Brait SE plans to list its Virgin Active fitness chain in the second half of 2026, as the South African investment holding company backed by billionaire Christo Wiese continues to wind down its portfolio.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A listing is \u201cmost likely\u201d to be in the UK, with a secondary offer in Johannesburg, Brait Chief Executive Officer Peter Hayward-Butt said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brait first announced its plan to sell Virgin Active and other assets in\u00a0late 2019\u00a0as part of an overhaul to reduce debt and pay out investors. It listed part of its stake in Premier Group Ltd. last\u00a0year\u00a0and still plans to sell the UK apparel chain New Look.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The disposal of Virgin Active, which accounts for 61% of the investment company\u2019s assets, was delayed because of the pandemic when the firm was forced to close many gyms for lengthy periods due to coronavirus lockdowns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Debt at the unit fell to \u00a3398 million ($507 million) during the six months through September, from \u00a3427 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brait also finalised a recapitalisation plan in the period. Shares of the San \u0120wann, Malta-based company, climbed 5.5% at 4:14 p.m. in Johannesburg. That brings this year\u2019s gain to 45%, heading for its first annual increase in three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBroadly, the market has been happy with the recapitalisation, which is great because you\u2019re never certain how it\u2019s going pan out,\u201d Hayward-Butt said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think people are starting to look at the value of the underlying assets now as opposed to can Brait survive, which was the case before the recapitalisation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Brait\u2019s remaining stake of about 34% in Premier could be sold relatively quickly, it has it has no intention of selling it through \u201ca big book build or something where you need to take a discount,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Premier\u2019s stock has climbed 83% in Johannesburg this year, making it the third-best performer on the FTSE\/JSE Africa All Share Index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hayward-Butt said Brait sold some Premier stock in early October and would consider doing that again if approached bilaterally.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are happy to provide some liquidity at market price,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n