UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 6, 2016 (October 4, 2016)
NET 1 UEPS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida | 000-31203 | 98-0171860 |
(State or other jurisdiction | (Commission | (IRS Employer |
of incorporation) | File Number) | Identification No.) |
President Place, 4
th
Floor, Cnr. Jan
Smuts Avenue and Bolton Road
Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa
(Address of principal executive offices) | (ZIP Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: 011-27-11-343-2000
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a -12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d -2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e -4(c))
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Investment in Blue Label Telecoms Limited
On October 4, 2016, Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (the Company), through one of its subsidiaries, Net1 Applied Technologies South Africa Proprietary Limited (Net1 SA), entered into a Share Subscription Agreement (the Blue Label Subscription Agreement) with Blue Label Telecoms Limited (Blue Label), a JSE-listed company which is a leading provider of prepaid electricity and airtime in South Africa. Pursuant to the Blue Label Subscription Agreement, Net1 SA will purchase approximately 117.9 million ordinary shares of Blue Label at a price of ZAR16.96 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of ZAR2.0 billion ($144.0 million) in cash. The Company expects that the proceeds from Net1 SAs investment in Blue Label will be used to fund an additional investment by Blue Label in Cell C (Proprietary) Limited, a leading mobile provider in South Africa. Closing of the transaction is subject to closing conditions and is expected to occur simultaneously with the closing of Blue Labels Cell C investment.
The Company expects to fund the transaction through a combination of cash resources, a debt facility from a South African bank and the proceeds from equity issuances.
The foregoing description of the Blue Label Subscription Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text thereof, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.33 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On October 5, 2016, the Company issued a press release announcing the execution of the Blue Label Subscription Agreement described in Item 1.01 above. A copy of the Companys press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) |
Exhibits |
Exhibit | |
No. | Description |
10.33 | Share Subscription Agreement, dated October 4, 2016, between Net1 SA and Blue Label |
99.1 | Press Release, dated October 5, 2016, issued by the Company |
The information furnished herewith pursuant to Item 7.01 of this current report shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
NET 1 UEPS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | |
Date: October 6, 2016 | By: Herman G. Kotzé |
Name: Herman G. Kotzé | |
Title: Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit 10.33
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT |
between |
NET1 APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES SOUTH AFRICA PROPRIETARY LIMITED |
and |
BLUE LABEL TELECOMS LIMITED |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 |
PARTIES |
1.1 |
The Parties to this Agreement are |
1.1.1 |
Net1 Applied Technologies South Africa Proprietary Limited; and |
1.1.2 |
Blue Label Telecoms Limited. |
1.2 |
The Parties agree as set out below. |
2 |
INTERPRETATION |
2.1 |
In this Agreement, unless the context indicates a contrary intention, the following words and expressions bear the meanings assigned to them and cognate expressions bear corresponding meanings |
2.1.1 |
" AFSA " means the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa; |
2.1.2 |
" Agreement " means this subscription agreement; |
2.1.3 |
" Aggregate Subscription Price " means an amount of R2,000,000,000.00 (two billion rand); |
2.1.4 |
" Companies Act " means the Companies Act, No 71 of 2008; |
2.1.5 |
" Company's Board " means the board of directors of the Company from time to time; |
2.1.6 |
" Company " means Blue Label Telecoms Limited, registration number 2006/022679/06, a limited liability public company duly incorporated in the Republic of South Africa, the shares of which are listed on the JSE; |
2.1.7 |
" Conditions Precedent " means the conditions precedent set out in clause 4.1; |
2.1.8 |
" CSDP " means a nominated depository institution or central securities depository participant as contemplated in the Financial Markets Act; |
2.1.9 |
" Debt Package " means the debt facilities contemplated in the letter from FirstRand Bank Limited (acting through its Rand Merchant Bank division) dated 26 September 2016; |
2
2.1.10 |
" Designated Account " means the bank account nominated by the Company, the details of which are set out below, or such other account as the Company may designate in writing on 5 (five) business days notice to the Subscriber |
Name of Account: | Blue Label Telecoms Limited |
Bank: | FirstRand Bank Limited |
Branch: | RMB Corporate Banking |
Branch Code: | xxxxxxx |
Account Number: | xxxxxxxxxxxxx |
2.1.11 |
" Financial Markets Act " means the Financial Markets Act, No. 19 of 2012; |
2.1.12 |
" Fully Diluted Basis " means the Company's issued shares determined on the basis that any and all person's rights of whatsoever nature (whether pursuant to any option, right of first refusal or otherwise) to subscribe for any unissued Shares, have been exercised as at the relevant time of determination, and includes the Subscription Shares; |
2.1.13 |
" Group " means the Company and any company in which the Company holds 50% (fifty percent) or more of the issued shares (and in the case of a trust, in which the Company holds a beneficial interest of 50% (fifty percent) or more) and " Group Company " means any one of them and excludes any Group Company which is, as at the Signature Date, dormant or in the process of being liquidated; |
2.1.14 |
