code(s): SBK SBKP
Wrap Text
STANDARD BANK INVESTMENT CORPORATION LIMITED
(INCORPORATED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA)
(REGISTRATION NUMBER 69/17128/06)
("STANBIC")
SIMPLIFICATION OF GROUP STRUCTURE
1.  INTRODUCTION

SHAREHOLDERS ARE REFERRED TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILING THE PROPOSALS BY LIBERTY HOLDINGS LIMITED ("LIBHOLD"), LIBERTY LIFE ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA LIMITED ("LIBERTY LIFE") AND LIBLIFE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS LIMITED ("LIBSIL") (COLLECTIVELY, "THE LIBERTY LIFE GROUP") TO DISTRIBUTE PRO RATA TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS THE INTERESTS IN STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES HELD ON ACCOUNT OF SHAREHOLDERS ("THE UNBUNDLING"). AN AGGREGATE NUMBER OF 376 744 205 STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF LIBSIL, LIBERTY LIFE AND LIBHOLD ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNBUNDLING. THIS AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY 27,4% OF THE STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES CURRENTLY IN ISSUE.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF STANBIC SUPPORTS FULLY THE UNBUNDLING AND BELIEVES THAT THE RESULTANT BENEFITS TO STANBIC AND THE LIBERTY LIFE GROUP WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. 2. EFFECTS OF THE UNBUNDLING ON STANBIC 2.1 RECEIPT OF STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES BY STANBIC
AS A RESULT OF THE UNBUNDLING, STANBIC, BY WAY OF ITS 54,8% SHAREHOLDING IN LIBHOLD, WILL RECEIVE 96 162 669 STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES, REPRESENTING 7,0% OF THE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL OF STANBIC ("THE STANBIC OWNED SHARES"). WHILST THE STANBIC OWNED SHARES WILL NOT BE CANCELLED BY STANBIC, THEY WILL BE DISREGARDED FOR THE PURPOSES OF EARNINGS AND CAPITAL ADEQUACY CALCULATIONS.
THE DIRECTORS OF STANBIC ARE SATISFIED THAT THE UNBUNDLING WILL NOT HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE CAPITAL ADEQUACY OF THE GROUP. SHAREHOLDERS ARE REFERRED TO THE STANBIC INTERIM RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE PUBLISHED LATER TODAY. STANBIC'S CAPITAL ADEQUACY RATIO AT 30 JUNE 1999 IS 10,6% AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THE UNBUNDLING. 2.2 ELIMINATION OF CROSSHOLDING
THE UNBUNDLING WILL RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE CROSSHOLDING OF THE LIBERTY LIFE GROUP IN STANBIC, SAVE FOR THE INTEREST OF APPROXIMATELY 10% IN STANBIC HELD BY LIBERTY LIFE ON ACCOUNT OF ITS POLICYHOLDERS. THE UNBUNDLING WILL THUS HAVE THE EFFECT OF BOTH SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLEX GROUP STRUCTURE AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS INTO THE GROUP. STANBIC REMAINS THE ULTIMATE HOLDING COMPANY OF THE LIBERTY LIFE GROUP.
IN ADDITION, STANBIC HAS TO DATE NOT QUALIFIED FOR INCLUSION IN THE LEADING EMERGING MARKET INDICES SUCH AS THE MORGAN STANLEY CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL AND THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCE CORPORATION INDICES BECAUSE OF THE CROSSHOLDING BETWEEN STANBIC AND THE LIBERTY LIFE GROUP. IT IS NOW POSSIBLE THAT STANBIC COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION IN THOSE INDICES. 2.3 INCREASE IN SHAREHOLDER BASE AND LIQUIDITY
THE UNBUNDLING WILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SHAREHOLDERS IN STANBIC FROM APPROXIMATELY 16 000 TO IN EXCESS OF 30 000, HOLDING 1 276 744 746 ORDINARY SHARES WITH A MARKET VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY R26,4 BILLION. OLD MUTUAL PLC WILL BE THE ONLY SHAREHOLDER HOLDING IN EXCESS OF 20% OF THE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL OF STANBIC. APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL OF STANBIC WILL BE HELD BY SHAREHOLDERS WHO INDIVIDUALLY HOLD LESS THAN 5%, WHICH SHOULD SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE LIQUIDITY IN STANBIC ORDINARY SHARES. 2.4 INVESTOR PRESENTATIONS
ALTHOUGH THE BENEFITS OF THE UNBUNDLING ARE READILY APPARENT, THE MANAGEMENT OF STANBIC WILL CONDUCT INVESTOR PRESENTATIONS IN MID - SEPTEMBER 1999 TO DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS TO CREATE AN AWARENESS OF THE NEW STRUCTURE AND TO ENHANCE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF STANBIC. JOHANNESBURG 19 AUGUST 1999 MERCHANT BANK SCMB STANDARD CORPORATE AND MERCHANT BANK
(A DIVISION OF THE STANDARD BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA LIMITED) (REGISTRATION NUMBER 62/00738/06) ATTORNEYS EDWARD NATHAN & FRIEDLAND INC (REGISTRATION NUMBER 77/00525/21) JOINT SPONSORING BROKERS STANDARD EQUITIES (PTY) LIMITED (REGISTRATION NUMBER 72/08305/07) (MEMBER OF THE JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE) MERRILL LYNCH SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD MEMBER OF THE JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE REGISTRATION NUMBER 95/01805/07

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