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AFR - AFGRI Limited - Acquisition of yellow maize business of Pride Milling

Release Date: 15/06/2011 13:36
Code(s): AFR
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AFR - AFGRI Limited - Acquisition of yellow maize business of Pride Milling Company and withdrawal of cautionary AFGRI Limited Registration Number: 1995/004030/06 (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) ISIN: ZAE000040549 JSE share code: AFR ("AFGRI" or "the Company") ACQUISITION OF YELLOW MAIZE BUSINESS OF PRIDE MILLING COMPANY AND WITHDRAWAL OF CAUTIONARY 1. INTRODUCTION AFGRI Operations Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company ("the Purchaser"), Pride Milling Company Proprietary Limited ("the Seller") and Gro Capital Financial Services Proprietary Limited (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Purchaser) ("Gro Capital") have entered into a binding sale of business agreement ("the Agreement") in terms of which the Purchaser will, upon fulfilment of the suspensive conditions referred to in paragraph 3 below ("the Conditions"), acquire the yellow grits and by-products milling business of the Seller conducted at Ermelo, Kinross and Bethal as a going concern ("the Transaction"). 2. THE TRANSACTION 2.1 Rationale As part of the Purchaser`s growth strategy, it identified the Business as a valuable asset which falls within the Purchaser`s strategy to expand its industrial processing capacity of its Foods segment. 2.2 Terms of the Transaction In terms of the Transaction, the Seller will sell the Business as a going concern to the Purchaser with effect from the effective date of the Transaction, which will occur once the last of the Conditions has been satisfied ("Effective Date"). 2.3 Purchase price 2.3.1 In addition to the assumption of the sale liabilities of the Seller, the purchase price payable by the Purchaser to the Seller in terms of the Agreement is R220,000,000, subject to adjustment (if any) as set out below in paragraphs 2.3.2 and 2.3.3 below ("the Purchase Price"). 2.3.2 After the Effective Date, the stock, debtors and trade creditors of the Business will be valued and to the extent that the value of the stock and debtors is more or less than the value of the trade creditors, the Purchase Price will be adjusted upwards or downwards by the amount of this difference. This upwards or downwards adjustment will not be more than R5 million. 2.3.3 In addition to the payment of the Purchase Price, an amount equal to R20,000,000 will be paid by the Purchaser to the Seller if the Business achieves or exceeds an agreed aggregate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation target over the 24- month period ending on 31 October 2013. 2.3.4 The Purchase Price will be paid from the Purchaser`s own cash resources 2.4 Pro forma financial effects of the Transaction 2.4.1 Set out below are the unaudited pro forma financial effects on AFGRI in respect of the implementation of the Transaction by the Purchaser, based on the published unaudited consolidated interim financial results of AFGRI for the six months ended 31 December 2010. The pro forma financial effects are the responsibility of the board of directors and have been prepared for illustrative purposes only. The pro forma effects may not give a fair reflection of a shareholder`s financial position after the Transaction. Unaudited Pro Forma Change% Before After
(Cents) (Cents) Basic earnings per share 44.4 47.3 +6.5% Diluted earnings per share 40.9 43.6 +6.5% Headline earnings per share 44.6 47.5 +6.5% Diluted headline earnings per share 41.2 43.9 +6.4% Net asset value per share 446 446 +0.0% Tangible net asset value per share 388 340 -12.2% Weighted number of ordinary shares in issue: 328,702,402 Diluted weighted number of ordinary shares in issue: 356,503,834 Notes: The pro forma income statement effects (basic earnings per share and headline earnings per share) are based on the assumption that the Transaction was effective on 1 July 2010. The pro forma balance sheet effects (net asset value per share and tangible net asset value per share) are based on the assumption that the Transaction was effective on 31 December 2010. 2.4.2 It is expected that the synergies derived from the Transaction should have a beneficial impact on the AFGRI Group. 3. SUSPENSIVE CONDITIONS The Transaction is subject to the fulfilment or waiver of, inter alia, the following conditions: 3.1 the shareholders of the Seller approving the Transaction by way of a special resolution in terms of section 112(2)(a) read with section 115(2)(a) of the Companies Act 71 of 2008, as amended; 3.2 the unconditional approval of the Transaction by the South African Competition Authorities, or if such approval is conditional, subject to conditions acceptable to the Purchaser insofar as such conditions affect the Purchaser, and to the Seller insofar as such conditions affect the Seller; 3.3 the Purchaser confirming its approval of the results of the financial, legal and technical due diligence conducted by the Purchaser in respect of the Business 3.4 the cancellation and release of any and all encumbrances registered against or existing in respect of any of the sale assets on terms and conditions acceptable to the Purchaser; 3.5 the entering into of employment agreements with certain key employees of the Seller; 3.6 The shareholder of the Seller giving restraint of trade undertakings in favour of the Purchaser; 3.7 the counterparties to identified key contracts of the Business consenting to the cession and delegation of such key contracts to the Purchaser on terms and conditions acceptable to the Purchaser; 4. CATEGORISATION The Transaction is a Category 2 transaction for AFGRI in terms of section 9.5(a) of the JSE Listings Requirements and accordingly, approval of the Transaction by shareholders of AFGRI is not required. 5. WITHDRAWAL OF CAUTIONARY Further to the cautionary announcement released by the company on 30 May 2011, shareholders are advised that such cautionary announcement is now withdrawn. Shareholders are accordingly no longer required to exercise caution when dealing in their AFGRI shares. Centurion 15 June 2011 Attorneys for the Company and the Purchaser Webber Wentzel Attorneys Sponsor of the Company Investec Bank Limited Date: 15/06/2011 13:36:26 Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za Produced by the JSE SENS Department. The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the JSE Limited (`JSE`). The JSE does not, whether expressly, tacitly or implicitly, represent, warrant or in any way guarantee the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information published on SENS. The JSE, their officers, employees and agents accept no liability for (or in respect of) any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind or nature, howsoever arising, from the use of SENS or the use of, or reliance on, information disseminated through SENS.

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