" JSE " means the securities exchange licensed in terms of the Financial Markets Act, owned and operated by JSE Limited, registration number 2005/022939/06, a limited liability public company duly incorporated in the Republic of South Africa; |
2.1.15 |
" Parties " means the parties to this Agreement; |
2.1.16 |
" Shareholders " means the holders of Shares from time to time; |
2.1.17 |
" Shares " means ordinary shares in the Company; |
2.1.18 |
" Signature Date " means the date of signature of this Agreement by the Party last signing; |
2.1.19 |
" Subscriber " means Net1 Applied Technologies South Africa Proprietary Limited, registration number 2002/031446/07, a limited liability privatecomp any duly incorporated in the Republic of South Africa; |
3
2.1.20 |
" Subscription " means the subscription of the Subscription Shares by the Subscriber in terms of this Agreement; |
2.1.21 |
" Subscription Date " means the later to occur of |
2.1.21.1 |
18 November 2016 or such later date as the Company may designate by way of written notice to the Subscriber, provided that should the Company, prior to 18 November 2016, not have designated a new date (which new date shall be no later than 31 January 2017), the Subscription Date will be 18 November 2016 (subject only to clause 2.1.21.2); and |
2.1.21.2 |
the date on which the last of the Conditions Precedent is fulfilled or waived, as the case may be; |
2.1.22 |
" Subscription Price " means an amount of R16.96 (sixteen rand and ninety six cents) per Subscription Share; and |
2.1.23 |
" Subscription Shares " means 117,924,528 (one hundred and seventeen million nine hundred twenty four thousand five hundred and twenty eight) Shares, determined by dividing the Aggregate Subscription Price by the Subscription Price (and rounding down to the nearest whole Share). |
2.2 |
In this Agreement - |
2.2.1 |
clause headings and the heading of the Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be used in its interpretation; |
2.2.2 |
an expression which denotes - |
2.2.2.1 |
any gender includes the other genders; |
2.2.2.2 |
a natural person includes a juristic person and vice versa ; |
2.2.2.3 |
the singular includes the plural and vice versa ; and |
2.2.2.4 |
a Party includes a reference to that Partys successors in title and assigns allowed at law. |
2.3 |
Any reference in this Agreement to |
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2.3.1 |
" business hours " shall be construed as being the hours between 08h30 and 17h00 on any business day. Any reference to time shall be based upon South African Standard Time; and |
2.3.2 |
" days " shall be construed as calendar days unless qualified by the word "business", in which instance a "business day" will be any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday as gazetted by the government of the Republic of South Africa from time to time. |
2.4 |
The words " include " and " including " mean "include without limitation" and "including without limitation". The use of the words " include " and " including " followed by a specific example or examples shall not be construed as limiting the meaning of the general wording preceding it. |
2.5 |
Any substantive provision, conferring rights or imposing obligations on a Party and appearing in any of the definitions in this clause 2 or elsewhere in this Agreement, shall be given effect to as if it were a substantive provision in the body of the Agreement. |
2.6 |
Words and expressions defined in any clause shall, unless the application of any such word or expression is specifically limited to that clause, bear the meaning assigned to such word or expression throughout this Agreement. |
2.7 |
Unless otherwise provided, defined terms appearing in this Agreement in title case shall be given their meaning as defined, while the same terms appearing in lower case shall be interpreted in accordance with their plain English meaning. |
2.8 |
A reference to any statutory enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as at the Signature Date and as amended or substituted from time to time. |
2.9 |
Unless specifically otherwise provided, any number of days prescribed shall be determined by excluding the first and including the last day or, where the last day falls on a day that is not a business day, the next succeeding business day. |
2.10 |
If the due date for performance of any obligation in terms of this Agreement is a day which is not a business day then (unless otherwise stipulated) the due date for performance of the relevant obligation shall be the immediately preceding business day. |
5
2.11 |
Where figures are referred to in numerals and in words, and there is any conflict between the two, the words shall prevail, unless the context indicates a contrary intention. |
2.12 |
The rule of construction that this Agreement shall be interpreted against the Party responsible for the drafting of this Agreement, shall not apply. |
2.13 |
Any reference in this Agreement to " Agreement " or any other agreement or document shall be construed as a reference to this Agreement or, as the case may be, such other agreement or document, as amended, varied, novated or supplemented from time to time. |
2.14 |
In this Agreement the words " clause " or " clauses " and " annexure " refer to clauses of and the annexure to this Agreement. |
3 |
INTRODUCTION |
3.1 |
The Subscriber has agreed to subscribe for the Subscription Shares at the Subscription Price. |
3.2 |
The Parties wish to record in writing their agreement in respect of the above and matters ancillary thereto. |
4 |
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT |
4.1 |
Save for clauses 1 to 4 (both inclusive), clause 6, clause 8 and clauses 10 to 20 (both inclusive) all of which will become effective on the Signature Date, this Agreement is subject to the fulfilment of the Conditions Precedent that |
4.1.1 |
by not later than 20 October 2016, the Debt Package has become effective and has been made available to the Subscriber, save for any condition requiring this Agreement to become unconditional; and |
4.1.2 |
by not later than 12 December 2016, to the extent required, the Shareholders in general meeting have approved the Subscription. |
