Barclays balance sheet up 20%
BARCLAYS BOTSWANA MANAGING DIRECTOR: Reinette van de Merwe
Barclays Bank of Botswana has reported profits lower than the previous period as economic and other trading conditions continue to pull down on the profit margins.
But before the bank announced its financial results for the year ended 2015, Reinette van de Merwe, Barclays Bank Botswana’s managing director, assured the customers and shareholders that Barclays Botswana as well as its parent company Barclays Africa have nothing to worry about following the recent announcement by Barclays PLC to reduce its large stake in Barclays Africa, as the latter is independent and boasts of a strong balance sheet and is well capitalised.
With that out of the way, De Merwe said Barclays Botswana remains a profitable entity despite operating in an environment punctuated by sluggish economic performance, low interest rates, water and electricity crisis.
On giving a brief about the strategy they embarked on in 2014, the bank managing director said the journey has been and continues to be exciting despite pressing economic headwinds. “We are now in the third year of our journey. Our vision of becoming the bank of choice in Botswana is becoming a reality. Barclays Bank of Botswana has a strong Balance Sheet of over P14 billion and employs around 1 200 people. De Merwe said they are a big bank with big ambitions.
Now the key strategy of where to play and how to win; In retail banking we serve our chosen segments through the premium, prestige and personal propositions, while our business banking chooses segments of agriculture, tourism and franchise,” before she added that Barclays Bank wants to deepen its role in the public sector and support local expansion for quantum growth, making the bank the most accessible in Botswana.
For the period under review, net interest income leapt by 2 percent to deliver P909.9 million even though the Bank of Botswana (BoB) slashed the bank rate by 150 basis in 2015, an act that saw Barclays Botswana losing out on more than P100 million. Another positive gain was the net trading and investment income which surged by 31 percent, netting about P104 million.
The gains were offset by a decrease in net fee and commission fees which closed at P270.2 million, an 11 percent drop as a result of the bank’s decision to reduce the cost of financing for their customers. Also eating away at profits was the bank’s conservative approach to impairment charges and other credit provisions which stood at P244.2 million, an increase of 0.6 percent from the corresponding period.
The increase in impairments was sparked by defaults on personal loans from employees in some mining companies that went into liquidation. Moreover inflation also played a hand in reducing profits as the bank reported an increase of 1 percent in operating costs to close at 709.8 million. In the end the bank’s profit was significantly lower than that of 2014 as the bank shed off as much as 22 percent to post profit of P260.5 million for the year ended 2015.
As De Merwe had earlier noted that Barclays Botswana boasts of a strong balance, her words were echoed through Barclays Botswana’s financial position which saw the balance sheet grow by 20 percent to bring the bank’s total assets to P14.6 billion. Leading the rally was the loans and advances book which stands at P9.8 billion, an impressive gain of 20 percent year-on-year growth.
When the liquidity crisis left banks in a tight squeeze, the Bank of Botswana reduced the Primary Reserve Requirement (PRR) from 10 to 5 percent, effectively releasing P2.3 billion in the market to ease the liquidity crunch. Furthermore, the governor of BoB implored banks to come up with exciting products to lure depositors. Barclays Bank will be pleased by the results as the bank’s deposits due to customers spiked by 23 percent driven by positive flows from institutional depositors as the liquidity squeeze eased.
The growth in the balance sheet was supported by the bank’s strategy on how to leverage the bank’s key business segments to extract the maximum efficiencies from them as way of driving growth. The Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) came to play as its value grew significantly to P2.8 billion.
Moreover customer deposits have also grown to P6.1 billion. The long term strategy for CIB involves growing the asset market share and increasing transactional activity through various product solutions. The Retail and Business Banking (RBB) segment was also another winner as it continued with its upward trajectory as it rode high on its strategy of being a customer centric service provider that retains existing clients while growing market share in chosen sectors and segments.
Overall RBB sustained a strong year-on-year momentum on customer assets recording a growth of 7 percent. The business was also bolstered by the liabilities that remained largely flat. In the end Barclays Botswana declared a final dividend of 7.62 thebe, which is lower than the 11 thebe declared in 2014.
As the bank forges ahead, there are aware of the dangers lurking in the shadows. Van de Merwe admitted that although the two year moratorium placed on bank charges has been lifted, banks are still reeling from its after effects. In another move that might create a slippery slope for banks is the government’s intention to create a credit protection act that will shield customers from debilitating credit effects. For some time now, financial institutions like International Monetary Fund and BoB have been voicing their concerns about the rising household debt that overshadows Batswana’s savings.
Business
LLR transforms from Company to Group reporting
Botswana Stock Exchange listed diversified real estate company, Letlole La Rona Limited (“LLR” or “the Company” or “the Group”), posted its first set of group financial statements which comprise the Company and Group consolidated accounts, which show strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2023, with improvements across all key metrics.
The Company commenced the financial year with the appointment of a Deputy Chairperson, Mr Mooketsi Maphane, in order to bolster its governance and enhance leadership continuity through the development of a Board and Executive Management Succession Plan.
At operational level, LLR increased its shareholding in Railpark Mall from 32.79% to 57.79% and proudly took over the management of this prime asset.
The CEO of LLR, Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng commented “During the period under review, our portfolio continued to perform strongly, with improvements across all key metrics as a result of our ongoing focus on portfolio growth and optimisation.
“We are pleased to report a successful first half of the 2024 financial year, where we managed to not only grow the portfolio through strategic acquisitions and value accretive refurbishments but also recycled capital through the disposal of Moedi House as well as the ongoing sale of section titles at Red Square Apartments. The acquisition of an additional 25% stake in JTTM Properties significantly uplifted the value of our investment portfolio to P2.0 billion at a Group level. Our investment portfolio was further differentiated by the quality of our tenant base, as demonstrated by above market occupancy levels of 99.15% and strong collections of above 100% for the period”.
The growth in contractual revenue of 9% from the prior year’s P48.0 million to the current year P52.2 million, increased income from Railpark Mall, coupled with high collection rates, has enabled the company to declare a distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit, which is in line with the prior year.
In line with its strategic pillars of ‘Streamlined and Expanded Botswana Portfolio’ as well as ‘Quality African Assets’, the Group continuously monitors the performance of its investments to ensure that they meet the targeted returns.
“The Group continues to explore yield accretive opportunities for balance sheet growth and funding options that can be deployed to finance that growth” further commented the CEO of LLR Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng.
Ms Mowaneng further thanked the Group’s stakeholders for their continued support and stated that they look forward to unlocking further value in the Group.
Business
Botswana’s Electricity Generation Dips 26.4%
The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has reported a significant decrease in electricity generation for the fourth quarter of 2023, with output plummeting by 26.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to operational difficulties at the Morupule B power plant, as per the latest Botswana Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) released recently.
Local electricity production saw a drastic reduction, falling from 889,535 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 654,312 MWH in the period under review. This substantial decrease is largely due to the operational challenges at the Morupule B power plant. Consequently, the need for imported electricity surged by 35.6% (136,243 MWH) from 382,426 MWH in the third quarter to 518,669 MWH in the fourth quarter. This increase was necessitated by the need to compensate for the shortfall in locally generated electricity.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) was the principal supplier of imported electricity, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity imports during the fourth quarter of 2023. Eskom followed with 21.8%, while the remaining 12.1, 10.3, 8.6, and 4.2% were sourced from Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Nampower, and Cross-border electricity markets, respectively. Cross-border electricity markets involve the supply of electricity to towns and villages along the border from neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zambia.
Distributed electricity exhibited a decrease of 7.8% (98,980 MWH), dropping from 1,271,961 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 1,172,981 MWH in the review quarter.
Electricity generated locally contributed 55.8% to the electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease from the 74.5% contribution in the same quarter of the previous year. This signifies a decrease of 18.7 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that the contribution of locally generated electricity to the distributed electricity fell by 14.2 percentage points, from 69.9% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.8% in the fourth quarter. The Morupule A and B power stations accounted for 90.4% of the electricity generated during the fourth quarter of 2023, while Matshelagabedi and Orapa emergency power plants contributed the remaining 5.9 and 3.7% respectively.
The year-on-year analysis reveals some improvement in local electricity generation. The year-on-year perspective shows that the amount of distributed electricity increased by 8.2% (88,781 MWH), from 1,084,200 MWH in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 1,172,981 MWH in the current quarter. The trend of the Index of Electricity Generation from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 indicates an improvement in local electricity generation, despite fluctuations.
The year-on-year analysis also reveals a downward trend in the physical volume of imported electricity. The trend in the physical volume of imported electricity from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 shows a downward trend, indicating the country’s continued effort to generate adequate electricity to meet domestic demand, has led to the decreased reliance on electricity imports.
In response to the need to increase local generation and reduce power imports, the government has initiated a new National Energy Policy. This policy is aimed at guiding the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector and encouraging investment in new and renewable energy. In the policy document, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi stated that the policy aims to transform Botswana from being a net energy importer to a self-sufficient nation with surplus energy for export into the region. Moagi expressed confidence that Botswana has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in electric power supply, given the country’s readily available energy resources such as coal and renewable sources.
Business
MMG acquires Khoemacau in a transaction valued at P23Bn
MMG Limited, the Hong Kong-based mining company specializing in base metals, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Khoemacau Copper Mine, a state-of-the-art, world-class copper asset nestled in the northwest of Botswana.
On Monday, MMG announced that the acquisition of Khoemacau Mine in Botswana was finalized on 22nd March 2024. “This acquisition enriches the company’s portfolio with a top-tier, transformative growth project and signifies a monumental milestone in the Company’s journey,” MMG communicated in an official statement published on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MMG remitted to the Sellers an Aggregate Consideration of approximately US$1,734,657,000 (over P23 billion), a sum subject to potential adjustments post-Completion.
In addition to the Aggregate Consideration, MMG, in accordance with the Agreement, advanced an aggregate amount of approximately US$348,580,000 (over P4.5 billion) as the Aggregate Debt Settlement Amount, to settle certain debt balances of the Target Group (Cuprous Capital/Khoemacau).
On November 21, 2023, Khoemacau announced that the shareholders of its parent company [Cuprous Capital] had agreed to sell 100% of their interests to MMG Limited.
MMG is a global resources company that mines, explores, and develops copper and other base metals projects on four continents. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has a significant shareholder, China Minmetals Corporation, which is China’s largest metals and minerals group owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On December 22, 2023, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd received the approval from the Minister of Minerals and Energy of Botswana regarding the transfer of a controlling interest in the Project Licenses and Prospecting Licenses associated with the Khoemacau Copper Mine, a result of the Acquisition.
The Botswana Competition & Consumer Authority (CCA) on January 29, 2024, notified the market that it had given its approval for the takeover of Khoemacau Copper Mining by MMG Limited.
On January 29, 2024, the CCA issued a merger decision to the market, stating that after conducting all necessary assessments, it was ready to proceed.
The Competition Authority affirmed that the structure of the relevant market would not significantly change upon implementation of the proposed merger as the proposed transaction is not likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition, nor endanger the continuity of service in the market of mining of copper and silver ores and the production, and sale or supply of copper concentrate in Botswana.
Furthermore, the CCA stated that the proposed merger would not have any negative impact on public interest matters in Botswana as per the provisions of section 52(2) of the Competition Act 2018.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minerals & Energy, Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, informed parliament that his Ministry was endorsing the Khoemacau acquisition by MMG Limited. He noted that not only was the company acquiring the existing operation but also committing to an expansion program that would cost over $700 million to double production, create more jobs for Batswana, and increase taxes and royalties paid to the Government.