Pan African Resources PLC

    ("Pan African" or "the Company" or "the Group")

    (Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under Companies Act 1985 with
    registered number 3937466 on 25 February 2000)

    Share code on AIM: PAF

    Share code on JSE: PAN

    ISIN: GB0004300496

    TRADING STATEMENT AND OPERATIONAL UPDATE FOR THE SIX MONTHS REPORTING PERIOD
    ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2016

    TRADING STATEMENT

    In terms of paragraph 3.4(b) of the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited, a
    listed company is required to publish a trading statement as soon as it is
    satisfied that a reasonable degree of certainty exists that the financial
    results for the period to be reported upon next, will differ by at least
    20 percent from those of the previous corresponding period.

    Pan African is incorporated in England and Wales under the Companies Act 1985
    and accordingly, its presentation currency is Pounds Sterling ("GBP").

    The average ZAR:GBP exchange rate affect the reporting of Group results in GBP.
    For the six month's reporting period ended 31 December 2016 ("current reporting
    period"), the average prevailing ZAR:GBP exchange rate is used to translate
    earnings per share ("EPS") and headline earnings per share ("HEPS") from ZAR to
    GBP. 

    For the reporting period ended 31 December 2015 ("prior reporting period"), the
    average ZAR:GBP exchange rate was ZAR20.83:1. For the current reporting period,
    the ZAR appreciated against the GBP, with an average exchange rate of ZAR17.88:
    1. This 14.2 percent period-on-period appreciation in the average exchange rate
    should be taken into account for the purposes of comparing results with the
    prior reporting period.

    Pan African advises shareholders that its EPS and HEPS for the current
    reporting period are expected to be between:

     1. EPS in ZAR terms: 23 percent to 43 percent higher than the 12.43 cents EPS
        for the prior reporting period (therefore estimated EPS of 15.34 cents to
        17.82 cents).
       
     2. HEPS in ZAR terms: 21 percent to 41 percent higher than the 12.43 cents
        HEPS for the prior reporting period (therefore estimated HEPS of 15.08
        cents to 17.56 cents).
       
        Using the average ZAR:GBP 17.88:1 exchange rate that prevailed during the
        current reporting period, the Group's EPS and HEPS in GBP terms for the
        current reporting period are expected to be between:
       
     3. EPS in GBP terms: 45 percent to 65 percent higher than the 0.60 pence EPS
        for the prior reporting period (therefore estimated EPS of 0.87 pence to
        0.99 pence).
       
     4. HEPS in GBP terms: 42 percent to 62 percent higher than the 0.60 pence HEPS
        for the prior reporting period (therefore estimated HEPS of 0.85 pence to
        0.97 pence).
       
    The following items had a significant impact on the profit after taxation
    during the current reporting period:

    PAR Gold Proprietary Limited, previously known as Shanduka Gold Proprietary
    Limited, transaction ("PAR Gold transaction")

    The materially earnings accretive PAR Gold transaction was finalised on 7 June
    2016, which has resulted in the weighted average number of shares in issue
    reducing significantly by 17.7 percent period-on-period. Disclosed below is the
    Pan African share reconciliation, illustrating the effect of the PAR Gold
    transaction on the weighted average number of shares in issue, which is used to
    calculate the EPS and HEPS.

    Pan African Shares Reconciliation                      Shares     
                                                                      
    Shares in issue at 31 December 2015                  1,831,494,763
                                                                      
    Issue of shares - 7 June 2016                          111,711,791
                                                                      
    Shares in issue at 31 December 2016                  1,943,206,554
                                                                      
    Elimination of shares held by PAR Gold               (436,358,058)
                                                                      
    Shares used to calculate the EPS and HEPS            1,506,848,496
                                                                      
    Net reduction in number of weighted average shares           17.7%

    Uitkomst Colliery

    The Uitkomst Colliery, acquired on the 31 March 2016, has performed well during
    the current reporting period, contributing approximately 8.5 percent of the
    Group's EPS and HEPS. If the current favourable coal price environment
    continues, the payback period for this acquisition is expected to be less than
    the four years previously forecast.

