22nd Jun 2000

iTouch poroposed listing on the London Stock Exchange

Merrill Lynch will be the Sponsor, Global Co-ordinator and Bookrunner of the Offering, with Davy Stockbrokers and WestLB Panmure acting as Co-lead Managers.

iTouch's goal is to become a leading international provider of real-time mobile consumer and corporate services, delivering value-added services to mobile customers. iTouch operates in the rapidly growing market for mobile services arising from the growth, development and convergence of mobile, Internet and multimedia technology. The Company delivers its range of services to mobile customers through the different mediums of interactive voice response ("IVR"), short message service ("SMS") and wireless application protocol ("WAP").

In South Africa, where operations began five years ago, iTouch provides consumer and corporate services to mobile customers, utilising IVR, SMS and WAP. iTouch's strategy is to implement its business model developed in South Africa, in each country in which it operates by developing relationships with leading local content providers and mobile network operators. iTouch's business is being rolled out in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand and, through a 50% joint venture, in Israel. iTouch is a leading provider of IVR services in Ireland and has recently launched WAP portals in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand.

The Company is currently 70.6% owned by Independent News & Media plc ("Independent"), a leading media player in the majority of iTouch's current markets, and 29.4% by its co-founders, Avi Azulai and Wayne Pitout. None of the shareholders are selling shares in the offering. iTouch will use the proceeds from the flotation to further build the iTouch brand, expand its operations in its existing countries and develop other international markets.

The Company's Chairman is Ivan Fallon, the former financial journalist and deputy editor of The Sunday Times, and the founders, Avi Azulai and Wayne Pitout, are Joint Managing Directors. Neil Canetty-Clarke, formerly finance director of Guardian Media Group and LWT, joined as Chief Financial Officer in March 2000.

"The mobile services, content and commerce business is one of the fastest developing in the world," said Ivan Fallon. "iTouch has been focusing on it for five years and is already up and running with services, including WAP portals, launched in a number of countries. It is an entrepreneurial, well-backed group with excellent media and network relationships, positioned at the forefront of these exciting developments."

Ends. Thursday, 22nd June 2000 For Reference: Ivan Fallon, Chairman Avi Azulai, Joint Managing Director Wayne Pitout, Joint Managing Director

iTouch Tel: +44 - 20 - 7646 3303

Teresa Miles, Investment Banking Rupert Hume-Kendall, Equity Capital Markets Michael Findlay, Corporate Equity Advisory Merrill Lynch International Tel: +44 - 20 - 7772 1000

Richard Oldworth/ Mark Edwards Buchanan Communications
Tel: +44 - 20 - 7466 5000

Jim Milton/Pat Walsh Murray Consultants Limited (Dublin) Tel: +353 - 1 - 632 6400 +353 - 86 - 255 8400 +353 - 87 - 226 9345

Notes to Editors

1. The senior management team of iTouch is:

Ivan Fallon, Chairman Ivan Fallon has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of iTouch since July 1998 when Independent News & Media (SA) (Pty) Ltd ("Independent SA") first took a shareholding. Mr Fallon has served as a member of the Board of Independent News & Media plc since 1995, and as a member of its Group Executive since 1998. Mr Fallon is Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Independent SA. Prior to moving to South Africa in 1994 he was Deputy Editor and Business Editor of The Sunday Times of London and a member of the board of Times Newspapers Ltd. He was for some years a leading financial journalist based in London. He is a graduate in Business Studies from Trinity College, Dublin.

Avi Azulai, Joint Managing Director Avi Azulai is a founding member of iTouch and serves as Joint Managing Director. He is responsible for the technical developments of iTouch in the IVR, fax, SMS, WAP and mobile data arenas. Prior to joining iTouch, Mr Azulai was Business Development Manager at Communication Frontiers, responsible for advising on the launch of the first Teletel videotex network in South Africa. He completed his Bachelor of Science with majors in Applied Mathematics & Computer Science at the University of the Witwatersrand and received a Diploma in Management from Henley Management College in United Kingdom. He is presently completing his thesis for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Henley, with a specialisation in Strategic Studies.

Wayne Pitout, Joint Managing Director Wayne Pitout is a founding member of iTouch and serves as Joint Managing Director. He is responsible for all marketing and business development activities related to iTouch. Prior to joining iTouch, Mr Pitout was Marketing Manager at Communication Frontiers, responsible for all marketing activities related to the launch of the French Minitel terminal in South Africa. Before Communication Frontiers he lectured at the University of South Africa on subjects including Business Strategy, Business Economics and Information Management Systems. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Natal and went on to obtain his Honours and Masters from the University of South Africa.

Neil Canetty-Clarke, Chief Financial Officer Neil Canetty-Clarke joined as Chief Financial Officer in March 2000. From 1995 to 1998 he was Group Finance Director of Guardian Media Group plc. From 1989 to 1994 he was employed by LWT (Holdings) plc and became Group Finance Director in 1993. From 1984 to 1988 he worked for Morgan Grenfell. Mr Canetty-Clarke holds a B Com (with distinction) from the University of Edinburgh.

1. iTouch services

Content iTouch aggregates, personalises and transmits a range of information, including news, sport, financial and weather, for distribution primarily to mobile users. This information is packaged under an iTouch brand into three specific categories: business, sport and lifestyle.

Corporate iTouch provides technology solutions to companies to facilitate mobile communications with employees and customers on an individual or group basis. In September 1999, iTouch introduced its first corporate services in South Africa, and the Company now has approximately 110 corporate customers.

Commerce iTouch's commerce services, currently operating in South Africa, allow mobile users to purchase items such as food, flowers and compact discs using a mobile phone.

1. The Company's web site is http://www.itouch.co.za

This announcement has been made by, and is the sole responsibility of, iTouch plc. The contents of this announcement have been approved by Merrill Lynch International ("Merrill Lynch") solely for the purposes of section 57 of the Financial Services Act 1986. Merrill Lynch, which is regulated by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for iTouch and for no one else in connection with the Offering and Merrill Lynch will not be responsible to anyone other than iTouch for providing the protections afforded to customers of Merrill Lynch or for giving advice in relation to the Offering.

Recipients of this press release who intend to subscribe for ordinary shares in iTouch in the Offering are reminded that any such subscription may only be made on the basis of the information contained in the listing particulars in their final form to be published by iTouch in connection with the proposed Offering and any supplementary listing particulars, which may be different from the information contained in this press release.

These materials are not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they are registered thereunder or exempt from registration. Any public offering of securities to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from iTouch and that will contain detailed information about iTouch and its management, as well as financial statements