4.2 |
The Subscriber shall use reasonable endeavours to procure the fulfilment of the Condition Precedent set out in clause 4.1.1 as soon as reasonably possible after the Signature Date and shall to the extent that such Condition Precedent has been fulfilled, prior to the expiry of the period set out in clause 4.1.1, furnish to the Company documents evidencing the fulfilment of such Condition Precedent. |
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4.3 |
The Company shall use reasonable endeavours to procure the fulfilment of the Condition Precedent set out in clause 4.1.2 as soon as reasonably possible after the Signature Date and shall to the extent that such Condition Precedent has been fulfilled, prior to the expiry of the period set out in clause 4.1.2, furnish to the Subscriber documents evidencing the fulfilment of such Condition Precedent. |
4.4 |
The Condition Precedent |
4.4.1 |
set out in clause 4.1.1 has been inserted for the benefit of the Subscriber which will be entitled to waive fulfilment of such Condition Precedent, in whole or in part, on written notice to the Company at any time; and |
4.4.2 |
set out in clause 4.1.2, cannot be waived. |
4.5 |
In the event that a Party requests any reasonable extension of the due date and/or time of fulfilment of a Condition Precedent, the other Party shall be required to grant such extension, provided that the request is accompanied by sufficient documentary evidence of the fact that substantial progress has been made by the requesting party in pursuing fulfilment of the applicable Condition Precedent and that there is a reasonable prospect that the applicable Condition Precedent will be timeously fulfilled with reference to such extended date and/or time (should it be granted). |
4.6 |
Unless the Conditions Precedent have been fulfilled by not later than the time and date for fulfilment thereof set out in clause 4.1 (or such later date as may be agreed in writing between the Parties before the aforesaid date) the provisions of this Agreement, save for clauses 1 to 4 (both inclusive) and clauses 8 to 20 (both inclusive) which will remain of full force and effect, will never become of any force or effect and the status quo ante will be restored as near as may be possible and neither of the Parties will have any claim against the other in terms hereof or arising from the failure of any of the Conditions Precedent, save for any claims arising from a breach of clause 4.2. |
5 |
SUBSCRIPTION |
5.1 |
The Subscriber shall subscribe for the Subscription Shares, on the Subscription Date, at the Subscription Price. |
5.2 |
On the Subscription Date, the Subscriber shall pay the Aggregate Subscription Price by electronic funds transfer (free of withholding, deduction or set-off) into the Designated Account, and furnish the Company with proof of such payment. |
7
5.3 |
In compliance with the Financial Markets Act, and against payment of the Subscription Price, the Subscription Shares will be issued in dematerialised form and will be credited to and reflected in a CSDP or authorised user account of the Subscriber's choice, on or as soon as practicable after the Subscription Date (but in any event by no later than the 5 th business day after the Subscription Date). To enable the Company to comply with such obligation, the Subscriber shall provide the Company with details of its CSDP or authorised user account by no later than the Subscription Date. |
6 |
SUBSCRIBER UNDERTAKINGS |
6.1 |
The Subscriber undertakes, by no later than 20 October 2016, to either - |
6.1.1 |
provide the Company with an irrevocable and unconditional guarantee from a reputable bank and in a form acceptable to the Company (acting reasonably) in terms of which such bank guarantees the obligations of the Subscriber to the Company in terms of this Agreement to pay the Aggregate Subscription Price; or |
6.1.2 |
deposit the Aggregate Subscription Price with a reputable firm of attorneys in South Africa (which shall include either Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Incorporated or Werksmans Incorporated) and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company (acting reasonably). |
6.2 |
Without prejudice to the rights of the Company in terms of this Agreement or at law, the Company shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement should the Subscriber fail to comply with the provisions of 6.1 and fail to remedy such breach within 5 (five) business days of written demand therefor by the Company being made. |
6.3 |
Notwithstanding the aforegoing provisions of this clause 6, upon the fulfilment or waiver of the Condition Precedent contained in clause 4.1.1 the Parties may nevertheless agree to dispense with the obligations imposed on the Subscriber in terms of clause 6.1, provided that such agreement shall have been reduced to writing and signed by the Parties. |
8
7 |
WARRANTIES BY THE COMPANY |
7.1 |
The Company hereby gives to and in favour of the Subscriber the following warranties |
7.1.1 |
the Company has sufficient authorised but unissued ordinary shares to give effect to the Subscription; |
7.1.2 |
the Subscription Shares will be validly issued to the Subscriber; |
7.1.3 |
the Subscription Shares will, upon being issued, not constitute less than 14.5% (fourteen point five percent) of all of the issued Shares on a Fully Diluted Basis; |
7.1.4 |
any and all approvals, consents and/or waivers as may be required in order to issue the Subscription Shares, and to otherwise give effect to the Subscription, are in place as at Signature Date or will be in place as at the Subscription Date, including but not limited to any required approvals of the Company's Board and the Shareholders; |
7.1.5 |
the Subscription will be implemented in compliance with the memorandum of incorporation of the Company, the Companies Act and the listings requirements of the JSE; |
7.1.6 |
the Subscription Shares, when issued, shall be listed on the JSE; |
7.1.7 |
the Subscription Shares, when issued, shall rank pari passu with all other Shares in issue; and |
7.1.8 |
the Company does not have any class of preference or other shares (other than Shares) which rank pari passu with or prior to the Subscription Shares in any respect. |
7.2 |
Each warranty set out in clause 7.1 will |
7.2.1 |
be a separate warranty and will in no way be limited or restricted by reference to or inference from the terms of any other warranty or by any other words in this Agreement; |
7.2.2 |
insofar as it is promissory or relates to a future event, be deemed to have been given as at the date of fulfilment of the promise or future happening of the event, as the case may be; |
9
7.2.3 |
be given as at the Signature Date and the Subscription Date and every day between those dates; and |
7.2.4 |
be deemed to be material and to be a material representation inducing the Subscriber to enter into this Agreement. |
7.3 |
It is recorded that the Subscriber has entered into this Agreement on the strength of the warranties set out in clause 7.1. |
8 |
CONDITIONS TO SUBSCRIPTION AND SUBSCRIBER'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE |
8.1 |
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement (including the fulfilment or waiver, as the case may be, of the Condition Precedent), the Subscriber will only be obliged to subscribe for the Subscription Shares if, as at 23h50 on the day immediately preceding the Subscription Date - |
8.1.1 |
neither the Group nor any Group Company has disposed of any of its material assets outside of the ordinary or usual course of business; |
8.1.2 |
no Group Company has been liquidated or placed under judicial management, whether provisionally or finally (and no application has been launched in this regard); |
8.1.3 |
no Group Company has commenced business rescue proceedings under the Companies Act; |
8.1.4 |
no Group Company has, in respect of the 18 (eighteen) month period prior to the Signature Date, committed an act which, if it were a natural person would constitute an act of insolvency as defined in the Insolvency Act, No 24 of 1936, or any other applicable Act; |
8.1.5 |
no Group Company has, in respect of the 18 (eighteen) month period prior to the Signature Date, compromised with its creditors generally, or attempted to do so; |
8.1.6 |
in respect of the 18 (eighteen) month period prior to the Signature Date, no material creditor of any Group Company has given notice of its intention to take any action to enforce its rights and/or remedies in terms of any material debt owed to it; |
10
8.1.7 |
each of the warranties contained in clause 7.1 is true and correct in all respects; and |
8.1.8 |
no interdict, judgment or other order or action of any court or governmental authority restraining, prohibiting or rendering illegal the implementation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall be in effect, and no legal proceeding shall have been instituted by any person (including any governmental authority) seeking to prohibit, restrict or delay or declare illegal the implementation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement. |
8.2 |
Without derogating from the Subscriber's right not to subscribe for the Subscription Shares in accordance with the provisions of clause 8.1, the Subscriber shall also be entitled to terminate this Agreement summarily by giving written notice to that effect to the Company at any time upon the happening of any event described in clause 8.1. The aforegoing provisions of this clause 8.2 should not be construed as limiting the Subscriber's rights arising from a breach of this Agreement, as contemplated in clause 13. |
9 |
SUBSCRIBER'S RIGHT TO BOARD APPOINTMENT |
9.1 |
The Subscriber shall have the right (but not the obligation), at any time after the Subscription Date and subject to the Company having received the Aggregate Subscription Price in accordance with 5, to deliver a written notice to the Company, requesting the Company to procure the appointment of any person nominated by the Subscriber (" Subscriber's Nominee ") to the Company's Board. Such notice shall be accompanied by all necessary documents required to enable the Company's Board to give effect to such appointment. |
9.2 |
Upon receiving the notice referred to in clause 9.1, the Company shall be required to procure the exercise by the Company's Board of its powers in terms of the provisions of clause 25 of the Company's memorandum of incorporation in such manner so as to give effect to the Company's request contemplated in clause 9.1. The Company warrants that it has provided the Subscriber with a complete and accurate copy of the Company's memorandum of incorporation and that the Company shall not permit any variation of such memorandum of incorporation which would in any way prevent or frustrate the exercise by the Subscriber of its rights contained in this clause 9. |
9.3 |
The Subscriber's Nominee shall not be a person who is disqualified from occupying the office of director in terms of applicable law, the listings requirements of the JSE and the Company's memorandum of incorporation and shall be required to undergo any induction training which any other appointee to the Company's Board would be required to undergo. |
11
9.4 |
The Subscriber's right contained in this clause 9 shall fall away and no longer be of any force or effect in the event that: (i) the Agreement is cancelled or terminates for any reason; or (ii) upon having subscribed for the Subscription Shares, the Subscriber no longer holds at least 10% (ten percent) of all of the Shares in issue for any reason whatsoever, whichever occurs first. For the avoidance of any doubt, should the Subscriber hold less than 10% (ten percent) of all of the Shares in issue for any reason whatsoever resulting in it losing the aforesaid right, but thereafter acquires further Shares resulting in the Subscriber holding at least 10% (ten percent) of all of the Shares in issue, the aforesaid right shall not be reinstated and the aforesaid right is lost as soon as the Subscriber holds less than 10% (ten percent) of all of the Shares in issue for any reason whatsoever. |
9.5 |
