Naspers Limited (JSE: NPN, NASDAQ: NPSN) announces voluntary delisting
from NASDAQ, termination of SEC registration and application for a secondary
listing on the London Stock Exchange
Naspers today announced that it will voluntarily delist its American Depositary
Shares ("ADSs") (which are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"))
from the NASDAQ Global Market ("NASDAQ") and terminate its registration of the
ADSs with the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Naspers will
convert its current ADR programme into a Level I ADR programme to give current
ADR holders the option to continue to hold ADRs. Level I ADRs are traded in the
US over-the-counter (“OTC”) market as opposed to on a US national securities
exchange.
Naspers also intends making application to list a Depository Receipt programme on
the London Stock Exchange (“LSE”) to provide a platform for international investors
who wish to trade in Naspers N ordinary shares other than on the JSE Limited (“JSE”)
(the securities exchange in South Africa). The listing on the LSE is expected to
become effective during the third quarter of 2007.
The company's decision to delist from NASDAQ is based on the high costs of
maintaining its listing and registration in the US and complying with US obligations,
especially the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Naspers believes that the
resulting savings in costs and management time will benefit Naspers and its
shareholders, while the continued trading of the company's N ordinary shares on the
JSE will provide liquidity to its shareholders and access to capital for Naspers. At 31
March 2007, the total number of issued ADSs accounted for approximately 1% of
Naspers's issued N ordinary shares.
Naspers delivered notice today to NASDAQ that it intends to delist the ADSs. As
disclosed in the notice, Naspers expects to file a notification of removal from listing
on the NASDAQ via Form 25 with the SEC on or about 28 May 2007. The
withdrawal of the ADSs from listing should be effective 10 days after the filing of the
notice on Form 25 with the SEC.
Concurrent with the delisting from NASDAQ, Naspers also intends to file notice of
termination of registration on Form 15F with the SEC to terminate the registration of
the ADSs under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and to suspend Naspers’s
duties to file reports with the SEC. Over the past twelve months, the daily trading
volume on NASDAQ averaged approximately 1% of the total worldwide trading
volume. Naspers expects that its obligation to file reports with the SEC will be
suspended immediately upon the delisting of the ADSs from NASDAQ. Naspers
reserves the right to delay the filing of the Form 25 or 15F or withdraw either Form
for any reason prior to their effectiveness.
Naspers’s primary listing will remain with the JSE. Accordingly, it is subject to the
JSE Listings Requirements, high corporate governance standards as reflected in the
guidelines contained in the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa