Wealth

South African billionaire cashes in R2.5 billion payday

Staff Writer

 ·24 Dec 2025

South African billionaire and media magnate Koos Bekker has sold almost R2.5 billion worth of Naspers and Prosus shares over the past week or so.

Bekker sold the shares between 17 and 19 December in several transactions totalling R2.47 billion.

This was done “to fund building operations at hospitality venues located in Italy, South Africa and the UK in which the family trust has an interest,” the companies noted.

Bekker has built and launched numerous luxury estates worldwide, including in Franschhoek, Amsterdam, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

The billionaire has been selling shares in Prosus and Naspers to fund these investments since 2023.

He is currently ranked as the third richest man in South Africa, according to Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion (R63 billion).

In recent years, a family trust linked to Koos Bekker has sold over R6 billion of shares in Prosus, which he used for investing in his luxury estates.

In March 2023, Bekker’s family trust sold 2.5 million Prosus shares, worth R3.4 billion at the time, to finance building operations at hotels in various countries in which he holds an interest.

This was followed by his family trust selling an additional R2.9 billion worth of shares in Prosus in December 2024.

This money was intended to fund building operations at his hotels in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

Now, Bekker has sold another tranche of shares to fund his continued investment in this sector.

Between 17 and 19 December 2025, Bekker’s family trust sold 1.5 million Prosus ordinary shares worth approximately R1.6 billion.

Meanwhile, over the same period, Bekker sold 790,000 Naspers ordinary N shares valued at around R860 million.

However, while the sale is significant, the family trust continues to retain 90% of its holding in Prosus and Naspers shares that it had before the disposal.

Bekker still holds about R18 billion worth of Naspers and Prosus shares.

Prosus share sale

Naspers share sale

Naspers buyback

The sale also leans into Naspers and Prosus’ share buyback programmes, where the groups have been buying back shares since 2022.

On 27 June 2022, they launched an open-ended, repurchase programme in respect of the ordinary N shares of Prosus and Napers from free-float shareholders.

With Bekker’s latest sale, the group issued a voluntary update on the programme.

For the period between 15 December 2025 and 19 December 2025, the group purchased 1,137,117 Naspers Shares at an average price of R1,094 per share valued at a total of R1.24 billion.

Prosus, meanwhile, recorded a buyback of 2,690,162 Prosus Shares at an average price of €52.56 per share for a total consideration of €141.4 million (R2.78 billion).

Naspers also reminded shareholders to claim any unpaid or unclaimed dividends they may be entitled to.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing shareholder communication and engagement, we are participating in the market-wide ‘Claim It’ campaign, which aims to assist shareholders in recovering outstanding dividend payments,” it said.

Shareholders who believe they have unpaid dividends to claim can start the process of getting them from the JSE’s Claim It page.