Sibanye-Stillwater enters Section 189 consultations regarding the proposed restructuring of its SA region

Johannesburg, 11 April 2024: Sibanye-Stillwater (JSE: SSW and NYSE: SBSW - https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/sibanye-stillwater-ltd/) advises stakeholders that it will enter into consultations in terms of Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 (S189) with organised labour and other representatives of affected non-unionised employees, regarding the proposed restructuring at its SA gold operations and its Southern Africa (SA) region services functions. 

Further to previous restructuring concluded during 2023 and Q1 2024, the ongoing Group business review has identified a need to address losses at the Beatrix 1 shaft, which has been unable to deliver planned production, and the Kloof 2 plant which, after the closure of the Kloof 4 shaft during 2023, has had insufficient processing material available to cover overheads. The deferral of capital expenditure at the Burnstone project, announced in February 2024, also requires restructuring aligned with the reduction in planned capital activities.

The reduction in the operational footprint in the SA region, due to the recent restructuring and closure of loss-making shafts and from proposed future restructuring or closures, has resulted in the capacity of the direct and shared services functions for the SA region and operations being surplus to current and future requirements. As a result, the Company proposes a re-alignment of the regional services, shared services and direct services structures to align with the requirements of the reduced operational footprint. This will reduce direct operational services costs and regional overhead costs which are allocated to the operations, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the SA region.

The proposed restructuring of the operations and services could potentially affect 3,107 employees and 915 contractors.

Management therefore considers it prudent to commence with the S189 consultations process on the potential restructuring of the identified operations and services and has invited affected employees and/or their representatives to engage in consultations as required by Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act. The objective of the consultation process is to, among others, consider alternative measures to minimise job losses while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the SA operations. Various alternatives have already been considered by management and organised labour representatives in Future Forum meetings. All reasonable options that may be suggested by affected employees through their representatives to address the losses during the Section 189A consultation process will be welcomed and duly considered.

“We continue to act prudently to protect the balance sheet and ensure the sustainability of the Group. We are committed to constructively engaging with affected employees and through their representatives to minimise job losses,” said Neal Froneman, Chief Executive Officer of Sibanye-Stillwater. 

Please refer to https://soundcloud.com/user-155552468/section-189-announcement-apr24 for a media sound clip by the spokesperson, James Wellsted.

Ends.

About Sibanye-Stillwater
Sibanye-Stillwater is a multinational mining and metals processing group with a diverse portfolio of operations, projects and investments across five continents. The Group is also one of the foremost global recyclers of PGM autocatalysts and has interests in leading mine tailings retreatment operations.

Sibanye-Stillwater is one of the world’s largest primary producers of platinum, palladium, and rhodium and is a top tier gold producer. It also produces and refines iridium and ruthenium, nickel, chrome, copper and cobalt. The Group has recently begun to diversify its asset portfolio into battery metals mining and processing and increase its presence in the circular economy by growing its recycling and tailings reprocessing exposure globally. For more information refer to www.sibanyestillwater.com.

Investor relations contact:

Email: [email protected] 

James Wellsted

Executive Vice President: Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs

Tel: +27 (0) 83 453 4014

Website: www.sibanyestillwater.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sibanye-stillwater

Sponsor: J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa Proprietary Limited

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

[email protected]  

www.resource-capital.ch 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information in this document may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbour” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to Sibanye Stillwater Limited’s (Sibanye-Stillwater or the Group) financial condition, results of operations, business strategies, operating efficiencies, competitive position, growth opportunities for existing services, plans and objectives of management for future operations, markets for stock and other matters. These forward-looking statements, including, among others, those relating to Sibanye-Stillwater’s future business prospects, revenues and income, climate change-related targets and metrics, the potential benefits of past and future acquisitions (including statements regarding growth, cost savings, benefits from and access to international financing and financial re-ratings), gold, PGM, nickel and lithium pricing expectations, levels of output, supply and demand, information relating to Sibanye-Stillwater’s new or ongoing development projects, any proposed, anticipated or planned expansions into the battery metals or adjacent sectors and estimations or expectations of enterprise value, adjusted EBITDA and net asset, are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the senior management and directors of Sibanye-Stillwater and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. As a consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in this document.

All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also often use words such as “will”, “would”, “expect”, “forecast”, “goal”, “vision”, “potential”, “may”, “could”, “believe”, “aim”, “anticipate”, “target”, “estimate” and words of similar meaning. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and should be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in this disclaimer. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements.

