UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
x ANNUAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003
¨ TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER
000-31203
NET 1 UEPS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| FLORIDA | 65-0903895 |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of | (I.R.S. Employer |
| Incorporation or Organization) | Identification No.) |
325-744 WEST HASTINGS STREET
VANCOUVER B.C., CANADA V6C 1A5
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
(888) 796-2233
(Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
| Title of Each Class | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
| NONE | NONE |
Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.001 PER SHARE
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers in response to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained in this form, and no disclosure will be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act)
Yes ¨ No x
State registrant's revenues for the year ended December 31, 2003: $41,017
State the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant computed by reference to the closing bid price of its Common Stock as reported on the OTC Bulletin Board on March 5, 2004 ($9.90): $72,589,552
APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS
The number of shares outstanding of the registrant's Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), as of March 5, 2004, was 15,852,856.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Our registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-112463).
THIS ANNUAL REPORT FORM 10-K CONTAINS "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 27A OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 21E OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED. ALL STATEMENTS, OTHER THAN STATEMENTS OF HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDED IN OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS FORM 10-K, ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. IN ADDITION, WHEN USED IN THIS DOCUMENT THE WORDS "ANTICIPATE," "ESTIMATE," "INTENDS," "PROJECT" AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS ARE INTENDED TO IDENTIFY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND ASSUMPTIONS. SHOULD ONE OR MORE OF THESE RISKS OR UNCERTAINTIES MATERIALIZE, OR SHOULD UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS PROVE INCORRECT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ANTICIPATED, ESTIMATED OR PROJECTED.
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ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE EXPECTATIONS WE INCLUDE IN SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE REASONABLE, WE CANNOT ASSURE YOU THAT THESE EXPECTATIONS WILL PROVE TO BE CORRECT.
PART 1
ITEM 1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
BACKGROUND
Net 1 UEPS Technologies Inc. (Net 1 or the Company) was incorporated in the State of Florida on May 5, 1997 to acquire and exploit a non-exclusive worldwide license to the Universal Electronic Payment System (UEPS). Net 1 entered into a license agreement, dated May 19, 1997 (the License Agreement), with Net 1 Holdings, Net 1 Operations S.a.r.l. and Net 1 Investment Holdings (Net 1 (Pty)) (collectively, the Licensors), whereby the licensors granted a non-exclusive license to Net 1 for the UEPS technology in exchange for 5,412,244 shares of Net 1 common stock. On October 1, 1997, the License Agreement was amended to transfer ownership of the UEPS technology and FTS patents world wide (except for South Africa and its surrounding territories), and to assign the Technology License Agreement between Visa International Service Association and Net 1 Holdings, dated July 31, 1997 (the Visa Agreement) to Net 1 in exchange for 4,729,612 shares of Net 1 common stock. This transaction was never completed because certain conditions precedent were never satisfied.
On May 3, 2000, Net 1 entered into a Patent and Technology Agreement with Net 1 Holdings, whereby Net 1 was granted a license for the U.S. FTS patent and the now invalid European patent. The 4,729,612 shares of Net 1 common stock previously offered in the above-referenced amended License Agreement were issued to Net 1 Holdings. At December 31, 2003, Net 1 Holdings beneficially owned 8,520,578 shares of Net 1 common stock, or 53.75% of the shares then outstanding. In addition, Net 1 has the exclusive marketing rights for the UEPS technology in all countries other than South Africa and its surrounding territories.
On February 26, 2001, Net 1 entered into an Outsourcing Agreement with Net 1(Pty). In October 2002, this agreement was replaced by a Distribution Agreement, effective as of July 1, 2002, pursuant to which Net 1 (Pty) was retained to provide Net 1 with marketing, sales, administrative and technical support as an accredited UEPS integrator in Net 1s designated territories. As part of this agreement, Net 1 (Pty) receives 9.5% of fees collected by Net 1 on all new licenses and upgrades of existing licenses.
As a development stage company, Net 1 is principally focused on trying to commercially exploit the FTS patents and UEPS technology in its designated territories. Net 1s management has developed a detailed business plan and marketing strategy involving the development and implementation of the smart card system as an alternative to existing
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payment systems such as cash, checks, credit cards and debit cards, utilizing the proprietary technology and operating under the Net 1 brand.
Management has also focused its efforts on attracting the necessary capital to implement the business plan. On October 23, 2002, Net 1 retained Investec Bank Limited (Investec), an international merchant banking group, to provide corporate finance services and assistance in order to raise equity and/or debt funding for the company. This was unsuccessful and Investec and the company mutually agreed to terminate the engagement.
On April 30, 2003, Net 1 retained the Brait Group to provide advisory services and assistance in order to raise equity and/or debt funding for Net 1. On October 24, 2003, the Company announced that it is completing financial arrangements for the securing of approximately $150 million including amounts from Brait on behalf of funds under its management. The financing, comprising the capital raising of approximately $53 million and a share issuance in connection with the reinvestment option, of approximately $97 million will enable Net 1 to make an offer to acquire substantially all of the assets of Net 1 Applied Technology Holdings Limited, a public company incorporated in South Africa (Aplitec), as well as providing working capital to enable Net 1 to expand its operations and develop its internal infrastructure on an international basis. Net 1, through the Brait Group, will raise the capital through sales of its common stock at $0.50 per share.
Net 1, through the Brait Group, has provided the board of directors of Aplitec with an offer to acquire substantially all the assets and all of the liabilities of Aplitec (excluding 300 million South African Rand (ZAR) plus enough cash as is necessary to pay ZAR 0.25 for each ordinary Aplitec share owned by a holder who elects to receive cash) for approximately $129 million through a combination of cash and share exchange offer to Aplitecs shareholders also at a purchase price per share of $0.50. Aplitec is engaged in the sales, maintenance and development of UEPS smart card based products in South Africa and its surrounding territories with annual revenues of approximately $100 million. Aplitec has approximately 2,100 employees. Completion of the financing is subject to compliance with regulatory requirements in South Africa and in the United States, including an increase in the authorized capitalization of Net 1 to permit the Net 1 securities to be issued. If the acquisition takes place, the stockholders of the Company as of this date will own 4.78% of the outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis. In the short term, management has continued the suspension of various expenses, including payments under its consulting agreement with its chief executive officer, Claude Guerard.
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Management continues to strive to meet the following two business strategies:
The aforementioned Patent and Technology Agreement entitles Net 1 to receive all of Net 1 Holdings license sales revenue in an amount equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization. This agreement has produced minimal revenues and Net 1 has suffered recurring operating losses as is normal in development stage companies. At December 31, 2003, Net 1 had a working capital deficiency of $517,463. If the proposed transactions discussed are not completed, Net 1 may not be able to continue as a going concern beyond the second quarter of 2004.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR BUSINESS
The following description of our business is intended to provide an understanding of our product and the direction of our initial marketing strategy. As Net 1 is in its developmental stages, any focus described in the following may change and different initiatives may be pursued although none are presently contemplated.
We intend to develop and implement a branded payment system utilizing our proprietary technology. The payment system network will operate under the name "Net 1." The Net 1 payment system will provide an alternative to existing payment systems such as credit cards, debit cards, bank wires, checks and cash. Net 1's initial focus will be on products where we do not expose ourselves to credit risk.
The Net 1 system employs cards that are similar to credit cards, but which have a computer chip embedded within them that can both store and process information. The Net 1 system is based on two components developed by the founders of Net 1, the FTS, for which patents have been obtained or applied for in certain jurisdictions, and the UEPS. The FTS describes a secure method of transferring funds from one smart card to another without the need for the card-to-card transaction to be processed through a central computer issuing system, a so-called off-line transaction. The UEPS is a suite of computer programs that incorporates the FTS to deliver a fully integrated payment and settlement system.
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We will license our proprietary technology to other entities which will issue Net 1 cards to their customers. Depending on the specifics of the application, as discussed below, funds are loaded onto the computer chip on the cardholder's card either by the cardholder or by others, including employers or governmental benefit providers. Once loaded with funds, the cardholder may pay for goods or services by transferring funds from his or her card to a merchant that accepts Net 1 cards.
Unlike other smart card based cash substitute schemes like Mondex® and VisaCash®, which have had unsuccessful pilot programs in the past, we believe that the technology underlying the Net 1 payment system offers a variety of benefits to the cardholder which makes the Net 1 system much more than merely a substitute for cash. For example:
In addition, interest can be paid on account balances. The benefits that are inherent in the Net 1 system make it attractive to issuers, cardholders and merchants in geographically and economically diverse areas.
Since our inception, we have not yet been successful in raising the capital required to implement our business plan. No assurances can therefore be given that we will be successful in attracting capital or meeting our business objectives in the future. If the proposed transactions discussed above are not completed, Net 1 may not be able to continue as a going concern beyond the second quarter of 2004.
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Net 1's technological platform is based on two fundamental components:
FTS Patents. The FTS describe a method for the safe and secure transfer of funds from one smart card to another in a secure and off-line manner, which means that no contact is required with the card issuer or authorization center at the time of the transaction. The FTS incorporates how these cards can be loaded or re-loaded with funds as well as how these funds can be redeemed for value in a banking or non-banking environment.
Status of FTS Patents. The FTS patents are registered in the United States, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland.
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The European patent was filed in October 1990 and granted in December 1994. The European Patent Convention provides for an opposition period of nine months following the grant of a European patent, and six parties filed an opposition to the grant of the FTS patent. The case was heard before a Board of the Opposition Division in March 1998 and the patent was upheld. Following this decision, a number of the original opponents filed an appeal. The oral proceedings for the appeal were heard on October 10, 2002 and the Appeal Board reversed the earlier decision. The formal written decision from the Appeal Board was received on December 24, 2002. Consequently, the European patent has been revoked and there is no possibility of any further appeal.
As a result of this ruling, Net 1 will not be able to collect any patent royalties in the European Union. However, our business plan and forecast do not account for such royalties as a major source of revenue in the medium to long-term, as the key to Net 1s operations in Europe is based on its know-how and ability to exploit the technology rather than on its proprietary right. Accordingly, while Net 1 is disappointed in this ruling, it has not and is not expected to have a material adverse effect on Net 1 in the medium or long-term.
The FTS patent in the United States was granted on December 29, 1992. A reissue patent was granted under number Re. 36,788 on July 25, 2000. It currently remains in full force and effect, and Net 1 is not aware of any challenges to its enforceability.
UEPS. The UEPS technology is a suite of software programs that incorporates the FTS patents into a fully integrated payment and settlement system. The primary strengths of UEPS are its affordability, security and flexibility. The system is affordable because transactions occur between the computer chips embedded in the two smart cards involved. Because the computer chips on the smart cards contain the software necessary to enable UEPS transactions, the terminals required to enable these transactions contain far fewer components and circuitry compared to traditional Point of Sale terminals. There is also a reduced need for processing power and on-board memory and, therefore, on-line communication (i.e. internal modem) is not necessary. As a result, the UEPS terminals are relatively inexpensive, and do not require specialized technical expertise for installation. This eliminates the need for existing infrastructures such as electricity, telephone or data transmission. The payment system is secure because all transactions are verified (i.e. confirmation of the actual transfer of the funds) between the two smart cards, which are involved in the transaction using advanced hardware tamper protection and cryptographic systems, together with protocols and techniques developed by the founders of the technology. The UEPS also allows for pin code or biometric (fingerprint) verification of the cardholder at the time of transacting, which further enhances the security of the system. Finally, UEPS is flexible because transactions are completed offline, thus eliminating virtually all restrictions on where verified transactions can occur.
The first version of UEPS was released in 1991, and included software to both operate each smart card as well as the main payment system network. UEPS provides all of the functions necessary to issue and manage a smart card and terminal base as well as those needed to effect settlement between all of the operators and participants. UEPS is
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fully traceable and auditable and can provide advanced facilities such as loss tolerance and interest distribution. Finally, UEPS is scalable and can be made available to well established market leaders or as a starter kit to smaller organizations.
Net 1 owns the exclusive right to market and sell the technology worldwide excluding South Africa and its surrounding territories and the right to license the U.S. FTS patent.
IDENTIFIED SOURCES OF REVENUE
Net 1 has identified several potential general sources of revenue including:
| • | manufacture licensing, |
| • | usage licensing, |
| • | joint ventures, and |
| • | hardware sales. |
Net 1 Holdings has received license usage fees during calendar year 2002 from Visa International Service Association and FTS licensees for Latvia, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda and the CIS states. None of the other sources of revenue has yet been developed and there can be no assurance that any will develop.
Manufacture Licensing. Licenses will be required by all manufacturers that produce smart cards that incorporate into their embedded computer chip applications that utilize the FTS patents. Net 1 intends to charge a fee to smart card manufacturers for each smart card produced by such manufacturer that includes the FTS application. In addition, it is anticipated that a yearly fee will also be charged which will entitle the manufacturers to product information and workshop materials from Net 1.
Manufacturers of point of sale terminals and prepaid utility meter terminals who wish to produce terminals capable of supporting FTS based applications will be licensed by Net 1. It is anticipated that these manufacturer licenses will be based on a variety of payment systems including, for example, annual payments, per-terminal payments or transaction fees, depending upon the particular circumstances. Generally, the terminals used in connection with the FTS/UEPS based payment system, unlike other payment systems, do not require a great deal of technology as the security process used by the payment system is managed in its entirety by the two smart cards transacting at the time. Manufacturers, therefore, can mass-produce low cost terminals for the Net 1 FTS/UEPS payment systems. These potential revenues have now been limited to manufacturers that are U.S. based as the European FTS patent has been revoked.
Usage Licensing. We will license entities that will operate specific applications that use FTS intellectual property or the combined FTS/UEPS payment system. We anticipate that the license fees for these licenses will include a combination of annual fees as well as transaction fees.
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Net 1 receives revenue from Net 1 Holdings from all sales of licenses equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization as certified by its auditors in its annual financial statement. Net 1 will recognize the revenue in the period when the audited financial statements of Net 1 Holdings become available and will report the revenue on a net basis as the Company is acting as an agent for Net 1 Holdings as per the Patent and Technology agreement dated May 3, 2000.
Net 1 Holdings has received license usage fees during calendar year 2002 from FTS licensees in Latvia, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda and the CIS states.
For fiscal 2003, Net 1 recorded revenues of $41,017 from Net 1 Holdings.
Joint Ventures. We will explore opportunities to form joint ventures with entities within particular geographic territories. The joint venturer would then act as a system operator in that territory. Under this scenario we will act as a licensor and may have an equity interest or other participation in the licensee. It is contemplated that we will enter into technology and know-how transfer agreements in exchange for our interest in the joint venture and the other joint venture partner or partners will contribute capital and other expertise necessary to exploit the technology in the given territory.
Hardware Sales. We will pursue arrangements with smart card and terminal manufacturers which will enable us to purchase these items of hardware in volume at preferential prices. We contemplate selling these items to our licensees, passing along a portion of the price savings. These revenues will only become possible if we are able to raise the funds we require to operate the Company as per the business plan.
MARKET FOCUS
In an effort to allocate our resources in an efficient manner, management of Net 1 has identified two distinct markets for our products based on the benefits that cardholders, merchant cardholders and others would find desirable from the payment system. Net 1 has developed marketing strategies to develop these two markets.
The first and primary set of markets for the technology is the less developed markets, which are characterized by a lack of reliable, extensive and inexpensive telecommunications and related infrastructure systems. These markets have relatively little penetration of credit or debit cards, and a large portion of the population does not have access to traditional banking services. Aplitec has substantial experience in developing and tailoring UEPS applications to meet the specific needs of potential clients in these environments. Net 1 intends to leverage Aplitecs experience to secure new contracts in other less developed markets.
The second set of markets is the more developed markets. These markets have reliable, extensive and inexpensive telecommunications networks, a considerable penetration of credit and debit card services, and the vast majority of their populations have access to banking products.
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Less Developed Markets. Net 1s present competition in the less developed markets is principally cash. In addition, other companies are developing smart-card based systems for these markets, some of which may become competitive. The less developed markets comprise the great majority of the worlds population, and there is generally no alternative to cash in these markets. Due to their lack of infrastructure, these markets have not been particularly attractive to alternative payment systems such as debit and credit cards. Net 1 believes that its product is particularly well suited for these markets, and while individual transactions may be smaller than in developed markets, the volume of these transactions is potentially much greater, representing a significant opportunity for attaining licensing fees and joint ventures.
Net 1s goal in these markets is to provide a payment system to the population as an alternative to cash. Cash is expensive to handle in terms of the costs associated with administering a cash float and is particularly prone to theft. Moreover, since people in less developed markets do not have access to traditional banking products, they therefore do not deposit their money in secure savings accounts on which they earn interest. The Net 1 UEPS system can enhance the lives of the populations of these developing markets by affording them much greater security with respect to their money and making available banking products such as interest bearing savings accounts. In addition, by simplifying the administrative burden and removing the costs associated with handling cash, Net 1s system will result in significant savings to employers, governments and merchants. A significant focus of Net 1 in these markets, therefore, is to identify local licensees and/or joint venture partners that it believes will be in a position to effectively market the payment system to employers and governments.
Net 1s general strategy is to market the UEPS system to those who presently transfer money to others, like employee wages or government benefits. These entities would enter into arrangements with a card issuer, who would then issue cards to their employees or beneficiaries. The wages or benefits for these cardholders would then be loaded onto their cards, thus avoiding the need for the distribution of cash or checks. The funds loaded onto the cards could then be used at local merchants that accept the card for purchases of goods and services. Cash could also be obtained from the card at local banks or retail establishments. The goal is to develop a large installed cardholder base in the most efficient manner. Once a region has a sufficient number of cardholders, additional merchants can be solicited and the payment system expanded. As the cardholder base grows, additional benefits inherent in the UEPS will become recognized and the system will continue to grow. Net 1 is also exploring initiatives in these markets to utilize the UEPS in connection with public transportation, taxis and prepaid utility services such as telephones, electricity and water.
The Developed Markets. Our principal competition in the developed markets is the existing base of credit and traditional debit cards, as well as cash, checks and other forms of payment. In addition, several other companies are developing smart card-based payment systems. In order to effectively compete in this market, an alternative payment system must offer some identifiable benefit to the cardholder and the merchant cardholder. We believe that our product offers substantial benefits over existing payment
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systems in connection with payments for goods and services over the Internet and other selected environments.
One significant impediment to the growth of commerce over the Internet is the reluctance of consumers to broadcast sensitive credit or debit account information. Moreover, Internet transactions settled by credit card are not generally verified, resulting in increased costs for the on-line merchant. There is a need in this market for a payment system which can provide on-line merchants with instant, verified transfers of payments from customers, while not requiring the customer to transmit any information over the Internet which can identify the customers payment account. We believe that the Net 1 FTS/UEPS payment system can meet these objectives as well as provide additional benefits to on-line consumers and merchants.
We envision a system in which consumers can use their existing account at a financial institution to load their cards with funds. This procedure will be able to operate in many different ways, depending on the relationship between Net 1 and the specific financial institution. If no relationship exists, a simple debit or stop order could be used to allow the cardholder to load his or her UEPS smart card through a simple Internet application, utilizing any personal computer equipped with a smart card reader. In the case where the financial institution is a licensee of Net 1, the debit or stop order would not be required to achieve the above mentioned result. Interest rates and other incentives could be offered to cardholders as an incentive to maintain higher balances on their UEPS smart cards. Internet merchants would then be able to accept guaranteed payments for the goods or services they offer over the Internet. Merchants and service providers would be able to deposit these payments in any financial institution on a daily basis. Cardholders would be protected against the unauthorized use of their card and would always maintain a full audit trail of all their transactions.
Our Internet payment solution is similar to our standard off-line POS transaction. Our ability to readily adapt UEPS to Internet transactions is due to the patented end-to-end security protocol that ensures that any active communication can only be interpreted by the cardholder and the merchant cardholders. We believe that the risk of fraud, repudiation or non-payment is less than competing systems.
Net 1 intends to have a system that can provide payment functionality in pay-as-you-use services. These services include, for example, access to databases or other information systems, professional advice or advanced software or special application systems. There are other competing systems that have been proposed for these markets. Our continuous debit function could ensure that payment is made while the service is being used. This same functionality can be used in applications such as fuel dispensing and telephonic communication.
We intend to market this product to on-line retailers and service providers and will develop a final product based on the specifications for the system required by these entities. Once there is a sufficient installed base of cards, Net 1 will then broaden its focus to conventional banking and retail applications in these markets.
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COMPETITION
In addition to competition that we face from the use of cash, checks, credit and debit cards and other existing payment systems, we have identified a number of other products currently being produced that use smart card technology in connection with a fund transfer system. These include Mondex, Proton and EMV, which represent products from Visa, MasterCard and Europay. We believe that the UEPS technology can be distinguished from these competitors in a number of significant ways.
The most significant advantages of Net 1s products are the following:
In addition, the UEPS technology includes functionality that allows:
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ITEM 2. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTIES
Net 1 does not own any properties. We rent office facilities and services on an as-needed basis at 744 West Hastings Street, Vancouver B.C. Canada from Gilmour, McKay Roberts Consulting Limited, one of our financial consultants. We rent this office on a month-to-month basis at a rate of $1,000 per month.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Net 1 is not involved in, nor is it aware of, any significant legal or arbitration proceedings which are pending or threatened and which may have, or have had in the twelve-month period preceding this report, a material effect upon the financial position of Net 1 and its subsidiaries or affiliates.
ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
Not Applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS
There is currently limited public trading of Net 1's common stock on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol NUEP. As of February 27, 2004, the price per share of Net 1 common stock quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board was $9.00 per share and, there were 56 shareholders of record of our common stock. Our common stock traded on the Pink Sheets of the National Quotation System under the symbol NUEP from February 2000 to mid- December 2000. In mid-December 2000, our common stock again traded on the OTC Bulletin Board as the Company complied with the OTC Bulletin Board Eligibility
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Rule. The following table sets forth the high and low bid quotations for the common stock for the periods indicated. These quotations reflect prices between dealers, do not include retail mark-ups, mark-downs, and commissions and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
| PERIOD | HIGH | LOW | ||
| Quarter ended March 31, 2002 | $ 1.45 | $0.75 | ||
| Quarter ended June 30, 2002 | $ 1.35 | $0.95 | ||
| Quarter ended September 30, 2002 | $ 1.20 | $0.90 | ||
| Quarter ended December 31, 2002 | $ 1.30 | $0.90 | ||
| Quarter ended March 31, 2003 | $ 1.30 | $0.95 | ||
| Quarter ended June 30, 2003 | $ 2.12 | $1.06 | ||
| Quarter ended September 30, 2003 | $ 2.40 | $1.90 | ||
| Quarter ended December 31, 2003 | $ 6.80 | $2.22 | ||
| First Quarter to March 29, 2004 | $10.15 | $5.22 |
Net 1's transfer agent is Florida Atlantic Stock Transfer Inc., located at 7130 Nob Hill Road, Tamarac, Florida, 33321.
Net 1 has not paid any dividends on its shares of common stock since its incorporation and presently intends to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the expansion of business. Net 1 does not anticipate that any cash dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. The future dividend policy will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, expansion plans, financial condition and other relevant factors.
ITEM 6. SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected financial data should be read together with Managements Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation, the financial statements and notes thereto and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or Net 1s previously filed Annual Reports on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000. The Statements of Operations data set forth below of Net 1 for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999, and the Balance Sheet data as of December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999 have been derived from Net 1s audited financial statements.
Selected Historical Financial Data of Net 1
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | ||||||
| (in US $, except number of shares) | ||||||||||
| Income Statement | ||||||||||
| Revenue | - | - | - | 157,565 | 41,017 | |||||
| Administrative expenses | 267,161 | 336,685 | 677,879 | 324,615 | 322,907 | |||||
| Financing costs | - | (475 | ) | (284 | ) | (108 | ) | (21 | ) | |
| (Loss)/Profit from operations | (267,161 | ) | (336,210 | ) | (677,595 | ) | (166,942 | ) | (281,869 | ) |
| Basic EPS | (0.02 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (0.04 | ) | (0.01 | ) | (0.02 | ) |
| Diluted EPS | (0.02 | ) | (0.03 | ) | (0.04 | ) | (0.01 | ) | (0.02 | ) |
| Cash dividends paid | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
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| Balance Sheet | ||||||||||
| Total assets | 87,470 | 795,623 | 90,902 | 114,039 | 12,784 | |||||
| Total liabilities | 145,720 | 185,353 | 158,227 | 348,306 | 528,920 | |||||
| Shareholders equity | (58,250 | ) | 610,270 | (67,325 | ) | (234,267 | ) | (516,136 | ) | |
| Shares outstanding at year-end | 10,873,244 | 15,852,856 | 15,852,856 | 15,852,856 | 15,852,856 |
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
Managements discussion and analysis contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These statements consist of any statement other than a recitation of historical fact and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, except, anticipate, estimate or continue or use of negative or other variations of comparable terminology. Management cautions that these statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, that these forward-looking statements are necessarily speculative, and there are certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those referred to in forward-looking statements.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements of the Company and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere.
Net 1 is a development stage company, has a limited operating and financial history and is subject to the risks, uncertainties and problems frequently encountered by companies in early stages of operation. Net 1s historical results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected in the future.
Introduction to Results of Operations
Net Revenues
Net 1 has identified several potential general sources of revenue including:
| • | manufacture licensing, |
| • | usage licensing, |
| • | joint ventures, and |
| • | hardware sales. |
Net 1 Holdings has received license usage fees during 2003 from Visa International Service Association and FTS licenses for Latvia, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda and Nigeria.
None of the other sources of revenue has yet been developed and there can be no assurance that any will develop.
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Manufacture Licensing
Licenses will be required by all manufacturers that produce smart cards that incorporate into their embedded computer chip applications that utilize the FTS patents. Net 1 intends to charge a fee to smart card manufacturers for each smart card produced by such manufacturer that includes the FTS application. In addition, it is anticipated that a yearly fee will also be charged which will entitle the manufacturers to product information and workshop materials from Net 1.
Manufacturers of POS terminals and prepaid utility meter terminals who wish to produce terminals capable of supporting FTS based applications will be licensed by Net 1. It is anticipated that these manufacturer licenses will be based on a variety of payment systems including, for example, annual payments, per-terminal payments or transaction fees, depending upon the particular circumstances. Generally, the terminals used in connection with the FTS/UEPS based payment system, unlike other payment systems, do not require a great deal of technology as the security process used by the payment system is managed in its entirety by the two smart cards transacting at the time. Manufacturers, therefore, can mass-produce low cost terminals for the Net 1 FTS/UEPS payment systems. These potential revenues have now been limited to manufacturers that are U.S.-based as the European FTS patent has been revoked.
Usage Licensing
We will license entities that will operate specific applications that use FTS patent or the UEPS technology. We anticipate that the license fees for these licenses will include a combination of annual fees as well as transaction fees.
Net 1 receives revenue from Net 1 Holdings from all sales of licenses equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization. Net 1 will recognize the revenue in the period when the financial statements of Net 1 Holdings become available and will report the revenue on a net basis as Net 1 is acting as an agent for Net 1 Holdings as per the Patent and Technology Agreement dated May 3, 2000.
Net 1 Holdings has received license usage fees during 2003 from Visa International Service Association and FTS licensees for Latvia, Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda and Nigeria.
In 2003, Net 1 recorded revenues of $41,017 from Net 1 Holdings.
Joint Ventures
We will explore opportunities to form joint ventures with entities within particular geographic territories. The joint venturer would then act as a system operator in that territory. Under this scenario we will act as a licensor and may have an equity interest or other participation in the licensee. It is contemplated that we will enter into technology and know-how transfer agreements in exchange for our interest in the joint venture and the other joint venture partner or partners will contribute capital and other expertise necessary to exploit the technology in the given territory.
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Hardware Sales
Net 1 will pursue arrangements with smart card and terminal manufacturers which will enable us to purchase these items of hardware in volumes at preferential prices. We contemplate selling these items to our licensees, passing along a portion of the price savings. These revenues will only become possible if we are able to raise the funds we require to operate Net 1 as per the business plan.
Operating Expenses
Net 1s operating expenses consist primarily of statutory expenses, administrative expenses, business development expenses and travel expenses. In addition, Net 1 historically has incurred operating expenses related to its outsourcing agreements and a consulting agreement with Claude Guerard, its Chief Executive Officer.
As a result of conditions specified in the report of the Companys auditors, Net 1s independent accountants have expressed substantial doubt as to the Companys ability to continue as a going concern.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
is based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation
of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses.
On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to
depreciation, amortization, asset valuation allowances, contingencies and litigation.
We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions
that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which
form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results
may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We
believe that the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant
judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.
Comprehensive Income
SFAS No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income, establishes standards for the reporting and display of comprehensive income and its components in the financial statements. As at October 31, 2002, the Company has no items that represent comprehensive income and, therefore, has not included a schedule of comprehensive income in the financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
FASB has issued SFAS No. 147, 148 and 149 but, because they have no relationship to the operations of the Company, we are not including a descriptions of these statements and their potential impact on the Companys operations.
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In May 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 150 Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity. SFAS No. 150 establishes standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. It requires that an issuer classify a financial instrument that is within its scope as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances). The requirements of SFAS No. 150 apply to issuers classification and measurement of freestanding financial instruments, including those that comprise more than one option or forward contract. SFAS No. 150 does not apply to features that are embedded in a financial instrument that is not a derivative in its entirety. SFAS No. 150 is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003, except for mandatory redeemable financial instruments of non-public entities. It is to be implemented by reporting the cumulative effect of a change in an accounting principal for financial instruments created before the issuance date of SFAS No. 150 and still existing at the beginning of the interim period of adoption. Restatement is not permitted. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material effect on the Companys results of operations or financial position.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Computer equipment is amortized over five years on a straight-line basis.
Long-Lived Assets
Costs to acquire exclusive license rights to specific technology are considered Long-Lived assets and are capitalized as incurred. These costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over five years. Intangible assets are evaluated in each reporting period to determine if there were events or circumstances which would indicate a possible inability to recover the carrying amount. Such evaluation is based on various analyses including assessing the Companys ability to bring the commercial applications to market, related profitability projections and undiscounted cash flows relating to each application which necessarily involves significant management judgment.
Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share
The Company computes net income (loss) per share in accordance with SFAS No. 128, Earnings per Share (SFAS 128). SFAS 128 requires presentation of both basic and diluted earnings per shares (EPS) on the face of the income statement. Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders (numerator) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding (denominator) during the period. Diluted EPS gives effect to all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period including stock options, using the treasury stock method, and convertible preferred stock, using the if-converted method. In computing Diluted EPS, the average stock price for the period is used in determining the number of shares assumed to be purchased from the exercise of stock options or warrants. Diluted EPS excludes all dilutive potential common shares if their effect is antidilutive.
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Foreign Currency Transactions/Balances
Transactions in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are translated at the rate in effect on the transaction date. Any balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using the rate in effect on the balance sheet date.
Financial Instruments
The Companys financial instruments consist of cash, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and advances from a related party. Unless otherwise noted, it is managements opinion that the Company is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments. The fair value of cash, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and advances from a related party approximates their carrying value due to immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments.
Tax Accounting
Potential benefits of income tax losses are not recognized in the accounts until realization is more likely than not.
The Company had adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109 (SFAS 109) as of its inception. The Company has incurred net operating losses as scheduled below:
| Year of | |||||||||
| Year of Loss | Amount | Expiration | |||||||
| 1997 | $ | 135,000 | 2012 | ||||||
| 1998 | 659,000 | 2013 | |||||||
| 1999 | 267,000 | 2014 | |||||||
| 2000 | 336,000 | 2015 | |||||||
| 2001 | 674,000 | 2016 | |||||||
| 2002 | 166,000 | 2017 | |||||||
| 2003 | 282,000 | 2018 | |||||||
| $ | 2,519,000 |
Pursuant to SFAS 109, the Company is required to compute tax asset benefits for net operating losses carried forward. Potential benefit of net operating losses have not been recognized in these financial statements because the Company cannot be assured it is more likely than not it will utilize the net operating losses carried forward in future years.
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The components of the net deferred tax asset at the end of December 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001, and the statutory tax rate, the effective tax rate and the elected amount of the valuation allowance are scheduled below:
| 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | ||||
| $ | $ | $ | ||||
| Net Operating Loss | 282,000 | 166,297 | 673,575 | |||
| Statutory | 34% | 34% | 34% | |||
| Effective Tax Rate | - | - | - | |||
| Deferred Tax Asset | 95,880 | 56,541 | 229,022 | |||
| Valuation Allowance | (95,880 | ) | (56,541 | ) | (229,022 | ) |
| Net Deferred Tax Asset | - | - | - |
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements (SAB 101). Revenue is recognized only when the price is fixed or determinable, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the service is performed, and collectability is reasonably assured.
The Company had applied, up until June 30, 2002, Emerging Issues Task Force Issue 99-19, Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent (ETIF 99-19). The Company sold licenses on behalf of Net 1 Holdings and, acting as an agent, recorded revenue on a net basis in accordance with EITF 99-19. Revenue, up to June 30, 2002, was equal to Net 1 Holdings prior year annual after tax net profit before amortization as certified by its independent auditors.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2003 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2002
Management continues to be actively involved in negotiations to secure sufficient equity and/or debt financing to fund Net 1s business plan.
On April 30, 2003, Net 1 retained the Brait Group to provide advisory services and assistance in order to raise equity and/or debt funding for Net 1. On October 24, 2003, the Company announced that it is completing financial arrangements for the securing of approximately $150 million, including amounts from the Brait Consortium. The financing, comprising the capital raising of approximately $53 million and a share issuance in connection with the reinvestment option, of approximately $97 million will enable Net 1 to make an offer to acquire Aplitec, as well as providing working capital to enable Net 1 to expand its operations and develop its internal infrastructure on an international basis. Net 1, through the Brait Group, will raise the capital through sales of its common stock at $0.50 per share.
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Net 1, through the Brait Group, has provided the board of directors of Aplitec with an offer to acquire substantially all the assets and all of the liabilities of Aplitec (excluding ZAR 300 million of cash plus enough cash as is necessary to pay holders of Aplitec shares an additional amount equal to ZAR 0.25 (US $0.04) for each ordinary Aplitec share for which such Aplitec shareholder elects the cash option) for approximately $129 million through a combination of cash and share exchange offer to Aplitecs shareholders also at a purchase price per share of $0.50. Aplitec is engaged in the sales, maintenance and development of UEPS smart card based products in South Africa and its surrounding territories with revenues of approximately $100 million. Aplitec has approximately 2,100 employees. Completion of the financing is subject to compliance with regulatory requirements in South Africa and in the United States, including an increase in the authorized capitalization of Net 1 to permit the shares to be issued.
In the short term, management has continued the suspension of various expenses, including its consulting agreement with its chief executive officer, Claude Guerard.
Management continues to be actively involved in negotiations with potential clients in view of reaching two main targets:
Revenue
Net 1 received revenue from Net 1 Holdings from all sales of licenses equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization. Net 1 recognized the revenue in the period when the financial statements of Net 1 Holdings become available and will report the revenue on a net basis as Net 1 is acting as an agent for Net 1 Holdings pursuant to a Patent and Technology Agreement dated May 3, 2000. Effective July 1, 2002, Net 1 entered into a new Distribution Agreement with Net 1 (Pty), which replaced a previous agreement. Under this Agreement, Net 1 (Pty) markets, sells and implements UEPS systems on behalf of Net 1. Any license fees arising from sales by Net 1 (Pty) are paid to Net 1 via Net 1 Holdings, for which Net 1 (Pty) receives a commission of 9.5% of all license fees paid by the customer for the duration of the licenses existence. This fee is only applicable for new licenses and upgrades of existing licenses.
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Net 1s revenue decreased by $116,548 in 2003 from $157,565 to $41,017. This is due to a decrease in license fees and an increase in related expenses, as shown in the following chart:
| Year ended | Year ended | |||||
| December 31, 2002 | December 31, 2001 | Increase / | ||||
| (included in Net 1 | (included in Net 1 | (Decrease) in | ||||
| fiscal 2003) | fiscal 2002) | Net 1 revenue | ||||
| Revenue License fees | ||||||
| Latvia | 0 | 50,000 | (50,000 | ) | ||
| Burundi | 5,000 | 5,000 | | |||
| Malawi | 61,532 | 61,308 | 224 | |||
| Rwanda | 5,000 | 5,000 | | |||
| CIS States | 0 | 68,123 | (68,123 | ) | ||
| VISA | 2,000 | 0 | 2,000 | |||
| Multichoice Nigeria | 10,000 | 0 | 10,000 | |||
| Total Revenue | 83,532 | 189,431 | (105,899 | ) | ||
| General and administrative expenses | 25,239 | 15,866 | (9,373 | ) | ||
| Taxation | 17,276 | 16,000 | (1,276 | ) | ||
| Profit before amortization; attributable to Net 1 | 41,017 | 157,565 | (116,548 | ) |
The loss of license fees from the CIS States is due to a dispute with the local system operator, BGS Smart Card Systems Ges.m.b.H., who claims that the revocation of the European FTS patent relieves it from the obligation to pay licensee fees to Net 1. Net 1 is currently evaluating its options on this matter. The loss of license fees from Latvia relates to the issuing of a credit note during Net 1 Holdings fiscal 2002 for an invoice raised during Net 1 Holdings fiscal 2001 for $50,000 as a result of a dispute between Net 1 and the system operator in Latvia, Netcard. The parties agreed to waive the license fees raised by Net 1 Holdings during fiscal 2001 and that an invoice for license fees totaling $50,000 for fiscal 2002 should be raised. The net effect of the credit note and the new invoice raised is therefore zero.
The increase in general and administrative expenses was due to payments totaling $3,325 to Net 1 (Pty) under the Distribution Agreement, as well as costs related to Net 1s patent registrations.
Administrative Expenses
Administrative expenses decreased in 2003 from $324,507 to $322,886. This was due to the following:
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Net Loss
The significant decrease in revenue combined with the slight reduction in administrative expenses resulted in a net loss of $281,869 in 2003. This compares with a net loss of $166,942 for 2002. The potential benefits of income tax losses, amounting to $95,880 in 2003 and $56,541 in 2002, have not yet been recognized, and there is significant uncertainty as to whether we will realize these benefits.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash used for operating activities in 2003 was $136,399, compared to $54,468 in 2002. This increase was primarily due to higher operating losses, partially offset by an increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities due to the postponement of the payment of consulting fees to our Chief Executive Officer.
Cash from financing activities was $127,802 in 2003, compared to cash used in financing activities of $91,703 in 2002. This reversal is due to the cash flow constraints experienced by Net 1 during 2003 and the subsequent payment of $36,099 of Net 1s administrative expenses by Net 1 Holdings, which Net 1 now owes to Net 1 Holdings. This amount does not accrue interest and is due on demand.
The primary source of Net 1s cash has been through the sale of equity. Net 1 anticipates raising $52.8 million from the sale of 105,661,428 shares of Net 1 common stock to the Brait Consortium during the current fiscal year. Currently, Net 1 does not have available any established lines of credit with banking institutions.
Net 1 believes that its current cash position, as well as payments due from Net 1 Holdings, are not sufficient to meet its cash needs on a short-term basis or to implement any part of its business plan. Additionally, Net 1s management believes that it is currently unable to meet its long-term liquidity needs. Should the proposed transactions not be completed, Net 1 expects that it will be forced to cease all business operations by the end of the second quarter of 2004.
If the proposed transactions discussed above are not completed, Net 1 may not be able to continue as a going concern beyond the second quarter of 2004.
Contingent Liabilities, Commitments and Contractual Obligations
Net 1 does not have any capital commitments. Net 1s only contractual obligations and contingent liabilities arise from its appointment of an affiliate of the Brait Group as its financial advisor in connection with the Aplitec acquisition. For its services, the Brait Group will receive a fee based on a percentage of the capital raised to finance the Aplitec acquisition, in addition to a corporate finance fee of ZAR 1.15 million (US $170,750). If the proposed transactions are consummated, the Brait Group will be paid a fee of approximately $3.9 million. The Brait Group has the option of applying up to $2.5
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million of its capital raising fee to purchase 5 million shares of Net 1 common stock at a purchase price of $0.50 per share.
Year Ended December 31, 2002 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2001
During 2002, management was actively involved in negotiations to secure sufficient equity and/or debt financing to fund Net 1s business plans. On October 23, 2002, Net 1 retained Investec Limited (Investec), an international merchant banking group, to provide corporate finance services and assistance in order to raise equity and/or debt funding for Net 1. Subsequently, on February 12, 2003, Investec and Net 1 mutually agreed to terminate the engagement. During 2002, Net 1 continued to pursue various negotiations to secure necessary funding either through equity/debt financing or a joint venture arrangement to develop its business.
In the short term, management has postponed various expenses including the consulting agreement with Claude Guerard and its Outsourcing Agreement with Net 1 (Pty).
In October 2002, Net 1 cancelled its Outsourcing Agreement with Net 1 (Pty) and both companies entered into a Distribution Agreement with an effective date of July 1, 2002. Net 1 (Pty), at its entire discretion and when it deems appropriate and under the terms and conditions as stipulated in the Distribution Agreement, will provide Net 1, with marketing, sales, administrative and technical support as an accredited UEPS integrator for any country in the world other than South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Net 1 will pay Net 1 (Pty) an amount equal to 9.5% of the license fee paid by the customer for the duration of the licenses existence. This fee is only applicable for new licenses and upgrades of existing licenses. Net 1 also settled its indebtedness to Net 1 (Pty) for services rendered up to July 2002 for an amount of $50,000.
Management continues to be actively involved in negotiations in view of reaching two main targets required for the future of Net 1:
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Revenue
Net 1 is still in its development stage, and principal activities have produced revenues of $157,673, which represent license fees collected by Net 1 Holdings during 2001. License fees collected by Net 1 Holdings, during calendar year 2002 total $41,017 and have been accounted for during Net 1s 2003 fiscal year.
Net 1 receives revenue from Net 1 Holdings from all sales of licenses equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization as certified by its auditors in its annual financial statement. Net 1 recognized the revenue in the period when the audited financial statements of Net 1 Holdings become available and will report the revenue on a net basis as Net 1 is acting as an agent for Net 1 Holdings as per the Patent and Technology Agreement dated May 3, 2000.
Administrative Expenses
Administrative expenses have decreased $353,088 from $677,595 in the year 2001 to $324,507 during the year 2002. This decrease resulted primarily from a reduction in business development expenses and travel costs, as well as the cancellation of the above-referenced Outsourcing Agreement with Net 1 (Pty). The fees paid under this Agreement reduced from $356,938 in 2001 to $75,047 in 2002 (prior to its cancellation). Management intends to keep operating expenses at the lowest possible level by developing outsourcing policies.
Other
Management continues its efforts to secure the funding required to exploit the FTS/UEPS technology on a worldwide basis. During 2002, Net 1 held meetings with Jones Gable Securities, Gruntal Securities and Thompson Kernaghan to explore possible funding opportunities. None of these meetings were successful.
Strategic alliances, joint ventures and/or investments in companies having expertise in IT services, financial services and proven market penetration are currently being explored.
Year Ended December 31, 2001 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2000
Results of Operations
In 2001 and 2000, management of Net 1 was intensively involved in negotiations to secure sufficient equity and/or debt financing to fund Net 1s business plans. In 2001, management suspended payments under the Consulting Agreement with its chief executive officer, Claude Guerard and terminated its Outsourcing Agreement with Net 1 (Pty), Net 1s UEPS integrator for the Central Europe, Middle East and African regions.
Management sought to enter into strategic alliances to achieve two main targets:
| • | To establish a partnership agreement with information
technology and financial service providers that would provide the total
technical support |
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required by Net 1s licensees to launch and
develop their own applications based on the FTS patent and the related
UEPS technologies and services. To that end, the first partnerships agreement
was signed in February 2001, retroactive to January 1, 2001 with Net 1
(Pty), a South African company for the CEMEA area (Central Europe, the
Middle East and Africa region). |
|||
| • | To develop Net 1s licensee network on a worldwide
basis. During 2001, Net 1 appointed new licensees in Latvia, Burundi,
and Malawi, and negotiated new licensees in various African countries
(Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania) as well as
Australia and other countries in South America and the Middle East. The
Australian licensee subsequently sought to implement FTS-based systems
in Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Indonesia. On April 6, 2001,
Net 1 issued the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Malawis central bank, with
a license to operate Net 1s FTS/UEPS technology on its behalf and
to market the technology to the banks in Malawi. A national switching
and smart card system Malswitch) was installed by Net 1s
UEPS integrator. Malswitchs initial launch is expected to total
approximately 200,000 smart cards with initial applications in banking
services. |
Revenue
During 2001 and 2000, Net 1 was in its development stage. Planned principal activities did not generate revenues in 2001 or 2000.
Net 1 received revenue from Net 1 Holdings from all sales of licenses equal to Net 1 Holdings annual after tax net profit before amortization as certified by its auditors in its annual financial statement. Net 1 recognized the revenue in the period in which the audited financial statements of Net 1 Holdings became available and reported such revenue on a net basis as Net 1 acted as an agent for Net 1 Holdings as per the Patent and Technology agreement dated May 3, 2000.
Net 1 Holdings did not receive license usage fees during calendar years 2001 or 2000 from FTS/UEPS licensees. Consequently, Net 1 was not able to generate any fees from these licenses.
Administrative Expenses
Administrative expenses increased $341,385 from $336,210 in 2000 to $677,595 during 2001. The increase resulted primarily from an increase in business development expenses, administrative costs, consulting fees, and fees paid to Net 1 (Pty) pursuant to an Outsourcing Agreement, under which Net 1 (Pty) provided certain advertising, marketing, bookkeeping and technical advisory services to Net 1. Management succeeded in keeping operating expenses at the lowest possible level during 2000 and 2001 by outsourcing for necessary services.
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Other
In October 2000, Net 1 raised $1,000,000 by issuing 250,000 shares at $4.00 per share by way of a private placement.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The primary source of Net 1s cash has been through the sale of equity. As of December 31, 2002, Net 1 did not have available any established lines of credit with banking facilities.
Net 1 recognized revenue of $157,673 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 from license fees collected through December 31, 2001 by Net 1 Holdings. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2003, Net 1 expects to receive $41,017 from sales of licenses.
Net 1s cash position decreased $37,235 from $57,289 at December 31, 2001 to $20,054 at December 31, 2002. The cash was used to fund operating expenses.
Net 1 anticipates raising additional funds from the sale of equity during 2003 and 2004. To the extent raised, such capital will be used for working capital.
Net 1 believes that its current available cash position and revenues due from Net 1 Holdings is sufficient to meet its cash needs on a short-term basis, but Net 1 will need a substantial amount of additional capital to pursue its business plans in any meaningful manner.
Net 1s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon Net 1s ability in the near future to (i) raise additional funds through equity financings, loans or joint venture agreements, involving affiliates, controlling shareholders, and related or unrelated parties, and (ii) further develop markets for its products.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Market risk generally represents the risk of loss that may result from the potential change in value of a financial instrument as a result of fluctuations in interest rates and market prices. We have not traded or otherwise transacted in derivatives not do we expect to do so in the future subject to adjustments in policy considerations as they relate to the possible Aplitec acquisition. We have established policies and internal processes related to the management of market risks which we will use in the normal course of our business operations.
Interest Rate Risk
The fair value of long-term debt is subject to interest rate risk. As we currently do not have any long-term debt, and do not anticipate incurring such as part of our current operations, we believe a change in interest rates would not have a material impact on our financial condition, future results of operations or cash flows.
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Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
Our revenues to date have been from Net 1 Holdings and have been denominated in US dollars. In the future as our business develops, our results of operations may be impacted by the fluctuating exchange rates of foreign currencies. Unfavorable changes in the exchange rate of a foreign currency against the US dollar will result in lower revenue when translated into US dollars. If in the future, currency fluctuations were to become significant, we would engage in hedging activities to reduce our foreign currency exposure, including the possible use of foreign exchange contracts.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
See "Index to Financial Statements" for the financial statements included in this Form 10-K.
Supplementary Financial Information.
The following table presents selected quarterly information for the periods indicated. This information has been derived from the Companys unaudited quarterly financial statements and audited year-end financial statements, which in the opinion of management includes all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of such information. The quarterly per share later presented below was calculated separately and may not sum to the annual figures presented in the year-end financial statements. These operating results are also not necessarily indicative of results for any future period.
Three Months Ended
| Dec. 31 | Sept. 30 | June 30 | March 31 | |||||||||
| Fiscal 2003 | ||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 41,017 | ||||
| Expenses | 152,067 | 51,757 | 65,131 | 53,931 | ||||||||
| Net Loss | (152,067 | ) | (51,757 | ) | (65,131 | ) | (12,914 | ) | ||||
| Net Loss per share | (0.01 | ) | - | - | - | |||||||
| Weighted Average | ||||||||||||
| Shares Outstanding | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 |
(Diluted loss per share has not been presented as the result is anti-dilutive.)
| Dec. 31 | Sept. 30 | June 30 | March 31 | |||||||||
| Fiscal 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 157,565 | ||||
| Expenses | (116,670 | ) | 146,817 | 146,622 | 147,738 | |||||||
| Net Loss | 116,670 | (146,817 | ) | (146,622 | ) | 9,827 | ||||||
| Net Loss per share | - | (0.01 | ) | (0.01 | ) | - | ||||||
| Weighted Average | ||||||||||||
| Shares Outstanding | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 | 15,853,000 |
(Diluted loss per share has not been presented as the result is anti-dilutive.)
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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Not Applicable.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.
Within the 180 days prior to the filing date of this report, the Company carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14. This evaluation was done under the supervision and with the participation of the Companys Principal Financial Officer, Mr. David Anthony. Based upon this evaluation, he concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective in gathering, analyzing and disclosing information needed to satisfy the Company's disclosure obligations under the Exchange Act.
Changes in internal controls
There were no significant changes in the Company's internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect those controls since the most recent evaluation of such controls.
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our executive officers and directors. Directors will be elected at our annual meeting of shareholders and serve for one year or until their successors are elected and qualify. Officers are elected by the board of directors and their terms of office are, except to the extent governed by employment contract, at the discretion of the board of directors.
| Name | Age | Positions Held |
| Serge Belamant | 50 | Non executive Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| Claude Guerard | 62 | Director, Chief Executive Officer |
| David Ant |