The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) is poised to take a stake in Liquid Telecom if Africa\u2019s biggest fibre company goes ahead with a planned initial public offering, according to people familiar with the situation.<\/p>\n
The PIC, which manages the pension funds of South African government workers, agreed to set aside funds to guarantee a $375 million loan to Liquid parent Econet Global Ltd. from Deutsche Bank AG, the three people said.<\/p>\n
The money manager would then buy stock in Liquid when it lists, at a discount to the offer price, and that money will be used to repay Deutsche, they said, asking not to be identified as the information isn\u2019t public.<\/p>\n
If the listing doesn\u2019t go ahead, the PIC will not be required to spend any money, they said. It also won\u2019t necessarily invest all of the $375 million as the size of the share sale is yet to be decided, one of the people said. The Pretoria-based company oversees the equivalent of $135 billion.<\/p>\n
While the deal was set in motion early last year, Liquid\u2019s share sale was deferred due to unfavourable market conditions. Econet instead sold almost 10% of the company to development Finance Institution CDC Group Plc for $180 million as it proceeded with an expansion. An IPO is still part of the company\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n
Deutsche declined to comment. When asked about the deal, Deon Botha, head of corporate affairs at the PIC, said it was \u201cparty to a transaction\u201d that went through \u201cnormal governance and investment processes.\u201d He said terms and details of the transaction are confidential.<\/p>\n
Liquid, which is based in Johannesburg, has about 70,000 kilometres (43,500 miles) of network running from Cape Town to Cairo, making it the largest fibre company in Africa. Econet was founded by Zimbabwe\u2019s Strive Masiyiwa.<\/p>\n