Texaf S.A. — Regulatory Filings 2022

Jun 8, 2022

COLLABORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN TEXAF AND CLOSE THE GAP IN SILIKIN VILLAGE

Regulated information

June 8 th , 2022

The TEXAF and CLOSE THE GAP groups have decided to work together to reduce the digital divide in Kinshasa.

CLOSE THE GAP is an international social enterprise that refurbishes IT equipment for projects in emerging countries. It has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands and Kenya. Since 2021, it has started its activities in South Africa.

TEXAF is a listed group whose entire activity is based in the D.R. Congo and which has decided to invest in the digital transformation of this country, through its SILIKIN VILLAGE initiative. This initiative aims to create an ecosystem in Kinshasa. With the construction of 15,000 m² , the village will be the largest digital hub in Africa and will be able to house 1,600 digital players (students, start-ups, trainers, etc.).

In a first phase, the two groups will jointly create a distribution and repair centre for computer equipment refurbished by CLOSE THE GAP in the SILIKIN VILLAGE in Kinshasa. This will make it possible to provide modern and affordable equipment to the digital players that SILIKIN VILLAGE will host as well as to social, entrepreneurial and educational projects in the DRC.

Concurrently, CLOSE THE GAP and TEXAF are working on a skills exchange programme and on the creation of a workshop for the refurbishing of computer equipment.

Both groups are examining the incorporation of a joint venture.

TEXAF (www.texaf.be), established in 1925, is the only listed company with all its activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, these are concentrated on property and quarries. More recently, TEXAF has decided to develop a new activity in the digital domain. TEXAF aims to become a major player in this sector.

This listing on the stock exchange and the resulting obligations in terms of good governance and transparency constitute a major asset of the Group for its development and for the promotion of the formal sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CLOSE THE GAP Close The Gap - Help us bridge the digital divide! (close-the-gap.org) is an international social enterprise that aims to bridge the digital divide by processing high-quality, pre-owned IT devices (laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, ...) from large and medium-sized corporations or public organisations, to supply them to educational, medical, entrepreneurial and social projects in developing & emerging countries. All these projects are demand-driven and impactoriented initiatives. Next to this, Close the Gap has also developed an entrepreneurship program to support starting entrepreneurs with coaching as well, next to the access to IT. Close the Gap has local operations in Belgium (for Europe) & in Kenya (for the larger EAC Region) today, and is expanding its local operations in Congo & South Africa.

Since 2003, Close the Gap has gathered over 1.2 million ICT devices, and has contributed to over 7.600 projects in more than 50 countries around the world (mostly in Africa). This way Close the Gap has been able to reach more than 4 million individual users that had difficulties in getting access to IT.

Contact: Olivier Vanden Eynde, CEO Close the Gap Africa: +32 478 284 084 - +254 759 500 115 Didier Appels, Manager Close the Gap Circular Belgium: +32 472 72 33 93 Jean-Philippe Waterschoot, CEO Texaf: +32 476 25 26 26 - +243 81 891 0525 Christophe Evers, CFO Texaf: + 32 495 24 32 60 Philippe Croonenberghs, Chairman Texaf: + 32 495 24 32 64