On 28 February 2019, British American Tobacco (LON: BATS) announced that the Board had declared an interim dividend of 203.0p per ordinary share of 25p, payable in four equal quarterly installments of 50.75p per ordinary share in May 2019, August 2019, November 2019 and February 2020.
The November 2019 Dividend will be payable on 14 November 2019 to shareholders registered on either the UK main register or the South Africa branch register on 4 October 2019 (the record date).
In accordance with the JSE Limited (“JSE”) Listing Requirements, the finalisation information for the November 2019 Dividend relating to shareholders registered on the South Africa branch register is set out in the paragraphs below.
The salient dates and other dividend declaration information announced on 28 February 2019 remain unchanged for the November 2019 Dividend.
South Africa Branch Register: Dividend Rate
The British American Tobacco Group reports in sterling, therefore dividends are declared and payable in sterling except for shareholders on the branch register in South Africa whose dividends are payable in rand. A rate of exchange of £:R = 18.41560 as at 19 September 2019 (the closing rate on that date as quoted by Bloomberg), results in an equivalent November 2019 Dividend of 934.59170 SA cents per ordinary share.
South Africa Branch Register: Dividends Tax Information
South Africa Dividends Tax (at a rate of 20%), equivalent to 186.91834 SA cents per ordinary share, will be withheld from the gross November 2019 Dividend paid to shareholders on the South Africa branch register, unless a shareholder qualifies for an exemption. After Dividends Tax has been withheld, the net dividend will be 747.67336 SA cents per ordinary share. The November 2019 Dividend is regarded as a ‘foreign dividend’ for the purposes of the South Africa Dividends Tax. For the purposes of South Africa Dividends Tax reporting, the source of income for the payment of the November 2019 Dividend is the United Kingdom.
At the close of business on 19 September 2019 (the latest practicable date prior to the date of the declaration of the South African rand equivalent of the November 2019 Dividend), the Company had a total of 2,293,812,896 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares). The Company held 162,645,590 ordinary shares in treasury giving a total issued share capital of 2,456,458,486 ordinary shares.
