Anglo American and its South African business units have invested more than R5 billion since 2010 to improve employee housing and living conditions, by offering a range of housing options that cater to the diverse circumstances and needs of employees. The housing programme gives eligible employees the opportunity to purchase their own homes.

Anglo American’s Coal business in South Africa has alone invested more than R2 billion in housing, including services and allowances over the past five years. A total of 414 houses were built between 2010 and 2014. By the end of December 2014, 249 units had been sold to employees as part of the Spring Valley housing project in Duvha Park, eMalahleni in Mpumalanga province.

The Spring Valley housing development is due for completion in 2016 and will provide residential units, schools, churches, crèches and retail developments.

The success of Anglo American’s Coal business’ Spring Valley housing development lies in its innovative funding model which entails the business investing in a portion of the bulk services for the whole development and, in return, a maximum of 272 houses (as building packages) are available at a significant discount to Coal business’ employees who can then secure a home loan through the banks.

The Coal housing programme enables the establishment of sustainable communities located in urban centres close to the company’s operations for its employees - setting a new industry benchmark in terms of providing affordable employer-assisted housing.

Themba Mkhwanazi, chief executive officer of Anglo American’s Coal business in South Africa said, “We want our employees to enjoy quality housing and living conditions, and believe that offering attractive housing initiatives are key to attracting and retaining vital skills.”

He says the benefits of promoting employee home ownership are two-fold - it supports the community while the municipality also benefits from improved infrastructure.

“For us, housing is a partnership for the future and helps us make the necessary changes to benefit our people, and ultimately bring this benefit back into our business. It’s a win-win solution,” concluded Mkhwanazi.

Anglo American believes in delivering sustainable value that makes a real and lasting difference for all South Africans, with a particular focus on its employees and host communities