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BASIL READ HOLDINGS LIMITED - Disposal of LYT Architecture (Pty) Ltd and Renewal of Cautionary Announcement

Release Date: 13/02/2015 07:30
Code(s): BSR     PDF:  
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Disposal of LYT Architecture (Pty) Ltd and Renewal of Cautionary Announcement

Basil Read Holdings Limited
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Registration Number 1984/007758/06)
Share Code: BSR ISIN: ZAE 000029781
(“Basil Read” or “the Company”)

DISPOSAL OF LYT ARCHITECTURE (PTY) LTD AND RENEWAL OF CAUTIONARY
ANNOUNCEMENT

1. INTRODUCTION
   Shareholders are advised that TWP Matomo Process Plant (Pty) Ltd (“TWP Matomo”) and
   Basil Read Limited, wholly owned subsidiaries of Basil Read, have entered into a sale of
   shares and claims agreement (the “Sale Agreement”) with a management consortium
   consisting of the individuals listed in section 3 below (the “Purchasers”), in terms of which
   the Purchasers will acquire all of the issued share capital and sale claims of LYT
   Architecture (Pty) Ltd (“LYT Architecture”) from TWP Matomo for a purchase price of R42
   million (the “Transaction”).

2. RATIONALE FOR THE SALE AGREEMENT AND USE OF PROCEEDS
   Basil Read announced to shareholders on 27 August 2014 that it had developed an 18-
   month turnaround strategy which involved the critical evaluation of the various businesses
   and assets in the group into core and non-core categories. As part of this process, LYT
   Architecture was determined to be non-core and was earmarked for disposal.

   The net proceeds will initially be placed on call where after Basil Read intends to apply the
   net proceeds towards capital management initiatives.

3. BACKGROUND TO THE PURCHASERS
   The Purchasers are a management consortium consisting of members of management and
   employees of LYT Architecture. None of the Purchasers currently, or previously have held
   positions as directors or principle executive officers with either Basil Read, Basil Read
   Limited or TWP Matomo. The Purchasers and their current positions at LYT Architecture are
   listed below:

   Name                                            Position at LYT Architecture
   Guy Steenekamp                                  Managing Director
   Clive Jeary                                     Architectural Director
   Patrick Levick                                  Architectural Director
   Jeethen Paramaser                               Architectural Director
   Owen Kutumela                                   Architectural Director
   Robert Thane                                    Architectural Director
   Warren Stanley                                  Architectural Director
   Patrick Nayler                                  Architectural Director
   Abimbola Pariola                                Business Development Director
   Rishan Polton                                   Associate
   Russell Katz                                    Associate
   Gray Todd                                       Associate

4. BACKGROUND TO LYT ARCHITECTURE
   LYT Architecture is a diversified professional practice providing architectural and design
   services to a broad spectrum of clients across the African continent. LYT Architecture’s
   portfolio of completed projects includes commercial, industrial, retail, educational, residential,
   hotel and leisure projects as well as numerous projects for the mining industry and reported
   fee income of R40.3 million for the six months ended 30 June 2014.

5. KEY TERMS OF THE TRANSACTION

   5.1 Sale Agreement and Purchase Price

   In terms of the Sale Agreement, the Purchasers will acquire the entire issued share
   capital of LYT Architecture and all rights attaching thereto (the “Sale Shares”) as well as
   all claims which TWP Matomo and Basil Read Limited have against LYT Architecture on
   the effective date of the Transaction (the “Sale Claims”).

   The Purchasers will acquire the Sale Shares and the Sale Claims for a purchase price
   of R42 million, which will be allocated firstly to the face value of the Sale Claims and the
   balance to the Sale Shares.

   The purchase price was based on an independent valuation which considered a
   combination of discounted cash flow, capitalised earnings and net asset valuation
   methodologies to negotiate and determine the total purchase price.

   The Sale Claims specifically excludes a USD104 478 claim by Basil Read Mauritius
   (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Basil Read Limited, against LYT Form and
   Space Limited, a Nigerian incorporated entity, in which LYT Architecture has a 39.99%
   interest and control over the operations and board of directors.

   The total purchase price shall be paid jointly by the Purchasers to TWP Matomo, pro
   rata, as follows:
     -      a sum of R5 million in cash, on the signature date;
     -      a sum of R25 million in cash, on or before 16 February 2015;
     -      a sum of R12 million in cash in three annual cash instalments, subject to the roll
            over clause below, as follows:
            -      R4 million on, or before 1 February 2016;
            -      R4 million on, or before 1 February 2017; and
            -      R4 million on, or before 1 February 2018.

   Ownership of, and all risk and benefit in, and to, the Sale Shares and the Sale Claims
   will pass from TWP Matomo to the Purchasers on and with effect from the effective
   date.

   5.2 Roll over of the instalments

   In terms of the Sale Agreement the Purchasers shall be entitled to defer payment,
   and/or partial payment, of the instalments from one year to the next, (i.e. “roll over”) in
   the following circumstances and on terms based on a sliding scale of R1 million
   increments of the instalments:

     -    in the event of the revenue of LYT Architecture, as certified by its auditor (“fee
          income”) for the 12 month period ending 31 January 2016 (“the first year”), being
          R88 million or less, then the Purchasers shall be entitled to defer payment of the
          first instalment, in R1 million increments on a pro rata basis, up to a maximum of
          R4 million, from 1 February 2016 to 1 February 2017; and

     -    in the event of the fee income for the 12 month period ending 31 January 2017 (“the
          second year”) being R93 million or less then the Purchasers shall be entitled to
          defer payment of the second instalment, in R1 million increments on a pro rata
          basis, up to a maximum of R4 million, plus the amount rolled over from the first
          year, from 1 February 2017 to 1 February 2018.

     Interest at the prime rate shall accrue on all amounts rolled over after 1 February 2017
     until the date of payment of such rolled over amounts.

     The Purchasers shall not be entitled to roll over payment of any amount to a date after 1
     February 2018. The full amount of the instalments plus interest thereon must have been
     paid by the Purchasers to TWP Matomo on, or before, 1 February 2018.

     5.3 Increase in the purchase price and acceleration in the event of a success year

     In the event of the fee income exceeding R140 million for the first year then:
     -     the purchase price shall be increased to R45 million (“the increased purchase
           price”); and
     -     the balance of the increased purchase price (the difference between R45 million
           and all amounts paid up to 31 January 2016) shall become due and payable within
           14 business days from 31 January 2016.

     In the event of the fee income exceeding R140 million for the second year or the third
     year (the 12 month period from 1 February 2017 to 31 January 2018) (“a success year”),
     then, the balance of the purchase price, in the amount of R42 million, shall become due
     and payable within 14 business days from the last day of such success year.

     5.4 Other terms
     Limited warranties were provided by both the Purchasers and Basil Read which are
     normal for a transaction of this nature. The Purchasers will also release the Basil Read
     group from any guarantees and will pledge their shares in LYT Architecture to TWP
     Matomo, until payment of the purchase price.

     5.5 Effective date of the Transaction

     The effective date of the Transaction is 1 February 2015 and the signature date of the
     Sale Agreement is 11 February 2015.

6. DEED OF PLEDGE AS SECURITY
   The implementation of the Transaction is subject to a deed of pledge which was signed
   together with the Sale Agreement, in terms of which each of the Purchasers has
   pledged the shares held by them in LYT Architecture, to TWP Matomo as security for
   the R12 million deferred purchase price, set out in 5.1 above.

   Guy Steenekamp and Clive Jearey will each be entitled to dispose of up to 2% of the
   shares held by them, to the LYT Black Empowerment Trust (still to be created). TWP
   Matomo will release such shares from the pledge to enable the transfer to the LYT Black
   Empowerment Trust, following which Guy Steenekamp and Clive Jearey will procure
   that such shares are pledged to TWP Matomo.

7. PROFIT AND NET ASSET VALUE ATTRIBUTABLE TO LYT ARCHITECTURE
   The value of the net assets of LYT Architecture as per the most recently published
   results of Basil Read, being the unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June
   2014 is R32.3 million. The profits attributable to the net assets of LYT Architecture for
   the six months ended 30 June 2014 is R2.3 million.

8. CATEGORISATION OF THE TRANSACTION
   The Transaction constitutes a category 2 disposal for Basil Read under the provisions of
   section 9.5 (a) of the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited.

9. RENEWAL OF CAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENT
   Shareholders are referred to the cautionary announcements released on SENS on 11
   December 2014 and 28 January 2015 and are advised that early stage discussions for
   the potential disposal of certain other non-core assets are still ongoing and if
   successfully concluded may have a material effect on the price of the Company’s
   securities.

   Accordingly, shareholders are advised to continue to exercise caution when dealing in
   the Company’s securities until a full announcement is made.


Johannesburg
12 February 2015

A.T. Ndoni
Company Secretary

Sponsor
Grindrod Bank Limited

Corporate Advisor to Basil Read
St John Capital

Legal Advisor to Basil Read
Lapin Attorneys

Date: 13/02/2015 07:30:00 Produced by the JSE SENS Department. The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the JSE Limited ('JSE'). 
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