To the Shareholders of Merafe Resources Limited
Report on the Audit of the Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated and separate financial statements of Merafe Resources Limited and its subsidiaries (the Group and Company) set out, which comprise the consolidated and separate statement of financial position as at 31 December 2025; and the consolidated and separate statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income; the consolidated and separate statement of changes in equity; and the consolidated and separate statement of cash flows for the year then ended; and notes to the consolidated and separate financial statements, including material accounting policy information.
In our opinion, the consolidated and separate financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated and separate financial position of Merafe Limited and its subsidiaries as at 31 December 2025, and its consolidated and separate financial performance and consolidated and separate cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and company in accordance with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors' Code of Professional Conduct for Registered Auditors (IRBA Code), as applicable to audits of financial statements of public interest entities, and other independence requirements applicable to performing audits of financial statements in South Africa. We have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the IRBA Code and in accordance with other ethical requirements applicable to performing audits in South Africa. The IRBA Code is consistent with the corresponding sections of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants' International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards). We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In terms of the IRBA Rule on Enhanced Auditor Reporting for the Audit of Financial Statements of Public Interest Entities, published in Government Gazette No. 49309 dated 15 September 2023 (EAR Rule), we report:
Final Materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the consolidated and separate financial statements that makes it probable that the economic decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the nature and extent of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our work.
Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the consolidated and separate financial statements as a whole as follows:
| Financial statements – group | Financial statements – company | |
| Overall materiality | R75 million (2024: R90 million). | R7 million (2024: R9 million). |
| How we determined it | It represents 1.3% of revenue | It represents 1% of net assets. |
| Rationale for benchmark applied | A key judgement in determining materiality is the appropriate benchmark to select, based on our perception of the needs of the shareholders. We reconsidered the benchmark used due to prevailing market conditions by understanding those benchmarks that would have the greatest bearing on shareholder decisions in the current year. As such, we determined revenue to be the key benchmark. | A key judgement in determining materiality is the appropriate benchmark to select, based on our perception of the needs of shareholders. We considered which benchmarks and key performance indicators have the greatest bearing on shareholder decisions. We determined that net assets remained the key benchmark as it is of particular interest to users as it depicts the value available to shareholders after the liabilities have been settled. |
Scope of our Audit
Our Group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including the structure and organisation of the Group, and assessing the risks of material misstatement at the Group level.
We selected components at which audit work in support of the group audit opinion needed to be performed in order to provide an appropriate basis for undertaking audit work to address the risks of material misstatement. Our selection was informed by taking into account the component's contribution to relevant classes of transactions, account balances or disclosures.
Based on our assessment, we performed work at 3 components (2024: 3 components). The following audit scoping was applied:
Residual values were addressed by risk assessment and analytical procedures performed at a group level.
These 3 components account for 99% of the Group's revenue (2024: 99%), and 99% of the Group's total assets (2024: 99%).
Net Assets
Revenue
Key Audit Matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated and separate financial statements of the current period.
These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated and separate financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
We have determined that there are no key audit matters to communicate in respect of the separate financial statements.
In terms of the EAR Rule, we are required to report the outcome of audit procedures or key observations with respect to the key audit matters and these are included below:
| Key Audit Matter - Group | How the matter was addressed in the audit? | |
| Impairment assessment of the Merafe Resources Limited (Group) | ||
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As disclosed in Note 38 of the consolidated financial statements, the Merafe Resources Limited market capitalisation value at 31 December 2025 was R2.7 billion in comparison to a net asset value of R4.7 billion, comprising working capital of R3.6 billion and long term assets R1.1 billion. In addition, there was a significant decrease in the Ferrochrome price, which when combined with the level of operating costs has put strain on the profitability of certain assets. These were indicators that the Group net asset value may be impaired in accordance with the requirements of IAS 36: Impairments of Assets. The Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture (Venture) is the only cash-generating unit of the Group. The directors performed an impairment assessment using value in use where the Groups net asset carrying value was compared to the recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is based on the cash flow forecasts of the Venture and the weighted average cost of capital of Merafe Resources Limited and the assessment is dependent on macro-economic factors, which include foreign currency exchange rates, commodity price forecasts as well as internal assumptions and estimates related to production levels, operating costs and customer demand. The assumptions with the most significant impact on the cash flow forecast were:
Critical judgement is required by the directors in determining the forecasted South African Rand/US Dollar exchange rates and forecasted ferrochrome commodity prices. Prior to the impairment assessment being performed on a cash generating unit basis, an asset specific impairment assessment was performed based on the closure of the Boeshok and Wonderkop smelters. This resulted in an impairment of R222 million against these smelters, writing the asset down to zero value. The smelters were placed on permanent care and maintenance in May 2025. |
In evaluating the impairment assessment of the Group's net asset value, we tested the value in use calculations prepared by directors, with a particular focus on the cash flow forecast (including the production input factors, forecasted South Africa/US Dollar exchange rates), commodity prices and the discount rate applied. Our procedures included the following:
We considered the impairment and the disclosures relating to the impairment assessment to be appropriate. |
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Other Information
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the document titled "Merafe Resources Limited Audited Consolidated and Separate Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025", which includes the Directors' Report, the Report of the Audit and Risk Committee's Report, and Company Secretary's certification, as required by the Companies Act of South Africa. The other information does not include the consolidated or the separate financial statements and our auditor's reports thereon.
Our opinion on the consolidated and separate financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express an audit opinion or any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the consolidated and separate financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the consolidated and separate financial statements, or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Responsibilities of the Directors for the Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
The directors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated and separate financial statements, in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and the requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated and separate financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated and separate financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the group and company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the group and/or company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated and separate financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated and separate financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
We communicate with the directors regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
We also provide the directors with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence and communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, actions taken to eliminate threats or safeguards applied.
From the matters communicated with the directors, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the consolidated and separate financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor's report, unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Audit Tenure
In terms of the IRBA Rule published in Government Gazette No. 39475 dated 4 December 2015, we report that Deloitte & Touche has been the auditor of Merafe Resources Limited for nine years.
Deloitte & Touche
Registered Auditor
Per: Tumellano Morake
Partner
6 March 2026
5 Magwa Crescent
Waterfall City
Waterfall
2090