Annual Results for year ended 31 December 2009

Africa Opportunity Fund Limited (AOF.L) Announcement of Annual Results for the year ended 31 December 2009 The Board of AOF is pleased to announce its audited results for the year ended 31 December 2009. The Company Africa Opportunity Fund Limited ("AOF" or the "Company") is a Cayman Islands incorporated closed-end investment company traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Its net asset value on December 31, 2009 was US$31.4 million and its market capitalization was US$24.3 million. Chairman's Statement 2009 Review 2009 was a good year for both world markets and the Africa Opportunity Fund Ltd ("the Fund" or "AOF"). AOF's audited net asset value rose from $0.52 per share in January to $0.74 per share on 31 December 2009. Including dividends, the total NAV return was a gain of 48%. The shares of AOF had an even better year, appreciating 109% and dramatizing the impact of a narrowing NAV discount upon returns. It is gratifying to report a significant recovery in the NAV and share price of AOF. To provide some basis for comparison, in African markets, South Africa rose 64%, Nigeria fell 38%, Kenya fell 3%, and Egypt rose 35%. In non-African emerging markets, China rose 80%, Brazil rose 145%, Russia rose 117%, and India rose 89%. In developed markets, Japan rose 16%, the US rose 23%, and the UK rose 22%.1 A key reward in 2009 was the return provided by AOF's fixed income investments. At the end of the year 63% of the portfolio was in cash and bonds, which had contributed approximately 38 of the 48 percentage points of the NAV return. Our Marine Subsea holding, for example, appreciated over 120% from its year end valuation of 22% of par while paying a 6% coupon. Our Katanga Resources notes appreciated 83% from 50% of par while paying a 14% coupon. Two investments acquired during the year also turned in pleasing results. Our Old Mutual preferred securities provided a blended return of 100% while also paying a healthy coupon, and our PA Resources 2nd lien notes appreciated 41% from our initial purchase price while paying a 10% coupon. In short, AOF enjoyed significant benefits from holding different asset classes and investing in fixed income securities. The equity portfolio added approximately 11 of the 48 percentage points of the NAV return. Admittedly, this was a muted performance compared to many world markets. But the companies in which AOF is invested made significant operational progress during the year, and hold attractive return prospects as we invest the cash generated by the bond portfolio. A key lesson from 2009, in this regard, is that Africa has long been a capital starved region of the world, and its leading companies have franchises that are typically not dependent upon regular access to financial markets. Sonatel, our largest holding, grew subscribers by 27% in 2009 while maintaining an ebitda margin of nearly 58%. It is valued at 8X earnings and pays a 10% dividend yield. Similarly, African Bank Investments, a lender to the emerging middle class in South Africa, experienced no significant difficulty financing its business. Despite a slowdown in consumer activity, it grew earnings 19% while earning a 6% return on assets and a 15% return on equity. These examples serve to dramatize the point that for several companies in Africa, the gyrations of world financial markets have only a distant impact on its underlying operating business. Outlook Investors throughout the world were reminded in 2008 that investing involves risk. Use of the term "new normal" is growing commonplace in the financial press to describe the recognition of this fact. But the sentiment is hardly new. In the 1973 edition of the Intelligent Investor, Ben Graham made virtually the same point while commenting upon the impact that the market's 1969-70 decline had upon the notion that stocks would always advance to new high levels. He writes "At long last the stock market has 'returned to normal', in the sense that.investors must again be prepared to experience significant and perhaps protracted falls as well as rises in the value of their holdings".2 Although nothing is new about the "new normal", a number of concerns today will give pause to careful investors. Key amongst them in our view are imbalances in the world's debt position and trade patterns. Africa is accustomed to fiscal imbalances and currency depreciations, but the world as a whole is not. For our purposes, we remain focused on identifying goods and services which consumers demand regardless of political conditions. During the post WWII era there were many imbalances in European economies, but some of the highest growth rates in the 20th century were also recorded. Similarly, Africa today shines as a growing continent. An educated middle class is emerging in numerous countries which experienced decades of infrastructure stagnation and underinvestment. African markets offer value that is difficult to find on other continents. Single digit PE multiples and double digit ROEs are common. So too are double digit dividend yields. To investors in Africa, fiscal imbalances and currency depreciations are part of the standard equation. Care and caution are certainly required, but businesses can still flourish in the midst of such imbalances. We make no forecast about the general direction of markets, and never will. But we are both excited about the attractive opportunities available to us today and optimistic about AOF's prospects. In closing we would like to thank our shareholders again for their support and partnership during 2009. We look forward to a successful 2010. Robert C. Knapp Chairman June 2010 1 Reference Indexes are calculated in US dollars using : Nigeria NSE Index, South Africa Allshare, Nairobi NSE Index, Egypt Hermes Index, Russia MICEX Index, Brazil IBOV Index, the Shanghai composite index, the India SENSEX Index, the S&P 500, the FTSE 100, and the Nikkei 225. 2 Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor, Revised Edition w/ commentary by Jason Zweig, (New York: Collins Business, 2006), p. 5. Manager's Report The Fund's perennial quest for undervalued securities took it deep into the terrain of the debt markets in 2009. Its end-of-year holdings gave it financial exposure to Angola, Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It had $16.2 million invested in debt securities, $14.6 million in equity securities, $3.3 million in cash; and derivative and short sale liabilities equal to $2.8 million. By the end of the year, the Company's debt portfolio was valued at a 25% discount to its par value, had a current yield of 11%, and a yield to maturity of 14%. Its equity portfolio traded on a dividend yield of 7% and the overall portfolio's free cash yield was 8%. 2009 was a year of two themes for the Fund. The first theme, absorbing considerable time during the first half of the year, was the Fund's tender offer to its exiting shareholders. We did not commence making significant new investments for the continuing pool of the Fund until the middle of May, as the first theme reached its end. The second theme, animating the second half of 2009, was one of reconstruction. The second theme propelled the Fund in the second half of last year. It was, and remains, to recover the losses endured by the Fund in 2008 while improving the financial quality of the investments of the Fund. That theme implied that the Fund's portfolio of new investments had to combine minimal risk of loss with a material prospect of an internal rate of return exceeding 20%. 2009 ended with the Fund obtaining a total return of 48%. Two of the Fund's positions were sold to corporate acquirers during 2009. Addax Petroleum was acquired by China's Sinopec for CAD $52.8 per share in August, after having closed 2008 at less than $20. AOF sold its Addax convertible bond position into the market and tendered its shares to Sinopec, earning an overall return of nearly 100% on its investment. In addition, AOF sold its holding in Moto Goldmines to Randgold Resources and Anglogold Ashanti in September for a gain of 200%. Moto is an emerging gold mining company with its principal asset in the Congo. Randgold's acquisition took place after an initial bid from Red Back Mining. AOF was delighted to see a competitive bidding situation emerge so soon after the collapse of markets in 2008. The Fund's most lucrative investments of 2009 were made in the arena of fixed income securities. In increasing the Fund's exposure in that arena, we sought equity-like returns. In essence, excluding money market investments, in a world in which even US government debt at the prices prevailing in the last 12 months has been characterized as "return free risk", we think of a bond, whether corporate or government, as an independent business unit. 3 Bonds have the additional advantage, over equity securities, of having superior asset coverage because they have a claim on an issuer's assets that ranks ahead of equity. A bond purchased at a discount to par is often cheaper than the underlying equity of that issuer because that discounted bond has that issuer's classes of equity securities serving as a cushion. Consequently, bonds trading below par tend to appeal to us as an avenue to acquire assets at a discount. A good example is our investment in Old Mutual subordinated bonds. Old Mutual is the holding company of the largest private financial services institution in South Africa. Its subsidiaries also provide financial services in Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. It is a member of the FTSE 100 and is also listed on the Johannesburg, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe stock exchanges. It is "investment grade" with a Moody's rating of Baa3, a Fitch rating of BBB-, and an AM Best rating of BBB+. Most of its operating profits since 2007 have been earned in Africa. In May 2009, AOF began purchasing the € 5% perpetual callable securities ("Euro perpetuals") and £ 6.376% perpetual callable securities ("Pound perpetuals" and, together with the Euro perpetuals referred to as the "Perpetuals") issued by Old Mutual PLC ("Old Mutual"), each at a price of 31. By the end of July, we had invested €810,210 and £712,830 in those two instruments. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, both securities are subordinated unsecured notes of indefinite duration. They rank ahead of only preference and ordinary shares. Coupon payments are not cumulative. Old Mutual may elect to defer a coupon payment; but, it may not declare dividends on its preference and ordinary shares so long as it is not making coupon payments on the Perpetuals. In sum, the Perpetuals are the economic equivalent of equity, hence their status as Tier 2 upper capital for Old Mutual. In the case of the Fund's holdings, at its average purchase prices, the running yields for the Euro perpetuals and the Pound perpetuals were, respectively, 14% and 16%. Those running yields exceed substantially Old Mutual's 2009 average on equity of -1.46%, its 2008 average return on equity of 4.6% and the returns on equity of many European insurance companies. The Fund's decision in purchasing the Perpetuals to generate double digit running yields was the logical equivalent of a decision to invest in an insurance business earning double digit after tax returns on equity, a rare opportunity in an industry which generated single digit returns on equity in 2008 and 2009. Why were the Perpetuals trading at such steep discounts to par? Because the credit crunch and market crisis of 2008 hit fixed income securities much more severely than equities. To be sure, that was a temporary irrational pricing discrepancy. Old Mutual's ordinary shares have appreciated 122% to March 30, 2010, without the benefit of a dividend, since the Fund's initial purchase of the Perpetuals. Simultaneously, the Euro perpetuals have appreciated 156% and the Pound perpetuals have appreciated 149%. Yet, the Fund's initial purchase price of 31% of par implied that there was a 100% probability of default by Old Mutual with the holders of Perpetuals recovering only 1/3rd of par. In that eventuality, Old Mutual's ordinary shares should have been worthless, instead of commanding a value of £3.73 billion. Yet, even stringent modifications to Old Mutual's embedded value calculations to provide some sense of its liquidation value confirmed that the Perpetuals were worth par. Thus, an investment in the Perpetuals was much safer than Old Mutual's ordinary shares. An additional benefit of the Perpetuals was that, unlike Old Mutual's ordinary shares, they were not subject to dilution risk. The market was afraid that Old Mutual would have to issue shares to strengthen its balance sheet. In our view, that dilution risk vitiated any possible margin of safety in holding Old Mutual equity in an uncertain period. In sum, the Perpetuals were valued at 1/3rd of their liquidation value, constituted a bargain compared to the ordinary shares, provided a higher double digit return on invested capital than the ordinary shares, retained some of the upside of those ordinary shares, without a credible threat of earnings dilution, yet distributed all their earnings in cold hard cash. The approach of valuing a bond as an independent business unit also explains the allure of the PA Resources bonds. We use the 10% 2nd lien 6/20/11 bonds as an illustration. PA Resources AB ("PA") is a Swedish oil exploration and production company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange that is one of the largest oil producers in Tunisia. Despite its Swedish address, 100% of PA's 78.9 million barrels of proved and probable reserves are located in Tunisia and the Republic of Congo. It has a 100% interest in the Didon oil field in Tunisia, a 35% working interest in the Azurite oil field operated by Murphy Oil Corporation, a 6% working interest in the Aseng field of Equatorial Guinea operated by Noble Energy Inc., and exploration licenses in the United Kingdom, the North Sea area. Based on the 2009 BP Energy Report, PA's daily production from the Didon field accounted for 12% of Tunisia's 2008 daily production. PA's 2nd lien bonds rank behind the bonds issued by a subsidiary of PA called Didon Tunisia Pty Ltd (we also own some of the Didon Tunisia bonds). However, we considered them to be structurally superior to the Didon Tunisia bonds because they mature in 2011 whereas the Didon Tunisia bonds mature in 2012. At the 70% of par we paid for our initial purchase of the 2nd lien bonds, we earned an annual yield of 14.3% although PA's return on equity in 2009 was 0.3%. To provide some comparative perspective, Murphy Oil had a return on common equity of 12% in 2009 and had an earnings yield (the reciprocal of the P/E ratio) of 5.5%. Another way of viewing our purchases of PA bonds is to think of the amount we paid for the underlying reserves. We estimate that, at our initial purchase prices, we paid $3 per barrel of PA reserves, which was 6% of the $50 per barrel of oil that the market was then paying for the reserves of Tullow Oil PLC ("Tullow"). Clearly, the 2nd lien bonds were purchased at a substantial discount to their intrinsic value. Where AOF can find securities trading at a premium to intrinsic value, we will similarly seek to generate returns by selling that security short. The short seller, by borrowing a security and selling it in the market at that premium valuation, can later repurchase that security at a lower price approximating the short seller's estimate of intrinsic value for a profit. There are other benefits from short sales insofar as they are a source of funds and permit an investor to hedge some risks. The Fund's prime brokerage relationship with Newedge permitted it to engage in the short sale of ordinary shares of Tullow last year. Tullow is one of the most successful oil exploration and production companies of recent times. It has grown over ten years from a small junior explorer to a major global player. Management is superb and its success in Ghana is exemplary. Yet, despite our admiration for Tullow and its management, we concluded that it was substantially overvalued. It was priced for indefinite exploration and production success. So, AOF initiated a short position in Tullow shares. In fact, the proceeds from our short sales funded some of our long positions in the PA Resources bonds. By the end of 2009, an investor that bought Tullow shares was paying over $50 per reserve barrel, which contrasts sharply with the $3 per reserve barrel that the Fund paid for its PA Resources bonds. It is obvious that enthusiasm for Tullow is driven by the huge exploration upside of its discoveries in Ghana and Uganda. Thus, an investor was paying $22 per resource barrel for Tullow while paying $4 per resource barrel for its partner, Anadarko (note the distinction between "reserve" and "resource", though it makes little difference to the overall argument). Our short position constituted our 6th largest holding by the end of the year. As happens with long positions, it takes a while for the market to either confirm or confute one's judgment. By the end of 2009, the Fund had lost approximately 20% on its short position. But, the market revalued Tullow at the beginning of 2010 and AOF reduced its position. Meanwhile, the Tullow short position allowed the Fund to invest a larger amount of capital in the oil and gas industry than it would have otherwise. Besides the PA Resources bonds, 7% of the Fund's portfolio was invested in warrants issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, with a guarantee from its Federal Government, that pay a coupon linked to the crude oil price. The 2009 purchases of those warrants by the Fund were made for a 30% cash yield. The Fund also has indirect exposure to oil prices because it has a long position in a natural rubber plantation, Societe Africaine de Plantations d'Heveas. The price of natural rubber is tightly correlated to crude oil prices because a substitute for natural rubber is synthetic rubber, which is a petroleum based product. As a result, the Tullow position also served as a hedging tool on a wider portfolio basis. The Fund's portfolio experienced some losses in its long positions. The bonds of Diamondcorp PLC declined from 65% of par at the beginning of 2009 to 30% of par on December 31, 2009. Diamondcorp PLC's sole operating asset, the Lace diamond mine in South Africa, was put under care and maintenance. The 10% Sphynx 28/01/11 notes, evidencing Ivorian government bonds, fell from 60% of par to 40% of par, as the Cote d'Ivoire government defaulted on its obligations. The remainder of this report comprises commentary on two of AOF's largest equity investments and a restatement of the Manager's investment philosophy. Sonatel. This Senegalese integrated telephone operator listed on the Bourse Regionale de Valeurs Mobiliers is AOF's largest investment. Its subscribers grew by 27% in 2009 to 9.2 million. Sonatel has operations in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. It has 100% of Senegal's fixed line market, 90% of Senegal's internet market, 67% of Senegal's mobile telephony market, 80% of Mali's telephony market, 25% of Guinea's mobile telephony market, and 25% of the mobile telephony market in Guinea-Bissau. At 33% for the 2009 financial year, Sonatel's net margin is the second highest in Africa. In addition, Sonatel has the highest operating cash flow per telephone subscriber in Africa of $91, the lowest debt to equity ratio in the telecoms industry of 30%, a debt to total assets ratio of 19%; and a return on average equity of 34%. Yet, as of March 30 2010, with an enterprise value around $2.7 billion and a market capitalization of $2.9 billion, Sonatel has the second lowest African telephone operator valuation with a PE ratio of 10X and an enterprise value per subscriber of $295. African Bank Investment Limited. African Bank Investments Limited ("ABIL") is the largest consumer finance company in South Africa and Africa. It is the holding company for African Bank ("African Bank"), a bank, and Ellerines Brothers, a furniture retailing company. Its subsidiaries grant unsecured loans to individuals, loans secured by furniture to individuals, and sells furniture. Its customers are members of the emerging middle class and its average loan size is 7,000 Rands (or $700). Furniture sales by Ellerines was anaemic, in part because of the recession in South Africa, but also because ABIL has been restructuring that business unit. It appears that Ellerines sales are beginning to recover. African Bank's 1639 branches constitutes the largest financial branch network in South Africa. Unlike the four major commercial South African banks, it has no exposure to the mortgage market. Its funding strategy is rare. It funds itself long term to make loans of shorter duration. As of the end of September 2009, its ratio of tangible shareholders equity to tangible assets was 23%. African Bank's tier 1 capital adequacy ratio is nearly 20%. That high capital ratio permits African Bank to incur high non-performing loans and bad debts in its market. African Bank has strong liquidity ratios, with maturing liabilities at any one time being half of maturing assets. ABIL's return on average assets declined from 7.6% in 2008 to 5.8% in 2009 and its return on average equity declined from 21% to 15%. But, its return on average tangible equity was 28%. African Bank had a market capitalization on March 30 of 29.4 billion Rands. It traded on a PE ratio of 16.2 and a Price/Book ratio of 2.4 and a Price/Tangible Book of 4.4. Once again, we end with a restatement of our investing philosophy. The key elements of the investment strategy for AOF are: Material discounts to intrinsic value: AOF invests primarily where and when an investment can be made at a material discount to the Manager's estimate intrinsic value. Company preference: AOF prefers companies which demonstrate both high real returns on assets and an earnings yield higher than the yield to maturity of local currency denominated government debt. Industry focus rather than country focus: AOF seeks to invest in industries it finds attractive with little regard to national borders. National resource discounts: AOF seeks natural resource companies whose market valuations reflect a discount to the spot and future world market prices for those natural resources. "Turnaround" countries: The African continent is home to a large number of reforming or "turnaround" countries. "Turnaround" countries combine secular political reform with the opening of industries to private sector participation. Balkanized investment landscape: AOF seeks to invest in companies with low valuations in relation to peers across the continent and uses an arbitrage approach to provide attractive investment returns. Point of entry: AOF seeks the most favorable risk adjusted point of entry into a capital structure, whether through financing a new company or acquiring the debt or listed equity of an established company. Africa offers several attractive investment opportunities. Valuations in some African industries that rely on credit remain low because of the withdrawal of credit in the last few years. The markets of some countries have still to recover, in US Dollar terms, from the 50%+ depreciation of their currencies against the US Dollar in 2009. We remain interested in industries which have products in short supply in Africa that rely more on the domestic African economy than the global economy. We are hunting in those terrains for compelling equity investments. We shall continue to build a portfolio that delivers both capital growth and income to the shareholders of AOF. Francis Daniels Africa Opportunity Partners June 2010 3 Our approach to investing in bonds is somewhat famously described by Warren Buffet in Berkshire Hathaway's 1984 Annual Report. He writes: "As you know, we buy marketable stock.based upon the criteria we would apply in the purchase of an entire business. .We extend this business-valuation approach even to bond purchases such as WPSS (Washington Public Power Supply System). We compare the $139 million cost of our yearend investment in WPSS to a similar $139 million investment in an operating business. In the case of WPSS, the "business" contractually earns $22.7 million after tax (via the interest paid on the bonds), and those earnings are available to us currently in cash. Only a relatively few businesses earn the 16.3% after tax on unleveraged capital that our WPSS investment does and those businesses, when available for purchase, sell at large premiums to that capital. In the average negotiated business transaction, unleveraged corporate earnings of $22.7 million after-tax (equivalent to about $45 million pre-tax) might command a price of $250-$300 million (or sometimes far more). For a business we understand well and strongly like, we will gladly pay that much. But it is double the price we paid to realize the same earnings from WPSS bonds." AFRICA OPPORTUNITY FUND LIMITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ | |Note| 2009 || 2008 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ | | | USD || USD | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Income | | || | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Interest revenue | 6 |1,520,674 ||6,150,183 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Dividend revenue | |1,407,439 ||1,606,923 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Net gain on financial assets and liabilities at |7(c)|6,852,439 ||- | |fair value through profit or loss | | || | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Other income | 12 |1,517,681 ||139,595 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Realised exchange gain | |25,771 ||- | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ | | |11,324,004||7,896,701 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Expenses | | || | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Management fee | 5 |540,759 ||2,010,654 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Custodian, secretarial and administration fees | |181,206 ||549,410 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Brokerage fees and commissions | |181,477 ||485,588 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Audit fees | |56,670 ||52,500 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Directors' fees | |82,144 ||120,000 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Other operating expenses | |81,136 ||129,362 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Net loss on financial assets at fair value |7(c)|- ||53,856,788 | |through profit or loss | | || | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Realised exchange loss | |- ||679,503 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ | | |1,123,392 ||57,883,805 | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Profit/(loss) for the year | |10,200,612||(49,987,104)| +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Other comprehensive income | |- ||- | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Total comprehensive income | |10,200,612||(49,987,104)| +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Attributable to: | | || | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Equity holders of the Company | |10,021,265||(49,658,231)| +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Non-controlling interest | |179,347 ||(328,873) | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ | | |10,200,612||(49,987,104)| +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ |Basic earning/(loss) per share attributable to | | || | |the equity holders of the Fund during the year | 13 |0.2351 ||(0.4056) | +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ +------------------------------------------------+----+----------++------------+ AFRICA OPPORTUNITY FUND LIMITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2009 +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ | |Notes| 2009 || 2008 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ | | | USD || USD | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |ASSETS | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Cash and cash equivalents | 9 | 3,673,348||2,671,415 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Other receivables | 8 | 719,065||1,294,247 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Financial assets at fair value through profit |7(a) | 30,792,960||57,140,459 | |or loss | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Total assets | | 35,185,373||61,106,121 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Liabilities | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Other payables | 11 | 835,861||1,616,607 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Financial liabilities at fair value through |7(b) | 2,771,400||- | |profit or loss | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Total liabilities | | 3,607,261||1,616,607 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |EQUITY | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Equity attributable to equity holders of the | | || | |parent | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Share capital | 10 | 426,303||1,155,100 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Share premium | | 39,319,756||107,741,068 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Retained losses | |(8,366,966)||(49,824,259)| +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Equity attributable to equity holders of the | | 31,379,093||59,071,909 | |parent | | || | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Non-controlling interest | | 199,019||417,605 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ | | | || | |Total equity | | 31,578,112||59,489,514 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ |Total equity and liabilities | | 35,185,373||61,106,121 | +----------------------------------------------+-----+-----------++------------+ AFRICA OPPORTUNITY FUND LIMITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY HOLDERS OF THE PARENT +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ | | Issued || Share || Retained || ||Non-controlling|| Total | +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ | | capital || premium || losses || Total || interest || equity | +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ | | USD || USD || USD || USD || USD || USD | +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |At 1 January| || || || || || | |2008 |1,250,000|| 119,489,981|| (166,028)|| 120,573,953|| 746,478|| 121,320,431| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Share buy back | (94,900)|| (6,262,650)|| -|| (6,357,550)|| -|| (6,357,550)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Total | || || || || || | |comprehensive | || || || || || | |income for the| || || || || || | |year | -|| -||(49,658,231)||(49,658,231)|| (328,873)||(49,987,104)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Dividend | -|| (5,486,263)|| -|| (5,486,263)|| -|| (5,486,263)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |At 31 December| || || || || || | |2008 |1,155,100|| 107,741,068||(49,824,259)|| 59,071,909|| 417,605|| 59,489,514| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Share buy back| || || || || || | |(Tender offer) |(728,797)||(67,977,957)|| 31,436,028||(37,270,726)|| -||(37,270,726)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Total | || || || || || | |comprehensive | || || || || || | |income for the| || || || || || | |year | -|| -|| 10,021,265|| 10,021,265|| 179,347|| 10,200,612| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Non-controlling| || || || || || | |interest buy| || || || || || | |back | -|| -|| -|| -|| (397,933)|| (397,933)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |Dividend | -|| (443,355)|| -|| (443,355)|| -|| (443,355)| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ |At 31 December| || || || || || | |2009 | 426,303|| 39,319,756|| (8,366,966)|| 31,379,093|| 199,019|| 31,578,112| +---------------+---------++------------++------------++------------++---------------++------------+ AFRICA OPPORTUNITY FUND LIMITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 200 +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ | |Notes| 2009 || 2008 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ | | | USD || USD | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Cash flows from operating activities | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Profit for the year | |10,200,612 ||(49,987,104)| +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Adjustment to reconcile profit/(loss) for the| | || | |financial year to net cash from operating | | || | |activities: | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Interest income | |(1,520,674) ||(6,150,183) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |(Gains)/ losses on financial assets and | | || | |liabilities at fair value through profit or | |(6,852,439) ||53,856,788 | |loss | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Dividend income | |(1,407,439) ||(1,606,923) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Gain on disposal of held-to-maturity | |- ||(139,595) | |investment | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Tender offer pool adjustment | |(3,485,296) ||- | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Operating loss before working capital changes| |(3,065,236) ||(4,027,017) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Decrease in other receivables | |83,612 ||1,258,942 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Increase in other payables | |413,679 ||83,445 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Net cash used in operating activities | |(2,567,945) ||(2,684,630) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Interest received | |2,016,423 ||6,185,937 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Proceeds on financial liabilities at fair | |2,183,758 ||- | |value through profit or loss | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Purchase of financial assets at fair value |7(a) |(14,581,367)||(76,022,331)| |through profit or loss | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Disposal of financial assets at fair value |7(a) |14,317,360 ||17,657,136 | |through profit or loss | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Disposal of held-to-maturity investment | |- ||4,639,595 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Dividend received | |1,403,110 ||1,606,923 | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Net cash from / (used in) investing | |5,339,284 ||(45,932,740)| |activities | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Cash flows from financing activities | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Acquisition of non-controlling interest | |(397,933) || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Redemption of shares | |- ||(6,357,550) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Dividend paid |17 |(1,637,780) ||(4,181,000) | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Net cash flow used in financing activities | |(2,035,713) ||(10,538,550)| +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash | |1,001,932 ||(59,155,920)| |equivalents | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Cash and cash equivalent at the start of the | |2,671,416 ||61,827,336 | |year | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ |Cash and cash equivalent at the end of the | |3,673,348 ||2,671,416 | |year | | || | +---------------------------------------------+-----+------------++------------+ AFRICA OPPORTUNITY FUND LIMITED NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 200 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Africa Opportunity Fund Limited (the "Company") was launched and admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in July 2007. The Company is a closed-ended fund incorporated with limited liability and registered in Cayman Islands under the Companies Law on 21 June 2007 with registered number MC-188243. The Company aims to achieve capital growth and income through investment in value, arbitrage, and special situations investments in the continent of Africa. The Company therefore may invest in securities issued by companies domiciled outside Africa which conduct significant business activities within Africa. The Company will have the ability to invest in a wide range of asset classes including real estate interests, equity, quasi-equity or debt instruments and debt issued by African sovereign states and government entities. The Company's investment activities are managed by Africa Opportunity Partners Limited, a limited liability company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and acting as the investment manager pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement dated 18 July 2007. To ensure that investments to be made by the Company, and the returns generated on the realisation of investments, are both effected in the most tax efficient manner, the Company has established Africa Opportunity Fund L.P. as an exempted limited partnership in the Cayman Islands. All investments made by the Company will be made through the limited partnership. The limited partners of the limited partnership are the Company and AOF CarryCo Limited. Millennium Special Opportunities Holdings Ltd, a limited partner during 2009, had their non-controlling interest purchased by the Company effective 31 December 2009. The general partner of the limited partnership is Africa Opportunity Fund (GP) Limited. Copies of the annual report are being posted to shareholders and copies will be available from the company's registered office and also from the Company's website http://www.africaopportunityfund.com < http://www.africaopportunityfund.com/>. 2. FINANCIAL ASSETS AT FAIR VALUE THROUGH PROFIT OR LOSS +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ | || 2009 || 2008 | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ | || USD || USD | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |Designated at fair value through profit or loss: || || | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |At 1 January ||57,140,459 ||52,632,051 | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |Additions ||14,581,367 ||76,022,332 | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |Disposals ||(14,317,360)||(17,657,136)| +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |Net gain/ (loss) on financial assets at fair value||7,173,924 ||(53,856,788)| |through profit or loss || || | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |Transfer to tender offer pool ||(33,785,430)||- | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ |At 31 December (at fair value) ||30,792,960 ||57,140,459 | +--------------------------------------------------++------------++------------+ +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | || 2009 || 2008 | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | || USD || USD | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | Analysed as follows: || || | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | - Listed equity securities(4) || 14,333,949 || 31,698,660 | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | - Listed debt securities || 15,673,728 || 22,167,517 | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | - Unlisted equity securities || 225,224 || - | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | - Unlisted debt securities || 560,059 || 3,274,282 | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ | || 30,792,960 || 57,140,459 | +-------------------------------++------------++------------+ FINANCIAL LIABILITIES AT FAIR VALUE THROUGH PROFIT OR LOSS +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ | || 2009 || 2008 | +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ | || USD || USD | +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ | - Written call option || 2,716,650 || - | +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ | - Written put option || 54,750 || - | +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ | Financial liabilities held for trading || 2,771,400 || - | +----------------------------------------++-----------++------+ 3. SHARE CAPITAL +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ | || 2009||2009 ||2008 ||2008 | +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ | ||Number ||USD ||Number ||USD | +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ |Authorised share capital|| || || || | +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ |Ordinary shares with a || || || || | |par value of USD 0.01 ||1,000,000,000||10,000,000||1,000,000,000||10,000,000| +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ +------------------------++-------------++----------++-------------++----------+ +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ | || 2009||2009 ||2008 ||2008 | +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ | ||Number ||USD ||Number ||USD | +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ |Share capital || || || || | +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ |Opening balance ||115,510,000 ||1,155,100||125,000,000||1,250,000| +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ |Share buy back - (Tender || || || || | |Offer) ||(72,879,673)||(728,797)||- ||- | +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ |Share buy back ||- || ||(9,490,000)||(94,900) | +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ | ||42,630,327 ||426,303 ||115,510,000||1,155,100| +-----------------------------++------------++---------++-----------++---------+ The directors have the general authority to repurchase the ordinary shares in issue subject to the Company having funds lawfully available for the purpose. However, if the market price of the ordinary shares falls to a discount to the Net Asset Value, the directors will consult with the Investment Manger as to whether it is appropriate to instigate a repurchase of the ordinary shares. 4. EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE Basis loss per share is calculated by dividing the loss attributable to equity holders of the Group by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period excluding ordinary shares purchased by the Group and held as treasury shares. The Group's diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss per share, since the Group has not issued any instrument with dilutive potential. +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ | | || 2009 || 2008 | +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ |Gain/(loss) attributable to equity holders | || || | |of the Group |USD ||10,021,265||(49,658,231)| +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ |Weighted average number of ordinary shares | || || | |in issue | ||42,630,037|| 122,431,041| +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ |Basic earnings/(loss) per share |US cents|| 23.51|| (40.56)| +-------------------------------------------+--------++----------++------------+ 5. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES The financial statements include the financial statements of Africa Opportunity Fund Limited and the subsidiaries in the following table: Country of % equity interest % equity interest Name incorporation 2009 2008 Africa Opportunity Fund (GP) Limited Cayman Islands 100 100 Africa Opportunity Fund L.P. Cayman Islands 98.84 98.37 During the period ended 31 December 2009, the Company transacted with related entities. The nature, volume and type of transactions with the entities are as follows: 2009 Balance at Type of Nature of Volume 31 Dec 2009 Name of related relationship transaction USD USD parties Africa Opportunity Investment Manager Management fee 540,749 - Partners Limited expense During the period ended 31 December 2008, the Company transacted with related entities. The nature, volume and type of transactions with the entities are as follows: 2008 Balance at Type of Nature of Volume 31 Dec 2008 Name of related relationship transaction USD USD parties Africa Opportunity Investment Manager Management fee 2,010,654 2,010,654 Partners Limited expense Key Management Personnel (Directors' fee) Except for Francis Daniels and Robert Knapp who have waived their fees, each director has been paid a fee of USD 30,000 per annum plus reimbursement for out-of pocket expenses. Francis Daniels and Robert Knapp who are directors/shareholders of the Company are also shareholders of the Investment Manager and form part of the executive team of the Investment Manager. Details of the agreement with the Investment Manager are disclosed in Note 5. They have a beneficiary interest in AOF CarryCo Limited. The latter is entitled to carry interest computed in accordance with the rules set out in the Admission Document. The total carried interest is 20%. 6. SHARES BUY BACK - TENDER OFFER In the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, the Company had been notified by some of its largest Shareholders that difficult market conditions required that they realise investments, including their investments in the Company. Furthermore, the size of some of the shareholdings concerned and the current discount to Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share at which the Ordinary Shares trade meant that the market mechanism didnot provide an attractive option in terms of realising an investment for those Shareholders. Accordingly, after discussions with the major Shareholders, the Company and the Investment Manager determined to implement a Tender Offer to allow Shareholders an opportunity to realise their investment in the Company. The Company announced a Tender Offer in early February 2009 which was closed on the 26th of February 2009. Shareholders were given the option to submit 100% of their holdings for redemption. 37% of holders chose to remain invested. The mechanics of the redemption was as follows: The price that will be paid to Shareholders who decide to tender Ordinary Shares will be linked to the net amount actually realised from a pro rata share of the Company's investment portfolio. This sum may be different from the Company's announced Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share. The Company's assets and liabilities is divided into a Tender Offer Pool or Liquidating Pool for exiting shareholders and a Continuing Pool for continuing shareholders on, 27 February 2009, the calculation date. Following the calculation date, exiting shareholders ceased to have any rights as shareholders and became unsecured creditors until the payment of the Tender Consideration has been completed. The assets and liabilities which have been sent to the Liquidating Pool have been derecognised as they meet the criteria set out in IAS 39 for derecognition. For those investors that tendered their shares to the Company, as of 31st December the NAV per share of the liquidating pool is estimated to be approximately US$0.07. For further information please contact: Africa Opportunity Fund Limited Francis Daniels Tel: +2711 684 1528 Grant Thornton Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser) Philip Secrett Tel: +44 207 383 5100 [HUG#1422689]
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