Press releases

Thungela creates value for stakeholders with a record set of interim results.

Highlights

• Completed the first half of the year without a loss of life and remains committed to operating a fatality-free business
• A record half-year profit of R9.6bn (30 June 2021: R351 million)
• Adjusted operating free cash flow of R8.9 billion resulting in a robust net cash position of R14.8 billion
• Headline earning per share of R67,23
• Interim ordinary cash dividend of R60 per share declared, returning R8.2bn to shareholders, in excess of the minimum 30% payout ratio*
• SACO Employee and Nkulo Community Partnership Trusts to receive a distribution of R0.5 billion in keeping with commitment to create shared value
• Elders production replacement project approved, enabling us to maximise the value of our existing assets and support livelihoods in the region
• Full year guidance for export saleable production revised to 13.0Mt to 13.6Mt, reflecting the ongoing poor rail performance by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR)

Thungela Resources Limited (“Thungela” or the “Company”) released its half year results for the period ended 30 June 2022. An interim cash dividend of R60 per share was declared resulting in a total of R8.2 billion returned to shareholders, emphasising the company’s ability to deliver attractive returns during periods of strong coal prices.

Against the backdrop of firm demand for affordable and secure energy sources in a volatile operating environment, Thungela achieved adjusted EBITDA of R16.7bn while profit was R9.6bn (H1 2021: R351 million) with headline earning per share at R67,23. Elevated coal prices combined with a strong operational focus resulted in a net cash position of R14.8bn at the end of the period.

July Ndlovu, CEO of Thungela commented: Delivering attractive shareholder returns while maintaining disciplined capital allocation remains a cornerstone of Thungela’s strategy. Our robust cash flow generation and substantial net cash position allow us to declare an interim ordinary dividend of R60 per share. This represents a payout of approximately 92% of adjusted operating free cash flow, once again substantially higher than the minimum payout ratio of 30% as per our stated dividend policy. These results were achieved safely with no loss of life recorded.

The Employee and Nkulo Community Partnership Trusts will receive a distribution of R0.5 billion. These distributions cement our people as our partners and will create a lasting legacy for our communities.”

Demand for affordable energy sources

During the period under review, benchmark coal prices were high due to the energy crisis in Europe and the supply constraints in major coal producing regions. This drove prices to record levels amidst volatility.

Thungela’s ability to take full advantage of the strong price environment in H1 2022 was hindered by TFR’s continued underperformance.

Despite the impact of rail performance on export sales, Thungela achieved record cash generation of R8.9bn adjusted operating free cash flow, up from R1.9bn in the first half of 2021.

“A consistently well-run logistics corridor between Mpumalanga and Richards Bay is crucial not only for coal exporters such as Thungela, but also for the South African economy which generates billions of Rands in foreign currency earnings, tax and royalty revenues through coal exports. We remain committed to working with TFR, government and the industry, but we are also evaluating alternative logitistics so as to migitate the impact of TFR on our operations.”

Delivering on strategy and operating responsibly 

Aligned to Thungela’s strategic pillar to maximise value from existing assets, the Elders project has been approved by the board. The project aims to replace volumes from Goedehoop as the mine comes to the end of its life. In line with the commitment to make environmental social and governance (ESG) considerations a key driver of our capital allocation strategy the social impacts of the project were carefully considered. Elders will support regional livelihoods and benefit from a solar-powered energy solution. The forecast capital spend is R2bn in 2022 money terms.

In addition to the R188 million contribution made to the Green Fund in the first half of 2022, Thungela is committing a further discretionary amount of R200 million to increase the quantum of cash set aside for future environmental obligations.

Driving our ESG aspirations requires an on-going focus on reducing carbon emissions. Thungela has started the journey towards setting intermediate carbon reduction goals to help us chart our path to net-zero by 2050.

Further cementing our commitment to building sustainable livelihoods in the communities where we operate, Thungela launched an enterprise and supplier development programme called Thuthukani focused on providing hands-on entrepreneurial business support, loan funding and technical development to small enterprises in Mpumalanga.

Outlook

Energy security, reliability and affordability concerns in Europe have highlighted the importance of coal in the energy transition. Coal is set to remain a critical input for affordable and reliable power generation, not only in the developing world but also in highly industrialised and developed nations which have recently increased their reliance on coal to meet their energy needs. We are monitoring these trends and their implications for Thungela’s strategy in the short to medium-term, with particular attention given to exploring opportunities for geographic diversification.

