Pepkor Sells 65% Logistics Stake For $140M To RMB-Backed IronOak

JOHANNESBURG — JSE-listed retail investment company Pepkor has completed a R2.25 billion (approximately $140 million) transaction, finalized on September 8, 2026, which saw IronOak, Y.W. Capital’s industrial and logistics real estate investment platform, acquire a 65% stake in Badger Properties. YW Capital and Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) acted as transaction advisers to IronOak.

The deal encompasses three major distribution centers totaling approximately 280,000 square meters of gross lettable area supporting PEP and Ackermans retail operations:

• Hammarsdale Facilities (KwaZulu-Natal): Key distribution hubs supporting PEP and Ackermans retail operations.
• Kuilsriver Facility (Western Cape): A primary distribution center anchoring PEP's regional supply chain.

Unlocking Capital and Securing Operational Continuity

The transaction utilizes a structured sale-and-leaseback framework via 15-year triple-net leases, allowing Pepkor to release approximately R2 billion in capital while retaining a 35% minority shareholding in Badger Properties, establishing it as a black-owned and managed property platform. Crucially, the structure secures long-term operational tenancy for the retailer's store networks across Southern Africa.

"The capital tied up in these three distribution centres does more for Pepkor in our core retail business than it does sitting in property," said Shaun Barnard, Head of Asset Management at Pepkor. "Partnering with IronOak releases the bulk of this capital while we retain a shareholding in the portfolio and secure long-term occupation of the facilities our stores depend on."

Institutional Structuring and Platform Growth

IronOak serves as the cornerstone investment platform developed through a long-term strategic partnership between YW Capital and RMB, with RMB providing cornerstone seed equity and debt financing to ensure transaction certainty.

"These properties help keep Pepkor's retail operations moving," noted Mesh Pillay, CEO of YW Capital. "Through IronOak, we are bringing long-term capital to assets that businesses depend on, while giving property owners greater flexibility in how they fund their operations."

The agreement sets a blueprint for industrial asset monetization in Southern Africa, providing IronOak with an institutional-grade foundation backed by leading financial institutions, including RMB, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking, and Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, to scale future logistics real estate partnerships across the continent.

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