Naspers Limited: Results of the Sale by Naspers Limited of 22 Million N Ordinary Shares of Prosus N.V. Through an Accelerated Bookbuild Offering to Institutional Investors
22.1.2020 09:30:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAWs and REgulations.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR ANYTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED UPON IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY OFFER OR COMMITMENT WHATSOEVER IN ANY JURISDICTION.
Naspers Limited (JSE: NPN; LSE: NPSN) ("Naspers") has sold 22 million N ordinary shares (the "Prosus N Ordinary Shares") in Prosus N.V. ("Prosus"), corresponding to c. 1.4% of the issued Prosus N Ordinary Shares, at a price per Prosus N Ordinary Share of €67.50, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately €1.5 billion for Naspers. The sale was effected through an accelerated bookbuild offering to institutional investors (the "Placing"). Following the Placing, Naspers holds c. 72.5% of the issued Prosus ordinary shares.
Settlement of the Placing is expected to occur on 24 January 2020 (i.e., on a T+2 basis) on Euronext Amsterdam.
As part of the Placing and in line with market practice for placements of this nature, Naspers has agreed to a 90-day lock-up period with respect to its remaining interest in the Prosus N Ordinary Shares, subject to customary exceptions and an ability to waive by the Joint Global Coordinators.
None of the proceeds raised from the Placing will be received by Prosus, and all of the proceeds received by Naspers, net of expenses and costs, will be repatriated to South Africa as required by the South African Reserve Bank. Naspers intends to use these net proceeds over time to return capital to Naspers shareholders in the form of a share repurchase programme.
Cape Town, South Africa
22 January 2020
JSE sponsor
Investec Bank Limited
Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners
Citigroup Global Markets Limited
Goldman Sachs International
J.P. Morgan Securities plc
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc
Legal advisers to Naspers
Allen & Overy LLP (as to Dutch, English and U.S. law)
Webber Wentzel (as to South African law)
Legal adviser to the Joint Global Coordinators
Linklaters LLP (as to Dutch, English and U.S. law)
IMPORTANT REGULATORY NOTICE
This announcement is not for publication, distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America ("United States" or "U.S.") (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), or to U.S. persons as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act (as defined below), or into Canada, Australia or Japan or any other jurisdiction where such an announcement would be unlawful. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or to U.S. persons as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Any offer or sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States will be made only to persons who are both “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act and “qualified purchasers” as defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Neither this document nor the information contained herein constitutes or forms part of an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States. There will be no public offer of any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each a "Member State"), no Prosus N Ordinary Shares have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the Placing to the public in that Member State, except that offers of Prosus N Ordinary Shares may be made to the public in that Member State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation: (a) to any legal entity which is a "qualified investor" as defined under the Prospectus Regulation (a "Qualified Investor"); (b) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than Qualified Investors); or (c) in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, provided that no such offer of Prosus N Ordinary Shares shall require Naspers, Prosus or any Joint Global Coordinator to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer to the public" in relation to any Prosus N Ordinary Shares in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any Prosus N Ordinary Shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any Prosus N Ordinary Shares, and the expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
In the United Kingdom, this announcement is being distributed exclusively to, and is directed exclusively at Qualified Investors who are also: (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within the definition of “investment professionals” in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order"); or (ii) persons who are high net worth bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships and the trustees of high value trusts, as described in Article 49(2)(A) to (D) of the Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise be lawful to distribute it.
In South Africa, the Placing will only be made by way of separate private placements to: (i) selected persons falling within one of the specified categories listed in Section 96(1)(a) of the South African Companies Act, 71 of 2008, as amended (the "South African Companies Act"); and (ii) selected persons, acting as principal, acquiring Prosus N Ordinary Shares for a total acquisition cost of R1,000,000 or more, as contemplated in Section 96(1)(b) of the South African Companies ("South African Qualifying Investors"). This announcement is only being made available to such South African Qualifying Investors. Accordingly: (i) the Placing is not an offer to the public as contemplated in the South African Companies Act; (ii) this announcement does not, nor does it intend to, constitute a "registered prospectus" or "advertisement", as contemplated by the South African Companies Act; and (iii) no prospectus has been filed with the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission ("CIPC") in respect of the Placing. As a result, this announcement does not comply with the substance and form requirements for a prospectus set out in the South African Companies Act and the South African Companies Regulations of 2011, and has not been approved by, and/or registered with, CIPC. The information contained in this announcement constitutes factual information as contemplated in Section 1(3)(a) of the South African Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 37 of 2002, as amended, (the "South African FAIS Act") and should not be construed as an express or implied recommendation, guide or proposal that any particular transaction in respect of the Naspers N Ordinary Shares or the Prosus N Ordinary Shares or in relation to the business or future investments of Naspers or Prosus is appropriate to the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of a prospective investor, and nothing in this announcement should be construed as constituting the canvassing for, or marketing or advertising of, financial services in South Africa. Neither Naspers nor Prosus is a financial services provider licensed as such under the South African FAIS Act.
This announcement is not an offer of securities or investments for sale, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities or investments in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. No action has been taken that would permit an offering of the securities or possession or distribution of this announcement in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. No prospectus under the Prospectus Regulation is required in respect of the Placing and no prospectus, offering circular or similar document will be prepared.
In connection with the Placing, each of the Joint Global Coordinators and any of their affiliates acting as an investor for their own account may take up as a proprietary position any Prosus N Ordinary Shares and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such Prosus N Ordinary Shares and other securities of Prosus or related investments in connection with the Placing or otherwise. In addition, each of the Joint Global Coordinators or their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps or contracts for difference) with investors in connection with each of the Joint Global Coordinators and any of their affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Prosus N Ordinary Shares. None of the Joint Global Coordinators or their affiliates intends to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.
Each Joint Global Coordinator is acting on behalf of Naspers and no one else in connection with the Placing. They will not regard any other person as their client in relation to the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than Naspers for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. None of the Joint Global Coordinators or any of their respective subsidiary undertakings, affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, agents, alliance partners or any other entity or person accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information or opinions in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from this announcement) or any other information relating to Prosus, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Accordingly, the Joint Global Coordinators disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all and any liability, whether arising in tort or contract or that they might otherwise be found to have in respect of this announcement and/or any such statement.
The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. This announcement does not purport to identify or suggest the risks (direct or indirect) which may be associated with an investment in the Prosus N Ordinary Shares. Any investment decision in connection with the Prosus N Ordinary Shares must be made solely on the basis of all publicly available information relating to the Prosus N Ordinary Shares (which has not been independently verified by the Joint Global Coordinators).
The price of the Prosus N Ordinary Shares and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested on disposal of the Prosus N Ordinary Shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons who require advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "intends", "expects", "will", or "may", or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to future events and assumptions relating to Naspers's or Prosus's business, in particular from changes in political conditions, economic conditions or evolving business strategy. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements in this document will be realised. As a result, no undue reliance should be placed on these forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results or otherwise. Each of Naspers, Prosus, the Joint Global Coordinators and their respective affiliates expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200121006189/en/
Contact information
Media
Shamiela Letsoalo, Media Relations Director
+27 78 802 6310
shamiela.letsoalo@naspers.com
Investors
Eoin Ryan, Head of Investor Relations
+1 347-210-4305
eoin.ryan@naspers.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
TestMu AI Adds Evidence Packs to Kane CLI, Turning Every AI Test Run into One Portable, Shareable File7.10.2026 17:29:00 EEST | Press release
TestMu AI (formerly LambdaTest), the Full Stack Agentic AI Quality Engineering platform, announced evidence packs for Kane CLI, its terminal-first tool for natural language browser and mobile app testing. Every Kane CLI run now produces one sealed .evidence file that holds the complete record of what the AI agent was asked to do, what it did at each step, and what happened. Kane CLI launched in April 2026, giving developers and AI coding agents a way to run tests on real browsers and mobile apps from the terminal, in plain English, with a clear pass-or-fail verdict. Since launch, it has added AI-powered test case generation and the Assurance Lifecycle, which ties tests back to requirement documents. Evidence packs are the next step: a full record of every run. As AI agents write and run more tests, engineering teams need a clear answer to a simple question: what exactly did the agent do, and why did the run pass or fail? That proof is often spread across screenshots, log folders, and d
Medisca and EUROAPI Form Strategic Partnership to Strengthen API Access for Pharmaceutical Compounding7.10.2026 17:07:00 EEST | Press release
Medisca and EUROAPI have formed a strategic partnership focused on expanding API access for pharmaceutical compounding, creating differentiated access in North America and establishing a broader framework for international growth and peptide collaboration. For more than three decades, Medisca has built its business around the evolving needs of pharmaceutical compounders. That starts with the products it chooses to bring to market but extends much further to the manufacturers behind them, the documentation and technical information supporting them, and the quality systems that carry those products through to the customer. The partnership with EUROAPI advances that approach. Under the new strategic partnership, Medisca becomes EUROAPI’s first strategic distribution partner focused on bringing its European-manufactured APIs to the North American compounding market. The collaboration includes exclusive supply arrangements for selected APIs and creates a framework to expand the offering ove
iQmetrix Launches Vendor Managed Inventory Integration with Valor Communication7.10.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
iQmetrix, the global provider of Intelligent Commerce Operating Systems for telecom, is launching a Vendor Managed Inventory integration with Valor Communication, a factory-direct wireless accessory manufacturer and distributor serving carriers, retailers, and dealers since 1997. Built into the iQmetrix Intelligent Commerce Operating System, the integration connects Valor's assortment directly to the platform telecom retailers already run their business on – so replenishment runs on real sell-through data instead of guesswork, and approved accessories move from Valor's floor to the peg without manual reordering. The integration will be available to retailers across the iQmetrix client base. The addition of Valor Communication marks another step in the rapid expansion of the iQmetrix Partner Ecosystem, bringing clients a growing network of integrated partners that work natively inside the platform they already run their business on. This press release features multimedia. View the full
Hightouch Names Matthew Lubeck General Manager, EMEA7.10.2026 16:40:00 EEST | Press release
Hightouch, the leader in data and AI for marketing, has named Matthew Lubeck General Manager, EMEA. Based in London, Lubeck will lead all of Hightouch's go-to-market functions across EMEA as the company helps brands in the region move to agentic marketing. Hightouch already has a strong foundation in Europe, with offices in London and Paris, and native-speaking teams in France, the German-speaking markets, Italy, the Nordics, Benelux, and the Middle East. It supports EU data residency and runs inside each customer's own data warehouse, so customer data never has to be copied into another platform. Brands across the region use Hightouch, including Accor, HelloFresh, Currys, Telenor, Salomon, Bolt, Nando's, and Depop. The company is also growing its Middle East presence, with a new team in Dubai focused on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Lubeck's appointment follows more than 100 percent growth for Hightouch in each of the past two years, and its $150 million Series D earlier this year. Lubeck
Lenovo Announces Tech World @ CES 2027: Defining the Next Era of Hybrid AI7.10.2026 16:01:00 EEST | Press release
Lenovo, the global technology powerhouse, today announced that its annual global innovation event will return to CES® 2027 in Las Vegas. Hosted at Sphere and part of the CES Keynote lineup, Tech World will bring together a visionary lineup of speakers and breakthrough innovations with a first-of-its-kind immersive technology and music experience. As well as unveiling the latest in Lenovo’s innovations, Tech World will unite global technology leaders and leading voices on stage to discuss the future of AI. Together, they will explore how hybrid AI can empower people and unlock new possibilities for business and society. As demand grows for responsible AI leadership, the event will provide a defining moment at the start of 2027 to consider AI’s role in unlocking human potential, sustaining the planet, and driving global progress. “AI is entering a new phase, where every individual and every enterprise should be empowered to transform data into real value,” said Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo Chai
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