    Gold price hedge - fair value adjustment

    Barberton Mines entered into a short term strategic hedge ("the Cost Collar")
    in July 2015, when the prevailing spot gold price was ZAR440,000/kg, to protect
    its cash flows and the Group's annual dividend against severe adverse movements
    in the ZAR gold price. During the current reporting period, the Group recorded
    a pre-tax mark-to-market fair value gain of ZAR90 million on the Cost Collar
    (2015: pre-tax mark-to-market fair value loss of ZAR40.6 million). The
    mark-to-market fair value gain was due to a reduction in the gold price of
    ZAR625,000/kg at 30 June 2016 to ZAR505,000/kg at 31 December 2016.

    Increase in the average ZAR gold price received

    The average ZAR gold price received by the Group period-on-period increased by
    16.5 percent to R565,298/kg (2015: R485,215/kg), as a result of the weakening
    of the ZAR/USD exchange rate by 2.9 percent to R13.99:1 (2015: R13.60:1) and an
    increase in the USD gold price received by 13.2 percent to USD1,257/0z (2015:
    USD1,110/0z).

    OPERATIONAL UPDATE

    The Group previously informed shareholders on 5 December 2016 of its revised
    gold production guidance for the 2017 financial year of 195,000oz. The gold
    production in the second half of the financial year is forecasted to exceed the
    first half performance.  

    Six months                       Mining and tailings operations                  
    ended                                                                            
    31 December      Barberton Mines   Evander Mines     Uitkomst        Phoenix     
                      (Gold ounces)    (Gold ounces)     Colliery     Platinum (PGE  
                                                       (Coal tonnes)     ounces)     
                                                                                     
    2015                 56,447           45,350             -            4,493      
                                                                                     
    2016                 49,212           42,401          327,202         4,575      
                                                                                     
    Percentage           (12.8%)          (6.5%)           100%            1.8%      

    For further information on Pan African, please visit the Company's website at
    www.panafricanresources.com

    27 January 2017

    Contact information                                                               
                                                                                      
    Corporate Office                              Registered Office                   
    The Firs Office Building                      Suite 31                            
    1st Floor, Office 101                         Second Floor                        
    Cnr. Cradock and Biermann Avenues             107 Cheapside                       
    Rosebank, Johannesburg                        London                              
    South Africa                                  EC2V 6DN                            
    Office:   + 27 (0) 11 243 2900                United Kingdom                      
    Facsimile: + 27 (0) 11 880 1240               Office:   + 44 (0) 207 796 8644     
                                                  Facsimile: + 44 (0) 207 796 8645    
                                                                                      
    Cobus Loots                                   Deon Louw                           
    Pan African Resources PLC                     Pan African Resources PLC           
    Chief Executive Officer                       Financial Director                  
    Office: + 27 (0) 11 243                       Office: + 27 (0) 11 243 2900        
    2900                                                                              
                                                                                      
    Phil Dexter                                   John Prior / Paul Gillam            
    St James's Corporate Services Limited         Numis Securities Limited            
    Company Secretary                             Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker  
    Office: + 44 (0) 207 796 8644                 Office: +44 (0) 20 7260 1000        
                                                                                      
    Sholto Simpson                                Matthew Armitt / Ross Allister      
    One Capital                                   Peel Hunt LLP                       
    JSE Sponsor                                   Joint Broker                        
    Office: + 27 (0) 11 550 5009                  Office: +44 (0) 207 418 8900        
                                                                                      
    Julian Gwillim                                Jeffrey Couch/Neil Haycock/Thomas   
    Aprio Strategic Communications                Rider                               
    Public & Investor Relations SA                BMO Capital Markets Limited         
    Office: +27 (0)11 880 0037                    Joint Broker                        
                                                  Office: +44 (0) 207 236 1010        
                                                                                      
    Website: www.panafricanresources.com