AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO
SC 13G, 1997-02-25
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THIS DOCUMENT IS A COPY OF THE SCHEDULE 13G FILED ON FEBRUARY 14, 1997, PURSUANT
TO A RULE 201 TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION.

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                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.D. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G


                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                (AMENDMENT NO. )*



                         FIRST SOUTH AFRICA CORP., LTD.
           ---------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                     Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
           ---------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    G34874100
                         ------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this  statement  [_]. (A fee
is not required only if the filing person:  (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting  beneficial  ownership  of more  than  five  percent  of the  class of
securities  described  in Item 1;  and (2) has  filed  no  amendment  subsequent
thereto reporting  beneficial  ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).

*The  remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for  any  subsequent   amendment   containing   information  which  would  alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).


SEC 1745 (2-95)
                                Page 1 of 4 pages


<PAGE>



                                       13G
- ------------------                                             -----------------
CUSIP NO.G34874100                                             PAGE 2 OF 4 PAGES
- ------------------                                             -----------------

================================================================================
1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

         American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                    (a) [_]
                                                                    (b) [X]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3        SEC USE ONLY



- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

         New York State

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    5        SOLE VOTING POWER
       
                                             0
       
                              --------------------------------------------------
                                    6        SHARED VOTING POWER
         NUMBER OF  
          SHARES                             0
       BENEFICIALLY 
         OWNED BY             --------------------------------------------------
           EACH                     7        SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
         REPORTING  
          PERSON                             0
           WITH     
                              --------------------------------------------------
                                    8        SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             729,979 (As Escrow Agent - see
                                             Items 4 and 6)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9        AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

         729,979 (As Escrow Agent - see Items 4 and 6)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
                                                                           [_]
                         U/A

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

         17.60%

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

         CO

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!

<PAGE>



                                       13G
- ------------------                                             -----------------
CUSIP NO.G34874100                                             PAGE 3 OF 4 PAGES
- ------------------                                             -----------------


ITEM 4.  OWNERSHIP.  As of December 31, 1996:

         (a)      Amount  beneficially  owned:  729,979 Shares.  Such shares are
                  shares of the Issuer's  Class B Common  Stock,  par value $.01
                  per share,  and are held by  American  Stock  Transfer & Trust
                  Company as escrow agent (the "FSAH Escrow Agent")  pursuant to
                  an escrow agreement  entered into in January 1996 by and among
                  the  FSAH  Escrow  Agent,  certain  holders  of Class B Shares
                  issued by First South African  Holdings  (Pty) Ltd.  ("FSAH"),
                  and the Issuer (the "FSAH Escrow Agreement").  The FSAH Escrow
                  Agreement provided for the concurrent issuance and delivery by
                  the  Issuer of 727,979  shares of Class B Common  Stock to the
                  FSAH Escrow  Agent.  The FSAH Escrow  Agreement is intended to
                  provide  security for certain  holders of FSAH Class B Shares,
                  who are residents of South Africa and are  prohibited by South
                  African law from holding shares in a foreign company. The FSAH
                  Escrow  Agreement  provides that the parties to such Agreement
                  that are  holders  of FSAH  Class B Shares  will not sell such
                  shares  of  stock  except  as  provided  in  such   Agreement.
                  Specifically, the FSAH Escrow Agreement provides that the FSAH
                  Class B  Shares  may be  tendered  to the  FSAH  Escrow  Agent
                  against  payment  therefor  by the FSAH  Escrow  Agent,  which
                  payment may consist of the proceeds  obtained from the sale by
                  the FSAH Escrow  Agent of an equal number of shares of Class B
                  Common  Stock  of the  Issuer  previously  issued  to the FSAH
                  Escrow Agent, provided that the proceeds of such sale shall be
                  delivered  to the holder in exchange for his or her FSAH Class
                  B Shares. Upon the sale by the FSAH Escrow Agent of any shares
                  of Class B Common  Stock of the  Issuer  pursuant  to the FSAH
                  Escrow  Agreement,  the FSAH Escrow  Agent will deliver to the
                  Issuer the equivalent  number of FSAH Class B Shares  tendered
                  in  connection  therewith.  Such FSAH Class B Shares will then
                  automatically  convert  into FSAH  Class A Shares  and will be
                  held by the Issuer together with the other FSAH Class A Shares
                  owned by the Issuer.  The Issuer has granted certain piggyback
                  registration  rights to the FSAH Escrow Agent on behalf of the
                  holders of the FSAH Class B Shares  held  pursuant to the FSAH
                  Escrow  Agreement.  The shares of Class B Common Stock will be
                  automatically converted to Common Stock of the Issuer upon the
                  sale of such shares by the FSAH Escrow  Agent  pursuant to the
                  terms of the FSAH  Escrow  Agreement.  Such  shares of Class B
                  Common  Stock  will be  controlled  by the  terms  of the FSAH
                  Escrow Agreement.  Michael Levy has paid the purchase price of
                  $.01 per share for each of the shares of Class B Common  Stock
                  held pursuant to the FSAH Escrow Agreement and the FSAH Escrow
                  Agent has granted to Michael Levy an irrevocable proxy to vote
                  each of such shares of Class B Common  Stock prior to the sale
                  or  forfeiture  of such  shares,  as the case may be. The FSAH
                  Escrow Agent disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares held
                  by it  pursuant to the FSAH  Escrow  Agreement.  Each share of
                  Class B Common  Stock has five votes per share;  each share of
                  Common Stock has one vote per share.

         (b)      Percent of Class: 17.60%

SEC 1745 (2-95)
                                Page 2 of 4 pages

<PAGE>



                                       13G
- ------------------                                             -----------------
CUSIP NO.G34874100                                             PAGE 4 OF 4 PAGES
- ------------------                                             -----------------


         (c)      Number of shares as to which such person has:

                  (i)      Sole power to vote or direct the vote: 0

                  (ii)     Shared power to vote or direct the vote: 0

                  (iii)    Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition of: 0

                  (iv)     Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition of:
                           729,979 (As Escrow Agent - see Item 6)

ITEM 6.  OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.

         The parties to the FSAH Escrow Agreement include a number of holders of
         FSAH Class B Shares  none of which hold more than  80,000  FSAH Class B
         Shares  except for the FSA Stock Trust which holds 383,523 FSAH Class B
         Shares  (which shares are in addition to the 36,452 FSAH Class B Shares
         owned by  Michael  Levy) all of which are  subject  to the terms of the
         FSAH Escrow Agreement. Mr. Levy's wife is the trustee, and his wife and
         their children are the  beneficiaries  of the FSA Stock Trust.  Each of
         such  holders of FSAH Class B Shares that is a party to the FSAH Escrow
         Agreement  is  entitled  to the  proceeds  of the sale of the shares of
         Class B Common  Stock  held by the FSAH  Escrow  Agent,  subject to the
         terms of the FSAH Escrow Agreement.




                                    SIGNATURE

           After reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief,
I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

                                                        FEBRUARY 13, 1997       
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                              Date
                                                 
                                                       /S/ HERBERT LEMMER
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                            Signature
                                                 
                                                 
                                                         Herbert Lemmer
                                                         VICE PRESIDENT
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                           Name/Title
                                                 
                         

SEC 1745 (2-95)          
                                Page 4 of 4 pages




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