Here is a round-up of recent initial public offers (IPOs) and other listings of shares on African Stock Exchanges, many of them over-subscribed. Namibia has scored its first listing of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), while Mauritius is the home for an innovative listing of Afreximbank GDRs and of 2 primary listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Namibia: Nimbus Infrastructure Limited is first SPAC vehicle
Nimbus Infrastructure Limited listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) via private placement and started trading on 6 October. It raised more than N$100 million ($7m) from local investment institutions and retail investors. It aims to invest into information, computer and telecommunications (ICT) projects and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is Namibia’s first listed capital pool company (CPC). This is a type of company, also known as a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is most popular in the USA or Canada and South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has listed several SPACs.

The company has no commercial operations or assets, except cash. It uses its cash to evaluate promising investments and once it has invested in a viable business, usually within a set timeframe, it continues to operate as a conventional listed company. The funds are kept in an escrow account and are released on approval by shareholders or in line with a pre-approved spending budget, according to the company website. It must also comply with the Corporate Governance Code for Namibia (NamCode).

The private placement was open from 15-29 September. The listing of Nimbus was a joint initiative between Cirrus Capital, Paratus Namibia and Cronje and Company.

According to the company, it “is currently looking at a number of potential transactions and as per the stock exchange rules, aims to take these transactions forward for shareholder approval before the end of the year.” Nimbuas has signed a management agreement with Paratus.

According to an NSX statement, reported in Namibian Economist: “The Nimbus listing boasts exciting opportunities for Namibia, as not only does it focus on the fast-growing ICT sector across the continent, but in so doing, it offers a strong diversification opportunity for the funds of institutions and individuals alike, allowing diversified jurisdiction, currency and sector returns for investors. Further to this, as Namibia’s first CPC, Nimbus represents an opportunity to prove a new concept that will likely form a critical part of the future development of the Namibian real and financial sectors”.

Côte d’Ivoire: Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire
Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire launched a share offer on 27 September and closed it the same day as it was already twice oversubscribed. The IPO was to sell 20.44% of the bank’s shareholding in the form of 2,250,000 shares at XOF20,000 per share, raising XOF45bn (USD79.5m).

The bank is set to list on the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) in December, where it will join parent company Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), a leading share on the BRVM, the Nigerian Stock Exchang and the Ghana Stock Exchanghe.

The offer, organized by stockbrokers EDC Investment Corporation and Hudson & Cie had been scheduled to run from 22 September to 11 October. It was 2.2x oversubscribed on the first day.

According to Enko Capital “Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire was created in 1989 following the acquisition of Chase Manhattan Bank. The bank has since expanded to become the third largest lender in Ivory Coast with a market share of 10.5% in terms of loans and 11.7% in terms of deposits and employs 648 people across 53 branches holding 274,018 accounts.

“Prior to the IPO, ETI held a 94.26% stake in Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire and this will reduce to 75% post listing. ETI was founded in Togo in 1985 and currently has a presence in 36 African countries. The banking group is listed on three exchanges in Africa.. Its stock is owned by more than 600,000 shareholders and the group employs over 17,000 people across 1,200 branches and offices. Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire is the third largest contributor to ETI’s group revenue after Ecobank Nigeria and Ecobank Ghana.”

Namibia: Letshego Holdings
Letshego Holdings Namibia had to extend its IPO by 4 days to 26 September and drop its offer price from NAD4.70 to NAD3.80 per share, according to Enko Capital: “The main purpose of the IPO was to satisfy the Bank of Namibia’s conditions for granting a banking license to Letshego Bank Namibia in 2016 which require a minimum 45% local ownership within a four year period.”

Letshego listed on 28 September on the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX)with a market capitlaization of NAD1.9 billion, according to a report in New Era and a press release.

Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein did not have a warm view of capital markets as he celebrated the listing: “’With this listing Letshego has taken a dive into the shark pool, but this is a well-prepared dive that you were truly prepared for”.

Over 3,600 qualifying applications were received during the 4-week offer, with individuals and non-institutional investors making up NAD40m of the total NAD180m raised.

NSX CEO Tiaan Bazuin said: “I am extremely pleased with the successful listing of Letshego. There has been a lot of talk about localization in the Namibian market and this listing shows the best way, in my mind, to achieve this goal.”

Letshego Namibia is an offshoot of Letshego Holdings Limited, listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange, which has reduced its holding from 85% to 79%. Letshego Bank Namibia has had a full licence since July 2016, and is a 100% subsidiary of Letshego Holdings Namibia. Its origin in 2002 was as Edu Loan Namibia, making salary loans, and in 2008 Letshego bought majority shareholding.

Mauritius – Afeximbank global depositary receipts
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), headquartered in Egypt, raised more than its $100m minimum target after selling global depositary receipts (GDRs) backed by its Class D shares. The GDRs listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius was on 4 October. The minimum investment for the offer was $30,000 and it closed on 22 September.

Afreximbank is a supranational trade finance bank established in October 1993. Class A shareholders consist of African States, African central banks and African public institutions; Class B shareholders are African financial institutions and African private investors; Class C shareholders are non-African investors, such as international banks and export credit agencies; while Class D shareholders can be any investors.

South Africa: African Rainbow Capital Investments
This newly formed company listed on the main board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on 7 September, the 12th listing to date in 2017. It raised ZAR4.0bn ($282m) and brought the total capital raised on the JSE in the year to date to ZAR76bn ($54bn), according to this JSE press release.

ARC Investments is a capital raising and investment entity incorporated in Mauritius which will offer shareholders the opportunity to invest in a permanently broad-based black controlled investment entity holding a diversified portfolio of investments. The initial investment portfolio held by ARC Investments will be seeded by African Rainbow Capital Proprietary Limited (ARC), which will remain the majority shareholder in ARC Investments.

Shareholders invest alongside ARC in the initial portfolio of 16 investments in financial services including: Alexander Forbes Limited, Alexander Forbes Group Limited, Indwe Broker Holdings, Senayo Securities and Santam and and 17 non-financial services including investments in agriculture and food production, building and construction, energy, information technology and telecommunications, investment holding companies and real estate businesses. Its most significant investment is a 20% interest in Multisource Telecoms Proprietary Limited, currently trading as Rain. According to Reuters, ARC Investments is valued at ZAR8.5bn, and has 3 cornerstone investors including Singapore’s GIC Pte Ltd, the Public Investment Corporation and Sanlam Private Wealth.

ARC is a majority black-owned investment holding company which seeks to utilize its empowerment credentials, strong balance sheet and the track record of its leadership and brand to invest in financial services distribution businesses. ARC is wholly owned by Ubuntu-Botho Investments (UBI), which was created in 2003.

Patrice Motsepe, Chairman of both Ubuntu Botho Investments and ARC, said: “the listing of ARC Investments on the JSE is a major step towards realising one of the key objectives of ARC, namely to build a world class broad- based black – controlled investment entity for all South Africans.”

Nemer says the JSE is equally proud to help ARC Investments facilitate its goal of providing investment exposure for the public to B-BBEE assets, which are often only held privately.

South Africa – Steinhoff Africa Retail (STAR)

Holding company Steinhoff Africa Retail (STAR) successfully raised ZAR15.38bn (USD1.08bn) after placing 750,000,000 shares at ZAR20.50 each between 4 and 14 September. It listed on the JSE on 20 September.

It brings public shareholding to 21.7% of STAR, which was formed as part of the restructuring of the Steinhoff Group, and Steinhoff International holds 78.3%. The group has 4,808 stores in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Brands operating under the STAR group include Pep, Ackermans, Poco, Russells, Flash, Bradlows, Rochester, Buco, Timbercity, The Tile House, Incredible Connection, HiFi Corp, Dunns, John Craig, Refinery, Shoe City, Tekkie Town and Sleepmasters.

According to Enko capital, the offer was 4.8x over-subscribed.

South Africa: Brainworks
Mauritius-registered investment holding company Brainworks, with an investment base focused on hospitality, real estate, financial serice and logistics in Zimbabwe, listed on the JSE on 13 October, after an IPO from 28 September to 11 October. It is the first Zimbabwean company with a proimary listing on the JSE and the 16th listing for the year to date, according to a JSE press release, where it sought to raise ZAR316.5m (USD22.3m) through the sale of 27,523,951 shares at ZAR11.50 per share.

Brainworks was established in 2011 and holds investments including controlling stakes in 2 listed hospitality companies, African Sun and Dawn Properties, which are listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. It also has investments in GetBucks, GetCash, GetSure, MyBucks, Skyclear and FML Logistics and says approximately 38% of revenue is generated in hard currency.

Donna Nemer, Director: Capital Markets at the JSE, says the exchange is proud to welcome Brainworks to the South African market. “As Africa’s largest stock exchange, the JSE believes we can make an important contribution to the growth and the development of our continent. We do this through offering foreign investors a secure and transparent entry point into Africa and providing the companies who do business here with a liquid platform to raise further capital to fund their expansion.”

Nemer says the JSE also favours dual- or cross-listings, wherein debt or equity is listed simultaneously on the JSE and on a local market. “This assists companies from other African countries to gain access to a much larger capital pool and trade in a more liquid environment, while still allowing local market participation.”

Thanks to research contribution by Enko Capital, which invests in African opportunities.