NOTES TO THE GROUP ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – NOTE 3

3. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
 

General

Risk management is a priority issue because it affects every part of the business. It is a pre-emptive process that allows the Group and Company to assess and analyse risk in an integrated fashion, identify potential areas in advance and then proactively create processes and measures for compliance.

Fundamentally, the Board’s responsibility in managing risk is to protect the Group’s employees, stakeholders and the Group in every facet. It fully accepts overall responsibility for risk management and internal control and in so doing the Board has deployed effective control mechanisms to prevent and mitigate the impact of risk.

Primary responsibility for risk management at an operational level rests with the Executive Committee. Management and various specialist Committees are tasked with integrating the management of risk into the day-to-day activities of the Group and Company. Refer to the Corporate Governance statement in the Annual Integrated Report for more detail regarding the Committees involved in risk management.

The Healthcare and Administration business activities are exposed to a variety of financial risks:

  • Market risk
  • Credit risk
  • Liquidity risk

The Group’s and Company’s overall risk management programme focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimise potential adverse effects on the Group’s financial performance.

Refer to Note 9 for classes of financial assets and liabilities.

Market risk

Currency risk

Currency risk arises when future commercial transactions, recognised assets and liabilities are denominated in a currency that is not the Group’s functional currency.

The Group has certain investments in foreign operations, whose net assets are exposed to foreign currency translation risk. The Group is not exposed to any currency risk in relation to its foreign operations in Namibia and Swaziland as the currencies of these countries are fixed to the South African Rand.

The most significant exposure is to the Mauritian Rupee and US Dollar as a result of translation risk. The impact of currency risk on the statement of other comprehensive income amounted to a profit/(loss) (foreign currency gains/(losses)) of -R3.573 million (June 2016: R4.823 million).

At 30 June 2017, if the currency had weakened/strengthened by 10% against the Mauritian Rupee with all other variables held constant, post-tax profit for the year would have been R446 164 lower/higher, mainly as a result of foreign exchange gains/losses on translation of the Mauritian operations.

At 30 June 2017, if the currency had weakened/strengthened by 10% against the Dollar with all other variables held constant, post-tax profit for the year would have been R369 499 lower/higher, mainly as a result of foreign exchange gains/losses on translation of the Zimbabwean operations.

Price risk

The Group and Company is exposed to equity securities price risk due to its investment in Jasco Electronics Holdings Limited. As such, the fair value of the investments is affected by changes in the share price. The Company’s own shares are also listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Fair value risk

The Group and Company investments in collective share investment schemes are subject to the terms and conditions of the respective collective share investment schemes offering documentation and are susceptible to market price risk arising from uncertainties about future values of those collective share investment schemes. The investment manager makes investment decisions after extensive due diligence of the underlying fund, its strategy and the overall quality of the underlying fund’s manager. All of the collective share investment schemes in the investment portfolio are managed by portfolio managers who are compensated by the respective collective share investment schemes for their services. Such compensation generally consists of an asset-based fee and a performance-based incentive fee and is reflected in the valuation of the Group’s investment in each of the collective share investment schemes.

The right of the Group to request redemption of its investments in collective share investment schemes ranges in frequency from weekly to annually.

The exposure to investments in collective share investment schemes at fair value by strategy employed is disclosed in the following table at 30 June 2017. These investments are included in financial assets at fair value through profit or loss in the statement of financial position.

Strategy Number of
collective
investment
schemes
Net asset
value of
collective
investment
schemes
Investment
fair value
 
Multi-strategy 6 93 459 098 960 327 718 813  

The Group’s maximum exposure to loss from its interests in collective share investment schemes is equal to the total fair value of its investments in collective share investment schemes.

Once the Group has disposed of its shares in a collective share investment scheme, it ceases to be exposed to any risk from that collective share investment scheme.

Total purchases in collective share investment schemes during the year ended 30 June 2017 was R35 508 000. As at 30 June 2017 and 30 June 2016, there were no capital commitment obligations and no amounts due to collective share investment schemes for unsettled purchases.

During the year ended 30 June 2017, total net gains on investments in collective share investment schemes were R21 848 669.

To manage the price risk the Group’s and Company’s investment committee reviews its investments regularly to ensure that the downside price risk is mitigated and assesses the economic environment to make informed decisions.

The table below summarises the impact of an increase/decrease of the share price of collective share investment schemes on the post-tax profit of the Group and Company:

Change in percentage share price Increase on
post-tax profit
Decrease on
post-tax profit
 
5% increase/(decrease) 14 562 535 (14 562 535)  
10% increase/(decrease) 29 125 071 (29 125 071)  
15% increase/(decrease) 43 687 606 (43 687 606)  

The table below summarises the impact of an increase/decrease of the share price of Jasco Electronics Holdings Limited on the post-tax profit of the Group and Company:

Change in percentage share price Increase on
post-tax profit
Decrease on
post-tax profit
 
5% increase/(decrease) 1 814 816 (1 814 816)  
10% increase/(decrease) 3 629 631 (3 629 631)  
15% increase/(decrease) 5 444 447 (5 444 447)  

Cash flow and fair value interest rate risk

The Group does not have any external borrowings and is therefore not exposed to downside interest rate risk.

The Group and Company’s interest income arises from interest-bearing instruments and fixed deposits. The Group’s Treasury manages excess funds on a daily basis into call/deposit accounts to ensure that the best yield is obtained for the Group.

The Group and Company have used a sensitivity analysis technique that measures the estimated change to the statement of comprehensive income and equity of an instantaneous increase of 1% (100 basis points) in the market interest rates for each class of financial instrument with all other variables remaining constant. The sensitivity analysis excludes the impact of market risks on net post-employment benefit obligations.

  GROUP   COMPANY  
Instruments exposed Increase in
1% on
statement of
comprehensive
income
R’000
  Increase in
1% on
statement of
comprehensive
income
R’000
 
June 2017        
Bank balances and short-term investments 3 982   591  
Financial assets at amortised cost 799   799  
Total 4 781   1 390  
June 2016        
Bank borrowings (461)    
Bank balances and short-term investments 1 052   604  
Financial assets at amortised cost 2 996   2 996  
Total 3 587   3 600  

Under these assumptions, a 1% increase in market interest rates at 30 June 2017 would increase Group profit before tax by approximately R4 781 000 (June 2016: R3 587 000) and Company profit before tax by approximately R1 390 000 (June 2016: R3 600 000).

Credit risk

Credit risk arises from cash and cash equivalents and other investments, i.e. deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as credit exposures to clients, including outstanding receivables and committed transactions. The trade and other receivables from the WAD Healthcare Assets acquisition are receivable from medical schemes in 14 days. For banks and financial institutions only independently rated parties with a minimum rating of ‘BBB’ are accepted (please refer to Note 9.5). If clients do not have an independent rating, risk control assesses the credit quality of the client, taking into account its financial position, past experience and other factors. Credit risk is managed at both the Group and Company levels.

A significant portion of the Group and Company’s client base comprises high-credit quality financial institutions. The “Healthcare business” has under agreement the authority to draw funds due and payable to it directly from the bank accounts of certain medical schemes using a collection module. Revenue from medical schemes is therefore settled in cash.

No credit limits were exceeded during the reporting period.

Liquidity risk

Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash and marketable securities, the availability of funding through an adequate amount of committed credit facilities to meet debt repayment and operating requirements. Management monitors the cash position on a daily basis from the Group and Company levels. Due to the dynamic nature of the underlying businesses, management maintains flexibility in funding by keeping committed credit facilities available.

The contingent consideration will be settled by the issuance of shares and as such will not place a liquidity burden on the Group.

Management monitors rolling forecasts of the liquidity reserve on the basis of expected cash flow.

The table below analyses all cash flows from the financial liabilities into the time buckets in which they are contractually due to be paid:

Time buckets applicable to the Group

        GROUP        
  Less than
3 months or
on demand
R’000
More than
3 months
but not
exceeding
6 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
9 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
1 year
R’000
Between 1
to 2 years
R’000
Between 2
to 3 years
R’000
Total
R’000
 
June 2017                
Trade and other payables 258 304 2 030 2 030 2 030 264 394  
June 2016                
Trade and other payables 379 759 1 090 1 090 1 090 383 029  

Time buckets applicable to the Company

        COMPANY        
  Less than
3 months or
on demand
R’000
More than
3 months
but not
exceeding
6 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
9 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
1 year
R’000
Between 1
to 2 years
R’000
Between 2
to 3 years
R’000
Total
R’000
 
June 2017                
Loans from Group companies 10 242 10 242  
Trade and other payables 3 103 5 357 5 357 5 357 19 174  
June 2016                
Loans from Group companies 44 477 44 477  
Trade and other payables 1 181 1 986 1 986 1 986 7 139  

The table below analyses all undiscounted cash flows from financial assets into the time buckets that they are contractually due to be received.

Time buckets applicable to the Group

        GROUP        
  Less than
3 months
or on
demand
R’000
More than
3 months
but not
exceeding
6 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
9 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
1 year
R’000
Between
1 to 2
years
R’000
Between
2 to 3
years
R’000
Total
R’000
 
June 2017                
Trade and other receivables 265 052 15 967 15 967 23 250 320 236  
Cash and cash equivalents 361 738 361 738  
Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss 276 743 59 976 336 719  
Financial assets at amortised cost 79 892 79 892  
June 2016                
Trade and other receivables 325 550 8 942 8 942 21 570 365 004  
Cash and cash equivalents 373 068 373 068  
Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss 268 173 268 173  
Financial assets at amortised cost 143 761 143 761  

* This includes pre-payments and deposits. These are not considered ‘past due’ as no repayment terms are applicable to them.

The carrying amount of all the financial assets and liabilities approximate the fair value.

Time buckets applicable to the Company

        Company        
  Less than
3 months
or on
demand
R’000
More than
3 months
but not
exceeding
6 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
9 months
R’000
More than
6 months
but not
exceeding
1 year
R’000
Between
1 to 2
years
R’000
Between
2 to 3
years
R’000
Total
R’000
 
June 2017                
Trade and other receivables 280 280  
Cash and cash equivalents 22 699 22 699  
Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss 276 743 59 976 336 719  
Financial assets at amortised cost 79 892 79 892  
June 2016                
Trade and other receivables 815 815  
Cash and cash equivalents 145 884 145 884  
Financial assets at fair value through profit and loss 268 173 268 173  
Financial assets at amortised cost 143 761 143 761  

The accounting policies for the Group’s financial instruments have been applied to the line items below:

Description per the statement of financial position

        GROUP   COMPANY  
        June 2017
R’000
  June 2016
R’000
  June 2017
R’000
  June 2016
R’000
 
  Fair
value
Amortised
cost
  Carrying
value
  Carrying
value
 
Loans and receivables                      
Trade and other receivables     320 236   365 004   280   815  
Cash and cash equivalents     361 738   373 068   22 699   145 884  
Financial liabilities                      
Trade and other payables     264 394   383 029   19 174   7 139  
Contingent consideration     194 475   134 893   194 475   134 893  
Deferred payment     5 051        

The carrying value of loans and receivables and financial liabilities at amortised cost approximates the fair value, and as a result the fair values have not been disclosed in the fair value hierarchy.

Capital risk management

The objective of the Group and Company when managing capital is to safeguard its ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders and to maintain an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital. The Group is not subject to external capital requirements.

Consistent with others in the industry, the Group and Company monitors cash flow on the basis of the gearing ratio. This ratio is calculated as long-term debt divided by total capital employed. Total capital employed is calculated as ‘Equity’ as shown in the statement of financial position plus long-term debt. The Group is not subject to long-term debt as it does not have any external capital requirements.

During 2017, the Group and Company’s strategy, which was unchanged from 2016, was to maintain the gearing ratio within 0% to 15%.

The gearing ratios at 30 June 2017 and 30 June 2016 respectively are as follows:

  GROUP   COMPANY  
  June 2017
R’000
  June 2016
R’000
  June 2017
R’000
  June 2016
Restated*
R’000
 
Total long-term borrowings        
Total equity 2 379 053   1 563 582   678 058   851 005  
Total capital employment 2 379 053   1 563 582   678 058   851 005  
Gearing ratio        
Adjusted to include short-term borrowings:                
Total borrowings        
Total equity 2 379 053   1 563 582   678 058   851 005  
Total capital employed 2 379 053   1 563 582   678 058   851 005  
Gearing ratio (including short-term borrowings)        

NOTES TO THE GROUP ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – NOTE 3