Introduction

The Group has exposure to the following risks from its use of financial instruments: credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk (foreign exchange and interest rate risk). This note presents information about the Group’s exposure to each of the above risks, the Group’s objectives, policies and processes for measuring and managing risk, and the Group’s management of capital. Further quantitative disclosures are included throughout these consolidated financial statements.

Risk profile

The Group’s overall risk management programme focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimise potential adverse effects on the financial performance of the Group. The Group uses derivative financial instruments, such as forward exchange contracts, to hedge certain exposures, but as a matter of principle, the Group does not enter into derivative contracts for speculative purposes.

Risk management is carried out under policies approved by the board of directors of the Group and of relevant subsidiaries. The MTN Group executive committee identifies, evaluates and hedges financial risks in co-operation with the Group’s operating units. The board provides written principles for overall risk management, as well as for specific areas such as foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, use of derivative financial instruments, and investing excess liquidity.

Effective 1 January 2009, the Group adopted the amendment to IFRS 7 for financial instruments that are measured in the statement of financial position at fair value, this requires disclosure of fair value measurements by level of the following fair value measurement hierarchy:

• Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1).
• Inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (that is, as prices) or indirectly (that is, derived from prices) (level 2).
• Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (that is, unobservable inputs) (level 3).

The following table presents the Group’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value.

The fair value of financial instruments traded in active markets is based on quoted market prices at the reporting date. A market is regarded as active if quoted prices are readily and regularly available from an exchange, dealer, broker, industry group, pricing service, or regulatory agency, and those prices represent actual and regularly occurring market transactions on an arm’s length basis. The quoted market price used for financial assets held by the Group is the current bid price. These instruments are included in level 1. Instruments included in level 1 comprise primarily
FTSE 100 equity investments classified as trading securities or available-for-sale.

The fair value of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market is determined by using valuation techniques. These valuation techniques maximise the use of observable market date where it is available and rely as little as possible on entity specific estimates. If all significant inputs required to fair value an instrument are observable, the instrument is included in level 2.

If one or more of the significant inputs is not based on observable market data, the instrument is included in level 3.

Specific valuation techniques used to value financial instruments include:

• Quoted market prices or dealer quotes for similar instruments;
• The fair value of interest rate swaps is calculated as a present value of estimated future cash flows based on observable yield curves;
• The fair value of forward foreign exchange contracts is determined using forward exchange rates at the reporting date, with the resulting value discounted back to present value; and
• Other techniques, such as discounted cash flow analysis, are used to determine fair value for the remaining financial instruments.

Credit risk, or the risk of financial loss to the Group due to customers or counterparties not meeting their contractual obligations, is managed through the application of credit approvals, limits and monitoring procedures.

The Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying amount of the financial assets that are exposed to credit risk, with the exception of financial guarantees granted by the Group for which the maximum exposure to credit risk is the maximum amount the Group would have to pay if the guarantees are called on.

The Group holds collateral over certain trade and other receivables. The collateral is made up of demand guarantees from financial institutions and Credit Guarantee Insurance Company (CGIC) policies which can be exercised on overdue invoices.

The following instruments give rise to credit risk

Cash and cash equivalents

The Group’s exposure and the credit ratings of its counterparties are continuously monitored and the aggregate values of transactions concluded is spread amongst approved financial institutions. The Group actively seeks to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution and credit exposure is controlled by counterparty limits that are reviewed and approved by the credit risk department. Given these credit ratings, management does not expect any counterparty to fail to meet its obligations.

Trade and other receivables

The Group has no significant concentrations of credit risk, due to its widespread of customers across various operations and dispersion across geographical locations. The Group has policies in place to ensure that retail sales of products and services are made to customers with an appropriate credit history.

The recoverability of interconnect debtors in certain international operations is uncertain; however, this is actively managed within acceptable limits (this fact has been incorporated in the assessment of an appropriate revenue recognition policy in this regard (refer to note 2.20) and the impairment of trade receivables as applicable).

Liquidity risk is the risk that an entity in the Group will be unable to meets its obligations as they become due.

The Group’s approach to managing liquidity risk is to ensure that sufficient liquidity is available to meet its liabilities when due under both normal and stressed conditions, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking damage to the Group’s reputation.

The Group ensures it has sufficient cash on demand (currently the Group is maintaining a positive cash position) or access to facilities to meet expected operational expenses, including the servicing of financial obligations; this excludes the potential impact of extreme circumstances that cannot reasonably be predicted, such as natural disasters.

The following liquid resources are available

The following are the contractual maturities of financial liabilities

Interest rate risk is the risk borne by an interest-bearing asset, due to variability of interest rates.

Financial assets and liabilities that are sensitive to interest rate risk are cash and cash equivalents, bank overdrafts and loans receivable/payable. The interest rates applicable to these financial instruments are on a combination of floating and fixed basis in line with those currently available in the market.

The Group’s interest rate risk arises from the repricing of the Group’s forward cover and floating rate debt, incremental funding or new borrowings, the refinancing of existing borrowings and the magnitude of the significant cash balances which exist.

Debt in the South African entities and all holding companies (including MTN (Dubai) Limited and MTN International (Mauritius) Limited) is managed on an optimal fixed versus floating interest rate basis, in line with the approved Group Treasury Policy. Significant cash balances are also considered in the fixed versus floating interest rate exposure mix.

Debt in the majority of MTN’s non-South African operations is at floating interest rates. This is due to the underdeveloped and expensive nature of derivative products in these financial markets. MTN continues to monitor developments which may create opportunities as these markets evolve in order that each underlying operation can be aligned with the Group Treasury Policy.

The Group makes use of various products including interest rate derivatives and other appropriate hedging tools as a way to manage these risks; however, derivative instruments may only be used to hedge existing exposures.

Profile

At the reporting date the interest rate profile of the Group’s interest-bearing financial instruments was

Sensitivity analysis
The Group has used a sensitivity analysis technique that measures the estimated change to profit or loss of an instantaneous increase or decrease of 1% (100 basis points) in market interest rates, from the rate applicable at 31 December, for each class of financial instrument with all other variables remaining constant. This analysis is for illustrative purposes only, as in practice market rates rarely change in isolation.

The Group is mainly exposed to fluctuations in the following market interest rates: JIBAR, LIBOR, NIBOR and EURIBOR. Changes in market interest rates affect the interest income or expense of floating rate financial instruments. Changes in market interest rates only affect profit or loss in relation to financial instruments with fixed interest rates if these financial instruments are recognised at their fair value.

A change in the above market interest rates at the reporting date would have increased/(decreased) profit before tax by the amounts shown below.

The analysis has been performed on the basis of the change occurring at the start of the reporting period and assumes that all other variables, in particular foreign currency rates, remains constant. The analysis is performed on the same basis for 2009.

Currency risk is the exposure to exchange rate fluctuations that have an impact on cash flows and financing activities.

The Group operates internationally and is exposed to currency risk arising from various currency exposures. Currency risk arises when future commercial transactions or recognised assets and liabilities are denominated in a currency that is not the entity’s functional currency. MTN is also exposed to translation risk as holding companies does not report in the same currencies as operating entities.

Where possible, entities in the Group use forward contracts to hedge their actual exposure to foreign currency. The Group’s Nigerian subsidiary manages foreign currency risk on major foreign purchases by placing foreign currency on deposit as security against Letters of Credit (LCs) when each order is placed.

The Group has foreign subsidiaries whose assets are exposed to foreign currency translation risk, which is managed primarily through borrowings denominated in the relevant foreign currencies to the extent that such funding is available on reasonable terms in the local capital markets.

Sensitivity analysis

The Group has used a sensitivity analysis technique that measures the estimated change to profit or loss and equity of an instantaneous 10% strengthening or weakening in the rand against all other currencies, from the rate applicable at 31 December, for each class of financial instrument with all other variables remaining constant. This analysis is for illustrative purposes only, as in practice, market rates rarely change in isolation.

The Group is mainly exposed to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates in respect of South African rand, US dollar, Nigerian naira, Euro, Syrian pound, Iranian rials, Ghanaian cedi, Sudanese pound and Zambian kwacha. This analysis considers the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates on profit, excluding foreign exchange translation differences resulting from the translation of Group entities that have functional currencies different from the presentation currency, into the Group’s presentation currency (and recognised in the foreign currency translation reserve).

A change in the foreign exchange rates to which the Group is exposed at the reporting date would have increased/(decreased) profit before tax by the amounts shown below.

The analysis has been performed on the basis of the change occurring at the start of the reporting period and assumes that all other variables, in particular interest rates, remains constant. The analysis is performed on the same basis for 2009.

The Group is not exposed to unnecessary commodity price risk or material equity securities price risk.