This announcement contains inside
information for the purposes of Regulation 11 of the Market Abuse
(Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019/310. With the publication of
this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside
information is now considered to be in the public
domain.
9 August 2024
Kazera
Global plc
("Kazera" or "the Company")
Loan Facility to fund
Tectonic deal and bridge to cash flows from HMS
operations
Kazera Global plc (AIM: KZG), the
AIM-quoted investment company, is pleased to announce that it has
entered into a debt facility agreement (the "Facility Agreement")
with each of its two largest shareholders, Richard Jennings and
Tracarta Limited, pursuant to which they have agreed to provide the
Company with unsecured term loan facilities of £150,000 and
£350,000 respectively (the "Facilities"). The proceeds will be used
to fund the cash element of the consideration payable to Tectonic
Gold PLC under the terms of the agreement announced on 7 August
2024 and to provide additional working capital whilst the Company
works to bring Deep Blue Minerals (Pty) Ltd ("DBM") and Whale Head
Minerals (Pty) Ltd ("WHM") into production and cash
generation.
Dennis Edmonds, Chief Executive Officer of Kazera Global plc
commented: "I am grateful to both
Richard Jennings and Tracarta Limited for making these funds
available to Kazera in order to make it possible to complete the
WHM & DBM deals and give us what we anticipate being sufficient
cash cover to take the Company into being cash generative. The
Board feel very strongly that raising equity at anywhere near the
current levels in the present market would not be in the interest
of shareholders as it does not remotely reflect the expected
immediate opportunity from our South African
operations."
DETAILS
The principal terms of the Facility
Agreements are as follows:
·
Interest - Interest will accrue
on the Facilities at a fixed rate of 12%, irrespective of early
repayment on the Commitment Amount. The lenders may, at their sole
discretion, elect to receive interest due in shares of the Company
at a price of 1 "one" pence per share.
·
Term - The Facilities are
repayable, together with all interest and fees that have accrued,
on or before 30 October 2025.
·
Availability - The Facilities
are available to be drawn in four tranches commencing on 11 August
and then on 25 August 2024, 25 September 2024 and 25 October
2024.
·
Warrants - The lenders will
also receive warrants to subscribe for new Ordinary Shares in the
Company at an exercise price of 1p. In the event that, within two
years of the date of their issue, the Company issues equity at less
than 1p (raising not less than £50,000), the exercise price shall
be reduced to that lower price.
·
The number of warrants to be issued to each lender
is 150% of the loan amount (including interest).
Related Party Transaction
Kazera is entering into the Facility
Agreement with Richard Jennings, a beneficiary of Catalyse Capital
Ltd & Related Parties RS & CA Jennings, which is a
significant shareholder in the Company as such term is defined in
the AIM Rules for Companies. Accordingly, entering into the
Facility Agreement with Richard Jennings constitutes a related
party transaction under Rule 13 of the AIM Rules for
Companies.
As such, the Directors of the
Company consider, having consulted with Cavendish Capital Markets
Limited, the Company's Nominated Adviser, that the terms of the
Facility Agreement with Richard Jennings are fair and reasonable
insofar as the Company's shareholders are concerned.
**ENDS**
Kazera Global plc
Dennis Edmonds, CEO
|
kazera@stbridespartners.co.uk
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Ltd
(Nominated Adviser and Broker)
Derrick Lee / Pearl Kellie
(Corporate Finance)
|
Tel: +44
(0)207 220 0500
|
St Brides
Partners (Financial
PR)
Paul Dulieu / Isabel de Salis
|
kazera@stbridespartners.co.uk
|
About Kazera Global plc
Kazera is a global investment
company focused on leveraging the skills and expertise of its Board
of Directors to develop early-stage mineral exploration and
development assets towards meaningful cashflow and production. Its
three principal investments, prior to completion of the acquisition of
shares from Tectonic Gold Plc as announced on 7 August 2024,
are as follows:
Alluvial diamond mining through Deep
Blue Minerals (Pty) Ltd, Alexander Bay, South Africa
Kazera currently has a 100% direct
interest in Deep Blue Minerals, of which 64% is held beneficially
by Kazera and 26% is held on behalf of Black Economic Empowerment
partners.
Heavy Mineral Sands mining
(including ilmenite, monazite, rutile, and zircon) through
Whale Head Minerals (Pty) Ltd, Alexander Bay, South
Africa.
Kazera currently has a 60% direct
beneficial interest in Whale Head Minerals together with the
benefit of a loan facility entitling it to receive approximately
£38m out of dividends from the other shareholders.
Tantalite mining in South-East
Namibia (divestment in progress)
As announced on 20 December 2022,
Kazera has agreed to dispose of African Tantalum (Pty) Ltd
("Aftan") for a cash
consideration of US$13 million plus a debenture payment of 2.5% of
the gross sales of produced lithium and tantalum for life-of-mine.
Completion of the sale is subject to receipt of full consideration
proceeds. Aftan has been deconsolidated from the Company's
financial statements with effect from 4 January 2023 because in
accordance with the terms of the sale agreement, it has
relinquished control of the Aftan in favour of the purchaser, Hebei
Xinjian Construction Close Corp ("Hebei Xinjian") with effect from that
date. Kazera retains the right to cancel the transaction and retain
all amounts paid to date in the event of default by Hebei
Xinjian.
The Company will consider additional
investment opportunities as appropriate, having regard to the
Group's future cash flow requirements.