If approved by shareholders, Sasol will conclude the
Transaction in respect of 10% of its issued share capital,
as at 18 March 2008. Unless indicated otherwise, the BEE
ownership percentages referred to in this announcement are
before giving effect to the Transaction. Black ownership
will be approximately 8,3% which represents an effective
19,7% of Sasol’s South African business in terms of the
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good
Practice (“Codes”).
Sasol’s current share repurchase programme, initiated on 7
March 2007, has resulted in the repurchase of 5,9% of Sasol
ordinary shares by Sasol Investment Company (Proprietary)
Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sasol. After the
implementation of the Transaction, and assuming no further
shares are repurchased by Sasol, the total will transaction
represent 9,6% of Sasol’s issued share capital.
Sasol intends to continue its current share repurchase
programme, subject to the financial position (including cash
flow and gearing considerations) of the Company and the
prevailing market and economic conditions. Should Sasol
continue the current share repurchase programme (up to the
authorised limit of 10%) it would result in an increase in
the effective ownership by the participants in the
Transaction (“BEE Participants”) from 9,6% to 10%.
In the announcement dated 10 September 2007, Sasol indicated
that to mitigate dilution to existing ordinary shareholders:
-
it intended to repurchase, in terms of its current share
repurchase programme, the same number of shares as would
be issued in terms of the Transaction, namely 63,1
million Sasol ordinary shares; and
-
to the extent that Sasol had not repurchased 63,1 million
Sasol ordinary shares, it would consider a share
repurchase by way of a scheme of arrangement in terms of
Section 311 of the Companies Act , 1973 (“the scheme”).
In view of the number of shares repurchased to date and
Sasol’s intention to resume its current share repurchase
programme, under the aforementioned conditions, Sasol has
decided not to proceed with the scheme.
2.
Rationale for and principles of the Transaction
In line with Sasol’s empowerment objectives, the Transaction
has been designed to provide long-term benefits to a broad
group of Black People (as defined in the Codes) with a focus
on Sasol’s own employees and lower income groups,
particularly women.
As a major participant in the South African economy, Sasol
welcomes the role that it can play in helping to meet the
country’s socio-economic and growth objectives. In addition