AHEALTH/ BIDCO/ AFROX - JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM AHEALTH, BIDCO AND AFROX AS TO

AHEALTH/ BIDCO/ AFROX - JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM AHEALTH, BIDCO AND AFROX AS TO  
TIMING FOR THE COMPETITION TRIBUNAL HEARING                                     
Afrox Healthcare Limited     Business Venture Investments                       
(Incorporated in the         No. 790 (Proprietary)                              
Republic of South Africa)    Limited                                            
(Registration number:        (Incorporated in the                               
1985/001313/06)              Republic of South Africa)                          
Share code: AHH              (Registration number:                              
ISIN: ZAE000022059           2003/002733/07)                                    
("Ahealth")                  ("Bidco")                                          
African Oxygen Limited                                                          
(Incorporated in the                                                            
Republic of South Africa)                                                       
(Registration number                                                            
1927/000089/06)                                                                 
JSE Share code: AFX                                                             
NSX Share code: AOX                                                             
ISIN: ZAE000030920                                                              
("Afrox")                                                                       
Joint announcement from Ahealth, Bidco and Afrox as to timing for the           
Competition Tribunal hearing                                                    
As announced on Thursday 13 May 2004, the Competition Commission recommended, to
the Competition Tribunal, that the merger of Bidco and Ahealth pursuant to which
Bidco will acquire all of the shares in Ahealth (the "merger") be approved      
subject to certain conditions.                                                  
Bidco comprises a BEE consortium (holding 75% of the shares of Bidco) and Medi- 
Clinic Corporation Limited. The BEE consortium comprises Brimstone Investment   
Corporation Limited, Mvelaphanda Strategic Investments (Proprietary) Limited,   
and broad based empowerment groupings.                                          
In terms of an order issued by the Competition Tribunal, the hearing of the     
merger by the Competition Tribunal is scheduled to take place for five days over
the week of 19 - 23 July 2004.                                                  
The Tribunal has held that the hearing will continue for the scheduled five days
from 19-23 July 2004 and will again resume on 15 September 2004 and continue for
a further period of 7 days, being 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22 and 23 September 2004. 
The approval by the Competition Tribunal is the only outstanding condition      
precedent for the acquisition by Bidco of all the shares in Ahealth.            
Johannesburg                                                                    
21 July 2004                                                                    
Sponsor to Afrox                                                                
Barnard Jacobs and Mellet                                                       
Sponsor to Ahealth                                                              
Nedbank Capital                                                                 
Date: 21/07/2004 02:29:55 PM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department