SEC Form S-8 filed by Net 1 UEPS Technologies Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

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LESAKA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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President Place, 4th Floor

Cnr. Jan Smuts Avenue and Bolton Road

Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

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Amended and Restated 2022 Stock Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

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Chris G.B. Meyer

Group Chief Executive Officer

Lesaka Technologies, Inc.

President Place, 4th Floor

Cnr. Jan Smuts Avenue and Bolton Road

Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa

(Name and address of agent for service)

__________________

27-11-343-2000

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

__________________

Copy to:

Eric Orsic, Esq.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP

444 West Lake Street, Suite 4000

Chicago, IL 60606-0029

Tel: (312) 372-2000

__________________

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

The prospectus containing information required by Part I of Form S-8 and related to this Registration Statement is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the Note to Part I of Form S-8. Lesaka Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") will send or give to each participant in the Plan a copy of the prospectus. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), the prospectus is not being filed with or included in this Registration Statement. The prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents previously filed with the Commission are incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless specifically stated to the contrary, none of the information disclosed by the Company under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K that the Company may from time to time furnish to the Commission will be incorporated by reference into, or otherwise included in, this Registration Statement. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Under Section 607.0831 of the Florida Business Corporation Act (the "FBCA"), a director is not personally liable for monetary damages to the corporation or any other person for any statement, vote, decision to take or not to take action, or any failure to take any action, as a director, unless (1) the director breached or failed to perform his or her duties as a director and (2) the director's breach of, or failure to perform, those duties constitutes any of the following: (a) a violation of the criminal law, unless the director had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; (b) a circumstance under which the transaction at issue is one from which the director derived an improper personal benefit, either directly or indirectly; (c) a circumstance under which the liability provisions of Section 607.0834 of the FBCA are applicable; (d) in a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor or by or in the right of a shareholder, conscious disregard for the best interest of the corporation, or willful or intentional misconduct; or (e) in a proceeding by or in the right of someone other than the corporation or a shareholder, recklessness or an act or omission which was committed in bad faith or with malicious purpose or in a manner exhibiting wanton and willful disregard of human rights, safety, or property. A judgment or other final adjudication against a director in any criminal proceeding for a violation of the criminal law estops that director from contesting the fact that his or her breach, or failure to perform, constitutes a violation of the criminal law; but does not estop the director from establishing that he or she had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

Under Section 607.0851 of the FBCA, a corporation has power to indemnify any person who is a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the corporation against liability incurred in connection with such proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent does not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not meet the relevant standard of conduct described in Section 607.0851 of the FBCA. A corporation also has the power to indemnify a director or an officer in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation for expenses and amounts paid in settlement not exceeding, in the judgment of the board of directors, the estimated expense of litigating the proceeding to conclusion, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such proceeding, including any appeal thereof. Such indemnification shall be authorized if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation.

The FBCA also provides, under Section 607.0852, that a corporation must indemnify an individual who is or was a director or officer who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which the individual was a party because he or she is or was a director or officer of the corporation against expenses incurred by the individual in connection with the proceeding. Further, under Section 607.0853 of the FCBA, a corporation may, before final disposition of a proceeding, advance funds to pay for or reimburse expenses incurred in connection with the proceeding if the director or officer delivers to the corporation a signed written undertaking of the director or officer to repay any funds advanced if: (a) the director or officer is not entitled to mandatory indemnification under Section 607.0852; and (b) it is ultimately determined that the director or officer has not met the relevant standard of conduct described in Section 607.0851 or the director or officer is not entitled to indemnification under Section 607.0859 (as described below).

Under Section 607.0858 of the FBCA, the indemnification and advancement of expenses provided pursuant to Sections 607.0851, 607.0852 and 607.0853 of the FBCA are not exclusive, and a corporation may make any other or further indemnification or advancement of expenses of any of its directors or officers under any provision of its articles of incorporation or bylaws or any agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. However, under Section 607.0859, indemnification or advancement of expenses may not be made to or on behalf of any director or officer if a judgment or other final adjudication establishes that his or her actions, or omissions to act, were material to the cause of action so adjudicated and constitute: (a) willful or intentional misconduct or a conscious disregard for the best interests of the corporation in a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor or in a proceeding by or in the right of a shareholder; (b) a transaction in which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit; (c) a violation of the criminal law, unless the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; or (d) in the case of a director, a circumstance under which the liability provisions of Section 607.0834 are applicable.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that we have the power to indemnify any current or former director, officer, employee or agent against any liability arising from any action or suit to the fullest extent permitted by law. Advances against expenses may be made under our bylaws and any other indemnification agreement into which we may enter and the indemnity coverage provided thereunder may include liabilities under the federal securities laws as well as in other contexts. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any current or former director, officer, employee or agent for any liability incurred by any of them in connection with, or arising out of, their actions in their capacity as our director, officer, employee or agent. Our bylaws also provide that any repeal or modification of the indemnification provisions of the bylaws shall not adversely affect any right or protection of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

Reference is made to Article VI of our bylaws, incorporated hereto by reference.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with all of our directors, including directors also serving as officers. In general, these agreements provide that we will indemnify the director or officer to the fullest extent permitted by law for claims arising in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company or in connection with their service at our request for another corporation or entity. The indemnification agreements also provide for procedures that will apply in the event that a director or officer makes a claim for indemnification.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(1) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that clauses (1)(a)(i) and (1)(a)(ii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those clauses is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(2) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Johannesburg, South Africa on November 16, 2022.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Chris G.B. Meyer and Naeem E. Kola, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any other regulatory authority, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on November 16, 2022.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS