As one of the world’s leading mining companies, we predominantly operate across four major commodities in South Africa.
Platinum
Platinum is one of the rarest elements hidden within the earth’s crust and is one of the world’s most sought after. This valuable metal is most commonly used in catalytic converters (something almost every car has), laboratory and electrical equipment, and jewellery.
Our Platinum business, based in South Africa, is the world’s leading primary producer of platinum, and accounts for approximately 40% of the world’s newly mined production of the metal. Platinum mines, processes and refines the entire range of platinum group metals (PGMs): platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Base metals such as nickel, copper and cobalt sulphate are important secondary products and are significant contributors to our earnings.
Our Platinum operations exploit the world’s richest reserve of PGMs, known as the Bushveld Complex, which contains PGM bearing Merensky, UG2 and Platreef ores.
Access to an excellent portfolio of ore reserves ensures Anglo American Platinum is well placed to be the world’s major platinum producer for many years to come.
If you want to know more about Anglo American Platinum visit the website (www.angloplatinum.com)
Iron Ore
Iron ore are rocks and minerals that contain metallic iron, which is then extracted. Why is this important? Iron ore is the base material needed to make pig iron, which is one of the main ingredients when making steel. 98% of iron ore mined in the world is used to make steel, making iron ore the foundation on which modern society is built and continues to thrive.
Our iron ore portfolio in South Africa principally comprises a 69.7% shareholding in Kumba Iron Ore Limited (Kumba), a leading supplier of seaborne iron ore. Kumba, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, produces a leading quality lump ore and also produces premium fine ore.
Kumba operates three mines – Sishen mine in the Northern Cape, which produced 33.7 million tonnes (Mt) of iron ore in 2012; Thabazimbi mine in Limpopo, with an output of 0.8 Mt in 2012, and Kolomela mine, also in the Northern Cape, produced 8.5 Mt during 2012.
Kumba is well positioned to supply the growing Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and European steel markets. In 2012, the company exported 90% of its total iron ore sales volumes of 44.4Mt, with a large chunk destined for China and the remainder to Europe, Japan, South Korea and India.
To find out more about Kumba Iron Ore visit the website (http://www.angloamericankumba.com/)
Thermal Coal
In South Africa coal is power. It literally is, because coal is what South Africa uses to generate most of the country’s electricity. Thermal coal is the most abundant source of fossil fuel energy in the world and accounts for 40% of electricity generation.
In South Africa, our coal business, Thermal Coal, wholly owns and operates seven mines and has a 73% stake in two mines, Kriel and the new Zibulo Colliery – a multi-product operation that produces coal for both export and Eskom. The balance is held by Inyosi Coal, a broad-based black economic empowerment entity.
Six of these mines collectively supply 23Mt of thermal coal every year to both the export and local markets. Locally, it is the New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries that supply 29Mt of thermal coal to Eskom to help generate the country’s electricity.
To find out more about Thermal Coal’s operations, click here.
Diamonds
Diamonds need no formal introduction. While jewellery is its most celebrated use, this resilient mineral is actually the hardest natural material known to man and has many popular industrial uses like glass cutting equipment, computer chip production, and x-ray machinery, to name a few.
The Anglo American Group’s diamond interests are represented by our 85% shareholding in De Beers, the world’s leading diamond company. Together with its joint ventures, De Beers produces around 35% of the world’s rough diamonds by value, employing over 23 000 people around the world.
De Beers operates across key parts of the diamond value chain, including exploration, production, the selling of rough diamonds, the marketing of polished diamonds, and retail sales through De Beers Diamond Jewellers.
De Beers’ mines are located in four countries, namely Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa.
To find out more visit the De Beers Group website here. (http://www.debeersgroup.com/)