Considering the continued uncertainty about TFR’s performance for the remainder of the year and the view that the level of rail performance has not improved sufficiently, the company revised its guidance for export saleable production to a range of 13.0Mt to 13.6Mt for 2022. Previous guidance was between 14Mt to 15Mt.

Capital expenditure will be between R1.7 billion and R2 billion, with the bulk of the spend taking place in the second half of the year in line with historical seasonality.

“Operating a fatality-free business and ensuring exceptional shareholder returns are crucial to earning the trust and support of our stakeholders. We remain committed to delivering on our purpose of responsibly creating value together for a shared future.”
*Thungela’s dividend policy is to target a dividend pay-out of a minimum of 30% of adjusted operating free cash flow.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Media
Tarryn Genis
tarryn.genis@thungela.com
+27 82 324 4650 Investor Relations
Ryan Africa
ryan.africa@thungela.com
+27 11 638 0237

Thungela announces that it has signed a three-year wage agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers (“NUM”) which is the recognised labour union across Thungela’s operations, and which represents 86% of unionised employees.

This agreement enables the implementation of a new wage agreement across Thungela’s operations, other than Mafube which runs an independent wage negotiation process. The agreement is effective from 1 June 2022 and covers a period of three-years through to the end of May 2025.

The wage agreement increases salary and salary-related allowances and is expected to increase the total labour cost-to-company, on average by approximately 6% per annum over the three-year period.

Under the agreement, Thungela and the NUM also commit to engaging the board of trustees of the SACO Employee Partnership Plan Trust (“EPP”) to review and amend the trust deed to enable the payment of awards made to the EPP in the same financial year in which they are declared, as opposed to vesting over a period of three years.

July Ndlovu, CEO of Thungela, commented: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with our employees and I thank the NUM for their collaboration and constructive engagement during the wage negotiation process. The agreement recognises the important role that our employees have in responsibly creating value together for a shared future.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Tarryn Genis
tarryn.genis@thungela.com
082 324 4650

Thungela has built a multi-purpose community centre which is now open to the community of Clewer. This social and labour plan project will provide a safe space for the community to host activities such as townhall gatherings, events, arts, and culture.

The project was born through a partnership with the Emalahleni Local Municipality to identify infrastructure development projects that address socio-economic challenges faced by the Clewer community. The hall will provide a safe space for various community activities such as community gatherings, events, arts, engagement sessions etc.

“At Thungela we are passionate about initiatives that enhance and improve the lives of communities where we operate. We believe that the addition of community hall in Clewer and our commitment to build a health post in 2023, are a positive step in achieving our vision for shared value” says executive head of corporate affairs for Thungela, Mpumi Sithole.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Tarryn Genis
tarryn.genis@thungela.com
082 324 4650

Thungela’s Sisonke Employee Empowerment Scheme (“Sisonke” or the “Scheme”) will pay its first allocation of R387 million to employees in December this year. This first disbursement is based on the dividends declared for the 2021 full year results as well as the 2022 half year results. More than 3500 employees are set to benefit.

Formerly termed the Employee Partnership Plan (EPP), Sisonke will now be referred to as the Employee Empowerment Scheme. Sisonke, is an isiZulu word meaning ‘we are together’. The name was decided through a staff competition and is reflective of the company’s purpose.

“This is a milestone for the business and indeed all eligible Thungela employees. It is testament to Thungela’s vision to responsibly create value together for a shared future,” says Paulos Soviya, chairman of Sisonke’s board of trustees.

“The intention of Sisonke is to ensure that one of the most important stakeholders, Thungela employees meaningfully benefit from the growth and profits of the business. We are proud and humbled that this is a reality. Thungela employees and their families will benefit from the commitment and hard work that has contributed to our success and we thank them for their contribution,” said executive head of human resources, Lesego Mataboge.

“The successful launch of Sisonke Employee Empowerment Scheme is because of fruitful engagement between the employer, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the board of trustees. We are confident that Sisonke will create real benefits for employees,” said employee representative Bongani Mahungela.

The Scheme has been set up as a trust, which is a legal entity. The trust owns 5% of Thungela’s South African Coal Operations Pty (SACO) and is entitled to receive 5% of the dividends that may be paid out by SACO. The board of trustees includes 50% employee and 50% employer representation. The benefits of the trust are shared, equally among all eligible employees on the beneficiary register after taxes and other expenses have been paid to administer the trust.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Wayne Mokhethi
wayne.mokhethi@thungela.com
073 894 7689

Tarryn Genis
tarryn.genis@thungela.com
082 324 4650