Phumelela in talks to raise R300m to avert collapse amid horse-racing ban

Phumelela Gaming and Leisure is in talks to raise R300m to stave off collapse as SA’s measures to contain the coronavirus curtail horse racing and other sporting events, according to people familiar with the matter.

Talks with a capital provider and banks are under way to salvage at least part of the business, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the details of the terms are private.

The Johannesburg-based company has been unable to stage events since the government banned large gatherings in mid-March.

If Phumelela cannot raise the money, the board will have to decide “whether there is any reasonable prospect that the group’s business can be rescued, or whether to make application for voluntary liquidation”, the group said on Monday.

Efforts to reach the company for comment on the R300m target went unanswered.

Phumelela is not alone in facing the prospect of liquidation due to the coronavirus crisis. Edcon Holdings last week filed for administration after SA’s second-largest clothing retailer lost R2bn in sales and failed to pay suppliers due to a five-week strict lockdown.

Companies with high debt levels are taking the most strain.

Phumelela’s net debt-to-equity ratio, including lease assets, is at 38%, it said.

Phumelela, which used to count former Steinhoff International Holdings CEO Markus Jooste as a director and among its largest shareholders, had already started cutting jobs amid a horse-racing industry slump.

The stock has tumbled 60.9% since the start of 2019, leaving the company with a market value of less than R71.8m. It traded 4.11% lower to close at 70c on Tuesday.