The important factors that could cause Sibanye-Stillwater’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Sibanye-Stillwater’s future financial position, plans, strategies, objectives, capital expenditures, projected costs and anticipated cost savings, financing plans, debt position and ability to reduce debt leverage; economic, business, political and social conditions in South Africa, Zimbabwe, the United States, Europe and elsewhere; plans and objectives of management for future operations; Sibanye-Stillwater’s ability to obtain the benefits of any streaming arrangements or pipeline financing; the ability of Sibanye-Stillwater to comply with loan and other covenants and restrictions and difficulties in obtaining additional financing or refinancing; Sibanye-Stillwater’s ability to service its bond instruments; changes in assumptions underlying Sibanye-Stillwater’s estimation of its Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves; any failure of a tailings storage facility; the ability to achieve anticipated efficiencies and other cost savings in connection with, and the ability to successfully integrate, past, ongoing and future acquisitions, as well as at existing operations; the ability of Sibanye-Stillwater to complete any ongoing or future acquisitions; the success of Sibanye-Stillwater’s business strategy and exploration and development activities, including any proposed, anticipated or planned expansions into the battery metals or adjacent sectors and estimations or expectations of enterprise value (including the Rhyolite Ridge project); the ability of Sibanye-Stillwater to comply with requirements that it operate in ways that provide progressive benefits to affected communities; changes in the market price of gold, PGMs, battery metals (e.g., nickel, lithium, copper and zinc) and the cost of power, petroleum fuels, and oil, among other commodities and supply requirements; the occurrence of hazards associated with underground and surface mining; any further downgrade of South Africa’s credit rating; the impact of South Africa's grey listing; a challenge regarding the title to any of Sibanye-Stillwater’s properties by claimants to land under restitution and other legislation; Sibanye-Stillwater’s ability to implement its strategy and any changes thereto; the outcome of legal challenges to the Group’s mining or other land use rights; the occurrence of labour disputes, disruptions and industrial actions; the availability, terms and deployment of capital or credit; changes in the imposition of industry standards, regulatory costs and relevant government regulations, particularly environmental, sustainability, tax, health and safety regulations and new legislation affecting water, mining, mineral rights and business ownership, including any interpretation thereof which may be subject to dispute; increasing regulation of environmental and sustainability matters such as greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; being subject to, and the outcome and consequence of, any potential or pending litigation or regulatory proceedings, including in relation to any environmental, health or safety issues; the ability of Sibanye-Stillwater to meet its decarbonisation targets, including by diversifying its energy mix with renewable energy projects; failure to meet ethical standards, including actual or alleged instances of fraud, bribery or corruption; the effect of climate change or other extreme weather events on Sibanye-Stillwater’s business; the concentration of all final refining activity and a large portion of Sibanye-Stillwater’s PGM sales from mine production in the United States with one entity; the identification of a material weakness in disclosure and internal controls over financial reporting; the effect of US tax reform legislation on Sibanye-Stillwater and its subsidiaries; the effect of South African Exchange Control Regulations on Sibanye-Stillwater’s financial flexibility; operating in new geographies and regulatory environments where Sibanye-Stillwater has no previous experience; power disruptions, constraints and cost increases; supply chain disruptions and shortages and increases in the price of production inputs; the regional concentration of Sibanye-Stillwater’s operations; fluctuations in exchange rates, currency devaluations, inflation and other macro-economic monetary policies; the occurrence of temporary stoppages or precautionary suspension of operations at its mines for safety or environmental incidents (including natural disasters) and unplanned maintenance; Sibanye-Stillwater’s ability to hire and retain senior management and employees with sufficient technical and/or production skills across its global operations necessary to meet its labour recruitment and retention goals, as well as its ability to achieve sufficient representation of historically disadvantaged South Africans in its management positions; failure of Sibanye-Stillwater’s information technology, communications and systems; the adequacy of Sibanye-Stillwater’s insurance coverage; social unrest, sickness or natural or man-made disaster at informal settlements in the vicinity of some of Sibanye-Stillwater’s South African-based operations; and the impact of HIV, tuberculosis and the spread of other contagious diseases, including global pandemics.

Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Sibanye-Stillwater are described in Sibanye-Stillwater’s filings with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 2022 Integrated Report and the Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2022 on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on 24 April 2023 (SEC File no. 333-234096).

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the content. Sibanye-Stillwater expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement (except to the extent legally required). These forward-looking statements have not been reviewed or reported on by the Group’s external auditors.

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