FORM
6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of
Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For
the
month of December, 2007
Commission
file number: 1-14872
SAPPI
LIMITED
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
48
Ameshoff Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
2001
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
|
Form
20-F
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X
-------
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Form
40-F
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Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted
by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b) (7):
Indicate
by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form,
the
registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
If
“Yes”
is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-
INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
Sappi
Limited’s SENS Announcement, dated December 18, 2007, announcing the
dividend exchange rate of shares of the Registrant, furnished by the Registrant
under this Form 6-K is incorporated by reference into (i) the Registration
Statements on Form S-8 of the Registrant filed December 23, 1999 and December
15, 2004 in connection with The Sappi Limited Share Incentive Scheme,
(ii) the Section 10(a) Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the
Registrant’s shares to Participants under The Sappi Limited Share Incentive
Scheme, (iii) the Registration Statements on Form S-8 of the Registrant
filed December 15, 2004 and December 21, 2005 in connection with The Sappi
Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive Plan and (iv) the Section 10(a)
Prospectus relating to the offer and sale of the Registrant’s shares to
Participants under The Sappi Limited 2004 Performance Share Incentive
Plan.
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
In
order
to utilize the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”), Sappi Limited (the “Company”)
is providing the following cautionary statement. Except for historical
information contained herein, statements contained in this Report on Form
6-K
may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Reform
Act. The words “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate “, “plan”,
“assume”, “positioned”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “risk” and other similar
expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events and future
trends
which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements.
In addition, this Report on Form 6-K may include forward-looking statements
relating to the Company’s potential exposure to various types of market risks,
such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk and commodity price
risk.
Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they
involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are in some
cases
beyond the control of the Company, together with its subsidiaries (the “Group”),
and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Group
to
differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements (and from past results,
performance or achievements). Certain factors that may cause such differences
include but are not limited to: the highly cyclical nature of the pulp and
paper
industry; pulp and paper production, production capacity, input costs including
raw material, energy and employee costs, and pricing levels in North America,
Europe, Asia and southern Africa; any major disruption in production at the
Group’s key facilities; changes in environmental, tax and other laws and
regulations; adverse changes in the markets for the Group’s products; any
delays, unexpected costs or other problems experienced with any business
acquired or to be acquired; consequences of the Group’s leverage; adverse
changes in the South African political situation and economy or the effect
of
governmental efforts to address present or future economic or social problems;
and the impact of future investments, acquisitions and dispositions (including
the financing of investments and acquisitions) and any delays, unexpected
costs
or other problems experienced in connection with dispositions. These and
other
risks, uncertainties and factors are discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 20-F and other filings with and submissions to the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including this Report on Form 6-K. Shareholders and prospective
investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of the
submission of this Report on Form 6-K and are not intended to give any assurance
as to future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update
or
revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new
information or future events or circumstances or otherwise.
(Registration
number 1936/008963/06)
(Incorporated
in the Republic of South Africa)
Share
code: SAP ISIN:
ZAE000006284)
("Sappi"
or the "Company")
Dividend
exchange rate
With
reference to the dividend announcement of 8 November 2007, we set out below
the
exchange rates to be applied for payment of the dividend :
US$1
- R
6.9457 (ie dividend of R 2.2226 per share)
US$1
-
£0.4947 (ie dividend of £0.1583 per
share).
The
relevant dates pertaining to the dividend are as follows :
Last
day
to trade to qualify for dividend - Thursday, 27 December 2007.
Record
date - Friday, 4 January 2008.
Payment
date - Tuesday, 8 January 2008.
There
will not be any de-materialisation nor re-materialisation of Sappi share
certificates from Friday, 28 December 2007 to Thursday, 3 January 2008, both
days inclusive.
Date
on
which shares commence trading ex-dividend - Friday, 28 December
2007.
Deadline
for South African nominee companies to submit details of the number of shares
held on behalf of South African resident and non-resident beneficial
shareholders so that dividend payments in South African Rands and United
States
Dollars respectively may be calculated - 12h00 (South African time), Thursday
3
January 2008. Dividends payable from the Johannesburg transfer office
will be paid in South African Rands except that dividends paid to nominee
shareholders in respect of shares which they hold on behalf of non-residents
of
the Republic of South Africa will be paid in United States
Dollars. (Note that there is no currency election).
Dividends
payable from the London transfer office will be paid in British pounds sterling
or in the case of shareholders with registered addresses in the USA, in United
States Dollars.
Johannesburg
18
December 2007
Sappi
Management Services (Pty) Limited
Secretaries
: per D J O'Connor
48
Ameshoff Street
Braamfontein,
Johannesburg, 2001
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
Date: December
19, 2007
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SAPPI
LIMITED,
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by
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/s/
Laurence Newman |
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Name:
Laurence Newman
Title: Group
Financial
Controller
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