Should the Subscriber's right contained in this 9 fall away as contemplated above, the Subscriber - |
9.5.1 |
shall forthwith be obliged to procure the removal or resignation of the Subscriber's Nominee from the Company's Board and from any other office within the Group, including the unconditional and irrevocable resignation of the Subscriber's Nominee, which resignation shall confirm that such Subscriber's Nominee does not have any claims against the Company or other members of the Group as a result of such removal and/or resignation and shall waive any such claims which the Subscriber's Nominee might otherwise have; and |
9.5.2 |
hereby irremovably and unconditionally indemnifies the Company against any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense which may be suffered or incurred by the Company as a result of any removal or resignation of such Subscriber's Nominee from the Company's Board. |
10 |
GENERAL WARRANTIES |
10.1 |
Each Party hereby warrants to and in favour of the other Party that |
10.1.1 |
it has the legal capacity and has taken all necessary corporate action required to empower and authorise it to enter into this Agreement; |
12
10.1.2 |
this Agreement constitutes an agreement valid and binding on it and enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; and |
10.1.3 |
the execution of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder does not and shall not |
10.1.3.1 |
contravene any law or regulation to which it is subject; |
10.1.3.2 |
contravene any provision of its constitutional documents; or |
10.1.3.3 |
conflict with, or constitute a breach of any of the provisions of any other agreement, obligation, restriction or undertaking which is binding on it. |
10.2 |
Each of the representations and warranties given by the Parties in terms of clause 10.1, shall |
10.2.1 |
be a separate warranty and will in no way be limited or restricted by inference from the terms of any other warranty or by any other words in this Agreement; |
10.2.2 |
continue and remain in force notwithstanding the completion of any or all the transactions contemplated in this Agreement; and |
10.2.3 |
prime facie be deemed to be material and to be a material representation inducing the other Party to enter into this Agreement. |
11 |
PUBLICITY |
No announcements of any nature whatsoever will be made by or on behalf of a Party relating to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party, save for any announcement or other statement required to be made in terms of the provisions of any law (or by the rules of any securities exchange on which the shares of any of the Parties may be listed, where applicable), in which event the Party obliged to make such statement will first consult with the other Party in order to enable them in good faith to attempt to agree the content of such announcement, which (unless agreed) must go no further than is required in terms of such law or rules. This will not apply to a Party wishing to respond to the other Party which has made an announcement of some nature in breach of this clause. |
13
13.1 |
If a Party (" Defaulting Party ") commits any breach of this Agreement and fails to remedy such breach within 48 (forty eight) hours (" Notice Period ") of written notice requiring the breach to be remedied, then the Party giving the notice (" Aggrieved Party ") will be entitled, at its option |
13.1.1 |
to claim immediate specific performance of any of the Defaulting Party's obligations under this Agreement, with or without claiming damages, whether or not such obligation has fallen due for performance and to require the Defaulting Party to provide security to the satisfaction of the Aggrieved Party for the Defaulting Party's obligations; or |
13.1.2 |
to cancel this Agreement, with or without claiming damages, in which case written notice of the cancellation shall be given to the Defaulting Party, and the cancellation shall take effect on the giving of the notice. |
13.2 |
Neither Party shall be entitled to cancel this Agreement unless the breach is a material breach. A breach will be deemed to be a material breach if - |
13.2.1 |
it is capable of being remedied, but is not so remedied within the Notice Period; or |
13.2.2 |
it is incapable of being remedied and payment in money will compensate for such breach but such payment is not made within the Notice Period. |
13.3 |
The Aggrieved Party's remedies in terms of this clause 13 are without prejudice to any other remedies to which the Aggrieved Party may be entitled in law. |
14 |
DISPUTE RESOLUTION |
14.1 |
In the event of there being any dispute or difference between the Parties arising out of this Agreement (including but not limited to any dispute or difference as to the validity or otherwise of this Agreement, or as to the enforceability of this Agreement), the said dispute or difference shall on written demand by any Party be submitted to arbitration in Johannesburg in accordance with the AFSA rules, which arbitration shall be administered by AFSA. |
14
14.2 |
Should AFSA, as an institution, not be operating at that time or not be accepting requests for arbitration for any reason, then the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the AFSA rules for commercial arbitration (as last applied by AFSA) before an arbitrator appointed by agreement between the Parties or failing agreement within 10 (ten) business days of the demand for arbitration, then any Party shall be entitled to forthwith call upon the chairperson of the Johannesburg Bar Council to nominate the arbitrator, provided that the person so nominated shall be an advocate of not less than 10 (ten) years standing as such. The person so nominated shall be the duly appointed arbitrator in respect of the dispute. In the event of the attorneys of the Parties failing to agree on any matter relating to the administration of the arbitration, such matter shall be referred to and decided by the arbitrator whose decision shall be final and binding on the Parties. |
14.3 |
Any party to the arbitration may appeal the decision of the arbitrator or arbitrators in terms of the AFSA rules for commercial arbitration. |
