/ 25 February 2020

SAB Zenzele Kabili B-BBEE share scheme

SAB Zenzele Kabili Launch
Valdene Reddy, director of capital markets, SAB; Andrew Murray, vice-president finance, SAB; Kenneth Seema, worker leader (NEF deputy chair), FAWU JSE representative; Zoleka Lisa, vice-president corporate affairs, SAB; Richard Rivett-Carnac, director M&A and treasury, SAB; and Leila Fourie, chief executive, JSE, at the JSE on February 17 2020.

The South African Breweries (SAB) today announced the creation of their new R5.4-billion broad-based BEE ownership scheme, SAB Zenzele Kabili. SAB Zenzele Kabili follows the decade-long success of the SAB Zenzele scheme, which, when it unwinds in April 2020, will have delivered approximately R14-billion in value for its beneficiaries, including SAB Zenzele’s 29 000 retailer shareholders, 13 000 current and former SAB employees and the SAB Foundation. This is the largest broad-based BEE payout in the South African fast-moving consumer goods industry. The SAB Zenzele Kabili scheme, which remains subject to shareholder approval, will build on the success of SAB Zenzele, with the intention of generating meaningful wealth for existing and new BEE investors.

The over 40 000 shareholders who participated in SAB Zenzele will receive R9.7-billion in value when the transaction unwinds in April 2020 and may elect to receive this value in either AB InBev JSE-listed shares or cash proceeds from the sale of these shares. SAB has received consistent feedback from SAB Zenzele shareholders that they want the opportunity to re-invest part of the value from the unwinding of SAB Zenzele into the new empowerment scheme, which will hold shares directly in AB InBev. Accordingly, the new scheme will allow SAB Zenzele shareholders the opportunity to re-invest.

Utilising a scheme of arrangement, which requires 75% approval from SAB Zenzele shareholders, SAB Retailers will invest a minimum of 15% of the value of their SAB Zenzele unwind in exchange for shares in SAB Zenzele Kabili, which will be listed on the BEE Segment of the JSE. SAB Zenzele shareholders will vote on the scheme at the SAB Zenzele annual general meeting to be held at Nasrec in Johannesburg on March 19 2020.

The R5.4-billion SAB Zenzele Kabili transaction will be funded through a combination of a R678-million equity contribution from existing SAB Zenzele shareholders, a R600-million equity contribution from a new broad-based employee stock ownership plan funded by SAB, a R344-million reinvestment by the SAB Foundation, R811-million of AB InBev discounted shares from SAB and R2 973-million of 10-year preference share vendor funding from SAB.

Re-investment

The benefits of re-investing in SAB Zenzele Kabili are that SAB Zenzele Kabili will hold R5.4-billion worth of shares in AB InBev’s global operations and substantial and attractive facilitation from SAB through discounted shares and geared exposure through attractive vendor funding at 70% of Prime for 10 years. SAB Zenzele Kabili shareholders will be entitled to receive dividends as 25% of the dividends received by SAB Zenzele Kabili, after servicing administrative and operating costs, which will be paid to SAB Zenzele Kabili shareholders as a dividend each year.

“Following the success of SAB Zenzele, I look forward to the next chapter with SAB Zenzele Kabili,” said Richard Rivett-Carnac, director M&A and treasury, SAB. “I believe we have reached our goal to deliver real economic benefits to thousands of South Africans through SAB Zenzele. We are excited to offer SAB Zenzele shareholders the opportunity to partner and invest in SAB Zenzele Kabili, empowering qualifying shareholders even further, as we enter the new decade. 

“The opportunity to own AB InBev shares through SAB Zenzele Kabili means that shareholders will participate and benefit from the growth of our global business. SAB Zenzele Kabili will also have enhanced liquidity and transparency of pricing, something that was missing from SAB Zenzele. Through engagement with the employee trust, we have worked on the principle of equal allocation, as we feel this is the right way to allocate shares. We have worked closely with all of our stakeholders to improve and build on the successes of SAB Zenzele,” he concluded.

“SAB is committed to contributing to long-term economic growth and development in South Africa,” said Andrew Murray, vice-president finance, SAB. “With empowerment and ownership as key imperatives and core beliefs of the business, SAB intends to list the SAB Zenzele Kabili scheme on the JSE on April 15 2020.”