Notes to the Group annual financial statements | Note 3.8

The Group leases various offices and warehouses. Rental contracts are typically concluded for fixed periods of one to five years but may have extension options. Lease terms are negotiated on an individual basis and contain a wide range of different terms and conditions. The lease agreements do not impose any covenants, but leased assets may not be used as security for borrowing purposes.

Leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Group. Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to profit or loss over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the asset's useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis.

Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net present value of the following lease payments as applicable:

• fixed payments (including in-substance fixed payments), less any lease incentives receivable;
• variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate;
• amounts expected to be payable by the lessee under residual value guarantees; and
• the exercise price of a purchase option if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the lessee exercising that option.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease. If that rate cannot be determined, the lessee's incremental borrowing rate is used, being the rate that the lessee would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment with similar terms and conditions. To determine this rate, the Group, where possible, uses recent third-party financing received, adjusted to reflect changes in circumstances and financing conditions since financing was obtained.

Payments associated with short-term leases (12 months or less) and leases of low-value assets (less than R50 000) are recognised on a straight-line basis as an expense in profit or loss.

The fair value of the lease liabilities approximates their carrying amounts.

Critical accounting judgements and assumptions

The term of a lease includes periods covered by an option to extend the lease if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option. The Group did not take into account renewals in the majority of leases as there is material uncertainty as to whether the option to renew will be exercised. Material uncertainty arises in cases where BLT is not locked into renewals, alternative leasing arrangements are available and there is no firm commitment or formal decision to renew.