14.4 |
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prevent or prohibit any Party from applying to the appropriate court for urgent relief or for judgment in relation to a liquidated claim. |
14.5 |
Any arbitration in terms of this clause 14 (including any appeal proceedings) shall be conducted in camera and the Parties shall treat as confidential details of the dispute submitted to arbitration, the conduct of the arbitration proceedings and the outcome of the arbitration, save as may be required in law (including, where applicable, by the rules of any securities exchange on which the shares of any of the Parties, or the shares of a holding company of any of the Parties, may be listed). |
14.6 |
This clause 14 will continue to be binding on the Parties notwithstanding any termination or cancellation of the Agreement. |
14.7 |
The Parties declare that it is their intention that this clause 14 will regulate the manner in which they will resolve any dispute or difference regarding the validity or otherwise of this Agreement, regardless of the fact that one of the parties may dispute the validity or enforceability of the Agreement. |
15
14.8 |
The Parties agree that the written demand by a party to the dispute in terms of clause 14 that the dispute or difference be submitted to arbitration, is to be deemed to be a legal process for the purpose of interrupting extinctive prescription in terms of the Prescription Act, 1969. |
15 |
NOTICES AND DOMICILIA |
15.1 |
The Parties select as their respective domicilia citandi et executandi the following physical addresses, and for the purposes of giving or sending any notice provided for or required under this Agreement, the said physical addresses as well as the following telefax numbers - |
Name | Physical Address | Telefax | |
Subscriber | 3rd Floor | 011 880 7080 | |
President Place | |||
Cnr Jan Smuts Ave & | |||
Bolton Rd | |||
Rosebank |
Marked for the attention of: The Chief Executive Officer
Name | Physical Address | Telefax | |
Company | 75 Grayston Drive | None | |
Morningside Extension | |||
05 | |||
Sandton |
Marked for the attention of: The Chief Executive Officer |
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provided that a Party may change its domicilium or its address for the purposes of notices to any other physical address or telefax number in the Republic of South Africa by written notice to the other Party to that effect. Such change of address will be effective 5 (five) business days after receipt of the notice of the change. |
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15.2 |
All notices to be given in terms of this Agreement will be given in writing, in English, and will - |
15.2.1 |
be delivered by hand or sent by telefax; |
15.2.2 |
if delivered by hand during business hours, be presumed to have been received on the date of delivery. Any notice delivered after business hours or on a day which is not a business day will be presumed to have been received on the following business day; and |
16
15.2.3 |
if sent by telefax during business hours, be presumed to have been received on the date of successful transmission of the telefax. Any telefax sent after business hours or on a day which is not a business day will be presumed to have been received on the following business day. |
15.3 |
Notwithstanding the above, any notice given in writing in English, and actually received by the Party to whom the notice is addressed, will be deemed to have been properly given and received, notwithstanding that such notice has not been given in accordance with this clause. |
15.4 |
The Parties record that whilst they may correspond via email during the currency of this Agreement for operational reasons, no formal notice required in terms of this Agreement, nor any amendment of or variation to this Agreement may be given or concluded via email. |
17.1 |
This Agreement will in all respects be governed by and construed under the laws of the Republic of South Africa. |
17.2 |
Subject to clause 13.1, the Parties hereby consent and submit to the non- exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, (Johannesburg), in any dispute arising from or in connection with this Agreement. |
18 |
GENERAL |
18.1 |
Whole Agreement |
18.1.1 |
This Agreement constitutes the whole of the agreement between the Parties relating to the matters dealt with herein and, save to the extent otherwise provided herein, no undertaking, representation, term or condition relating to the subject matter of this Agreement not incorporated in this Agreement shall be binding on either of the Parties. |
17
18.1.2 |
This Agreement supersedes and replaces any and all agreements between the Parties (and other persons, as may be applicable) and undertakings given to or on behalf of the Parties (and other persons, as may be applicable) in relation to the subject matter hereof. Without derogating from the aforegoing, the Parties similarly agree that this Agreement will supersede and replace the letter from Net1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. to the Company dated 26 September 2016 (this clause shall constitute a stipulatio alteri in favour of Net1 UEPS Technologies, Inc., capable of acceptance at any time). |
18.2 |
Variations to be in Writing |
No addition to or variation, deletion, or agreed cancellation of all or any clauses or provisions of this Agreement will be of any force or effect unless in writing and signed by the Parties. |
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18.3 |
No Indulgences |
No latitude, extension of time or other indulgence which may be given or allowed by either Party to the other in respect of the performance of any obligation hereunder, and no delay or forbearance in the enforcement of any right of either Party arising from this Agreement and no single or partial exercise of any right by either Party under this Agreement, shall in any circumstances be construed to be an implied consent or election by that Party or operate as a waiver or a novation of or otherwise affect any of its rights in terms of or arising from this Agreement or estop or preclude it from enforcing at any time and without notice, strict and punctual compliance with each and every provision or term hereof. Failure or delay on the part of either Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement will not constitute or be deemed to be a waiver thereof, nor will any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. |
