Tribunal approves Exxaro’s acquisition of Ntsimbintle interests, subject to conditions

The Competition Tribunal has approved a major manganese-sector merger that will see ManganExx, a newly created subsidiary of Exxaro Resources, acquire significant mining and marketing interests from Ntsimbintle Holdings and its partners.

Earlier this year, Exxaro diversified its portfolio, sinking up to R14 billion into the acquisition of manganese assets in the Northern Cape.

The approval is subject to information-exchange conditions designed to safeguard competition in the market.

Under the transaction, ManganExx will acquire:
• Ntsimbintle Mining from Ntsimbintle Holdings and OMH (Mauritius) Corp;
• Ntsimbintle Marketing and Trading, the Singapore-based global marketing arm, from Ntsimbintle Holdings; and
• A shareholding in Mokala Manganese from Ntsimbintle Holdings.

Once implemented, the transaction will place all target firms under the control of ManganExx, strengthening Exxaro’s footprint in the manganese sector.

Exxaro, listed on the JSE, is best known as one of South Africa’s largest coal producers but has in recent years diversified into iron ore, zinc and renewable energy.

Ntsimbintle Mining holds a controlling stake in Tshipi e Ntle Manganese Mining, which operates the Tshipi Borwa open-cast mine, one of the country’s leading manganese ore producers and exporters.

Ntsimbintle Marketing, headquartered in Singapore, is responsible for marketing Ntsimbintle Holdings’ share of Tshipi’s output to global customers. Its South African arm, Ntsimbintle Ukuhweba, sources manganese ore for local and export markets.

Mokala Manganese, the other firm included in the merger, operates the Mokala Mine in the Northern Cape, focusing on the exploration, extraction, sale and shipping of manganese ore.

The Tribunal said the merger was unlikely to substantially lessen competition but imposed conditions to prevent anti-competitive information sharing between the merged entity and industry rivals.

Industry observers note that the deal gives Exxaro a more prominent position in manganese at a time when global demand for the mineral, critical for steelmaking and energy technologies, is on the rise.

BUSINESS REPORT