Distell Group Holdings Limited (JSE:DGH) will conclude talks with Heineken N.V. (ENXTAM:HEIA) about its takeover offer one way of the other by the end of September 2021, the South African company's Chief Executive Richard Rushton said on August 26, 2021. Announcing a more than three-fold rise in annual profits, Distell, which makes wines, beers and ciders, said it was holding off on its dividend for now and would only make a payout if talks with the Dutch brewing giant ended unsuccessfully. Distell said the discussions with world's second largest beer maker first announced in May 2021 about an acquisition of the majority of its business had made progress.

While there were still material issues to resolve, the companies had set a deadline of September 30, 2021 for talks to be wrapped up one way or another, Rushton told Reuters by phone. “It's pretty binary. We will either have covered those aspects successfully or we won't,” he said.