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18.4 |
No Waiver or Suspension of Rights |
No waiver, suspension or postponement by either Party of any right arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be of any force or effect unless in writing and signed by that Party. Any such waiver, suspension or postponement will be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose given. |
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18.5 |
Continuing Effectiveness of Certain Provisions |
The expiration or termination of this Agreement shall not affect such of the provisions of this Agreement as expressly provide that they will operate after any such expiration or termination or which of necessity must continue to have effect after such expiration or termination, notwithstanding that the clauses themselves do not expressly provide for this. |
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18.6 |
No Assignment |
Neither this Agreement nor any part, share or interest herein nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be ceded, delegated or assigned by either Party without the prior signed written consent of the other, provided that the Subscriber shall be entitled to assign all its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any South African resident subsidiary of the Subscriber by notice in writing to the Company delivered at least 5 (five) business days prior to the Subscription Date, provided further that: (i) any such substitute subscriber binds itself in writing to all the terms and conditions herein imposed on the Subscriber by signing a deed of adherence to this Agreement; and (ii) the Subscriber guarantees, as surety for and co-principal debtor in solidum with such substitute subscriber, the due and proper compliance by such substitute subscriber with all the terms and conditions imposed on the Subscriber in terms of this Agreement and signs and executes a deed of suretyship giving effect hereto. |
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18.7 |
Exclusion of Electronic Signature |
The reference in clauses 18.2, 18.4 and 18.6 to writing signed by a Party shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, be read and construed as excluding any form of electronic signature. |
19 |
COSTS |
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, each Party will bear and pay its own legal costs and expenses of and incidental to the negotiation, drafting, preparation and implementation of this Agreement. |
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20 |
SIGNATURE |
20.1 |
This Agreement is signed by the Parties on the dates and at the places indicated below. |
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20.2 |
This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement as at the date of signature of the Party last signing one of the counterparts. |
20.3 |
The persons signing this Agreement in a representative capacity warrant their authority to do so. |
20.4 |
The Parties record that it is not required for this Agreement to be valid and enforceable that a Party shall initial the pages of this Agreement and/or have its signature of this Agreement verified by a witness. |
SIGNED at ROSEBANK on OCTOBER 4, 2016
For and on behalf of | |
NET1 APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES | |
SOUTH AFRICA PROPRIETARY | |
LIMITED | |
/s/ Herman G. Kotzé | |
Signature | |
Herman G. Kotzé | |
Name of Signatory | |
Director | |
Designation of Signatory |
SIGNED at SANDTON on OCTOBER 4, 2016
For and on behalf of | |
BLUE LABEL TELECOMS LIMITED | |
/s/ Brett Levy | |
Signature | |
Brett Levy | |
Name of Signatory | |
Joint CEO | |
Designation of Signatory |
Exhibit 99.1
Net1 announces acquisition of a strategic stake in Blue Label Telecoms
Johannesburg, October 5, 2016 Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (Net1 or the Company) (NasdaqGS: UEPS; JSE: NT1) today announced that it has entered into a share subscription agreement with Blue Label Telecoms Limited (Blue Label) (JSE: BLU) to subscribe for approximately 117.9 million shares in Blue Label, at a subscription price of ZAR16.96 per share, representing a 10% discount to ZAR18.84, being the 30-day volume weighted average price of a Blue Label share traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) to September 29, 2016. The aggregate subscription consideration payable by Net1 is ZAR2.0 billion ($144.0 million). Following implementation of the subscription, Net1 will own approximately 15% of the issued ordinary shares in Blue Label. Net1 expects to settle the subscription consideration through a combination of cash resources, debt instruments and an equity issuance of five million shares of common stock, at an issue price of $9.00 per share. Following implementation of the subscription, which is subject to the finalization of the financing package and the approval of Blue Label shareholders, Net1 will be entitled to nominate a director to Blue Labels board.
Blue Label, which operates in South Africa, Mexico and India, is listed in the Telcoms Mobile Telcoms sector of the Main Board of the JSE in the Telcoms Mobile Telcoms sector, and is a market leading virtual and physical distributor of secure electronic tokens of value as well as a provider of transactional and value added services. Blue Label also announced today that it intends to acquire a 45% interest in Cell C, one of South Africas three major licensed mobile network operators. For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2016, Blue Label reported revenue of ZAR26.2 billion ($1.9 billion), EBITDA of ZAR1.24 billion ($90.0 million) and earnings per share of ZAR1.04 ($0.07) .
This investment cements the start of a multi-layered strategic alliance between our two groups that will greatly enhance shareholder value on both sides through cooperation between our combined local and international operations, said Serge Belamant, Chairman and CEO of Net1. Blue Label has announced that it intends to acquire 45% of Cell C, the third largest telecom operator in South Africa and this new alliance will assist Net1, Blue Label and Cell C to accelerate the growth of their combined customer bases, and facilitate cross selling opportunities between themselves. Our aim is to provide customers a truly bespoke, affordable and comprehensive package that will go much further than basic telephony. The combination of the Net1 and Blue Label infrastructures is expected to envelop all areas of South Africa through our combined physical and mobile branches, associations with merchant stores and virtual distribution services via USSD, voice, internet and social media linked with traditional payment systems including EFTs, debit and credit cards and our Virtual Card solution. We believe that our coalition will be a global first that provides customers with an offering that includes banking, transacting, debit and credit cards, micro-finance, insurance, distribution of both airtime and electricity, web services, voice and data as well as access to low cost handsets offering the most advanced functionality. In addition, the new alliance ensures that all required support services are provided in-house using our own combined technologies, software and hardware products. As a result, our technology platform can address and service the entire LSM1 to 8 categories in South Africa in a broad and meaningful way.
In India, Net1 and Blue Label are shareholders in MobiKwik and Oxigen respectively, and we believe that there are compelling opportunities for us to extend our collaboration through the provision of innovative payment solutions, enabling universal acceptance and value to customers of two of Indias leading digital wallet providers who also have unparalleled online and offline infrastructure and capabilities. Our alliance with Blue Label is expected to further enhance the marketing of our international remittances, virtual cards and merchant financing strategies. In addition, the POS infrastructure that Blue Label has deployed in Mexico opens up new and real potential to participate in, acquiring, bill payments and remittances when combined with our technology and relationships in North America, he concluded.
Brett and Mark Levy, the joint CEOs of Blue Label, stated: The strategic cooperation between Blue Label and Net1 will touch multi-million consumers per day through our combined points of presence as a result of the respective parties combining Product, Distribution Footprint and Customers, from formal and informal retail right through to the extensive rural market. This will create a highly robust business model that will be resilient to disintermediation and fluctuations in economic conditions.
Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call to discuss these transaction on October 5, 2016, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To participate in the call, dial 1-855-481-5362 (US and Canada), 0808-162-4061 (U.K. only) or 0-800-200-648 (South Africa only) ten minutes prior to the start of the call. Callers should request Net1 call upon dial-in. The call will also be webcast on the Net1 homepage, www.net1.com. Please click on the webcast link at least ten minutes prior to the call. A webcast of the call will be available for replay on the Net1 website through October 26, 2016.
About Net1 ( www.net1.com )
Net1 is a leading provider of alternative payment systems that leverage its Universal Electronic Payment System (UEPS) or utilize its proprietary mobile technologies. The Company operates market-leading payment processors in South Africa and the Republic of Korea. Through Transact24, Net1 offers debit, credit and prepaid processing and issuing services for Visa, MasterCard and ChinaUnionPay in China and other territories across Asia-Pacific, Europe and Africa, and the United States. Through Masterpayment, Net1 provides payment processing and enables working capital financing in Europe.
UEPS permits the Company to facilitate biometrically secure, real-time electronic transaction processing to unbanked and under-banked populations of developing economies around the world in an online or offline environment. Net1s UEPS/EMV solution is interoperable with global EMV standards that seamlessly enable access to all the UEPS functionality in a traditional EMV environment. In addition to payments, UEPS can be used for banking, healthcare management, payroll, remittances, voting and identification.
Net1s mobile technologies include its proprietary mobile payments solution - MVC, which offers secure mobile-based payments, as well as mobile banking and prepaid value-added services in developed and emerging countries. The Company intends to deploy its varied mobile solutions through its ZAZOO business unit, which is an aggregation of innovative technology companies and is based in the United Kingdom.
Net1 has a primary listing on the NASDAQ and a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
About Blue Label ( www.bluelabeltelecoms.co.za )
Blue Label is a significant virtual distributor of secure electronic tokens of value across a global footprint of touch points, including distribution of prepaid airtime, starter packs, data and electricity tokens, as well as transactional services such as ticketing and financial services. If a product can be digitised, it can be distributed by Blue Label.
Blue Labels stated strategy is to extend its global footprint of touch points, both organically and acquisitively, in fulfilling the significant demand for the delivery of multiple prepaid products and services through a single distributor, across various delivery mechanisms and via numerous merchants or vendors. As distribution plays an important role in any economy, Blue Labels leverage of the last mile of the distribution channel is critical. Whoever manages the last mile of the channel actually owns the whole distribution channel. Since the POS terminal is always located in the last mile, the person managing it decides what products and services may be sold from it.
Blue Label is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa and employs approximately 2,200 employees across its operations in South Africa, India and Mexico. The group processes approximately 5 billion transactions per annum and reported revenue of ZAR26.2 billion ($1.9 billion) for fiscal 2016. Blue Label maintains a primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and has a Level 1 ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program in the United States.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in its forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that the Company makes. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility that the expected synergies from the investment will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; disruption from the investment making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; and other factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control; and other important factors included in the Companys reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, as such Risk Factors may be updated from time to time in subsequent reports. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Investor Relations Contact : |
Dhruv Chopra |
Head of Investor Relations |
Phone: +1-917-767-6722 |
Email: dchopra@net1.com |
Financial Adviser and Transaction Sponsor: |
Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited |