Current profile

AngloGold Ashanti Limited, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a global gold company with a portfolio of longlife, relatively low-cost assets and differing orebody types in key gold producing regions. The company's 21 operations are located in 10 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and the United States of America), and are supported by extensive exploration activities. The combined proved and probable Ore Reserves of the group amounted to 71.4Moz as at 31 December 2009.

The primary listing of the company's ordinary shares is on the JSE in South Africa. Its ordinary shares are also listed on stock exchanges in London, Paris and Ghana, as well as being quoted in Brussels in the form of International Depositary Receipts (IDRs), in New York in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADSs), in Australia, in the form of Clearing House Electronic Subregister System Depositary Interests (CDIs) and in Ghana, in the form of Ghanaian Depositary Shares (GhDSs).

AngloGold Ashanti Limited (Registration number 1944/017354/06) was incorporated in the Republic of South Africa in 1944 under the name of Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company Limited and operates under the South African Companies Act 61 of 1973, as amended.

History and significant developments of the company

Below are highlights of key corporate activities from 1998:

1998

• Formation of AngloGold Limited through the consolidation of East Rand Gold and Uranium Company Limited; Eastvaal Gold Holdings Limited; Southvaal Holdings Limited; Free State Consolidated Gold Mines Limited; Elandsrand Gold Mining Company Limited; H.J. Joel Gold Mining Company Limited and Western Deep Levels Limited into a single, focused, independent, gold mining company. Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company Limited (Vaal Reefs), the vehicle for the consolidation, changed its name to AngloGold Limited and increased its authorised share capital, effective 30 March 1998.

1999

• Acquisition of non-controlling shareholders interest in Driefontein Consolidated Limited (17%); Anmercosa Mining (West Africa) Limited (100%); Western Ultra Deep Levels Limited (89%); Eastern Gold Holdings Limited (52%); Erongo Mining and Exploration Company Limited (70%);
• Purchased Minorco's gold interests in North and South America; and
• Acquisition of Acacia Resources in Australia.

2000

Acquired:

• a 40% interest in the Morila mine in Mali from Randgold Resources Limited;
• a 50% interest in the Geita mine in Tanzania from Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited (Ashanti); and
• a 25% interest in OroAfrica, South Africa's largest manufacturer of gold jewellery.

2001

• AngloGold sold the Elandsrand and Deelkraal mines to Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony); disposed of its interests in No. 2 Shaft Vaal River Operations to African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and made an unsuccessful take-over bid for Normandy Mining Limited.

2002

• Sold the Free State assets to ARM and Harmony; and
• Acquired an additional 46.25% of the equity, as well as the total loan assignment, of Cerro Vanguardia SA from P?rez Companc International SA, thereby increasing its interest in Cerro Vanguardia to 92.5%.

2003

• Disposed of its wholly owned Amapari project to Mineração Pedra Branca do Amapari;
• Sold its 49% stake in the Gawler Craton joint venture, including the Tunkillia project located in South Australia to Helix Resources Limited;
• Sold its interest in the Jerritt Canyon joint venture to Queenstake Resources USA Inc;
• Disposed of its entire investments in East African Gold Mines Limited and in Randgold Resources Limited; and
• Purchased a portion of the Driefontein mining area in South Africa from Gold Fields Limited.

2004

• Sold its Western Tanami project to Tanami Gold NL in Australia;
• Concluded the business combination with Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited, at which time, the company changed its name to AngloGold Ashanti Limited;
• Acquired the remaining 50% interest in Geita as a result of the business combination;
• AngloGold Holdings plc, a subsidiary of AngloGold, completed an offering of $1bn principal amount 2,375% convertible bonds, due 2009, and guaranteed by AngloGold Ashanti;
• Acquired a 29.8% stake in Trans-Siberian Gold plc;
• Sold its Union Reefs assets to the Burnside joint venture, comprising subsidiaries of Northern Gold NL (50%) and Harmony (50%);
• Sold its entire interest in Ashanti Goldfields Zimbabwe Limited to Mwana Africa Holdings (Proprietary) Limited;
• Sold its 40% equity interest in Tameng Mining and Exploration (Pty) Limited of South Africa (Tameng) to Mahube Mining (Pty) Limited; and
• Subscribed for a 12.3% stake in the expanded issued capital of Philippines explorer Red 5 Limited.

2005

• Substantially restructured its hedge book in January 2005;
• Signed a three-year $700m revolving credit facility;
• Disposed of exploration assets in the Laverton area in Australia;
• Disposed of its La Rescatada project to ARUNANI SAC, a local Peruvian corporation;
• Acquired an effective 8.7% stake in China explorer, Dynasty Gold Corporation; and
• The Director-General of Minerals and Energy notified AngloGold Ashanti in August 2005 that its application for the new order mining rights in terms of the South African Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act had been granted.

2006

• Raised $500m through an equity offering;
• Acquired two exploration companies, Amikan and AS APK, from TSG as part of the company's initial contribution towards its strategic alliance with Polymetal;
• Formed a new company with B2Gold (formerly Bema Gold) to jointly explore a select group of mineral opportunities located in northern Colombia, South America;
• AngloGold Ashanti (U.S.A.) Exploration Inc, International Tower Hill Mines Ltd (ITH) and Talon Gold Alaska, Inc. (Talon), a wholly owned subsidiary of ITH, entered into an Asset Purchase and Sale and Indemnity Agreement whereby AngloGold Ashanti sold to Talon a 100% interest in six Alaskan mineral exploration properties and associated databases in return for an approximate 20% interest in ITH. AngloGold Ashanti has the option to increase or dilute its stake in these projects, subject to certain conditions;
• Disposed of its entire business undertaking related to the Bibiani mine and Bibiani North prospecting permit to Central African Gold plc;
• Entered into a 50:50 strategic alliance with Russian gold and silver producer, OAO Inter-Regional Research and Production Association Polymetal (Polymetal), in terms of which Polymetal and AngloGold Ashanti would co-operate in exploration and the acquisition and development of gold mining opportunities within the Russian Federation; and
• Implemented an empowerment transaction with two components: the development of an employee share ownership plan (ESOP) and the acquisition by Izingwe Holdings (Proprietary) Limited (an empowerment company) of an equity interest in AngloGold Ashanti.

2007

• Acquired the non-controlling interests previously held by the Government of Ghana (5%) and the International Finance Corporation (10%) in the Iduapriem and Teberebie mines;
• Anglo American plc sold 69.1 million ordinary shares of AngloGold Ashanti, thereby reducing Anglo American's shareholding in AngloGold Ashanti from 41.8% to 16.6%; and
• Announced the successful closing of a $1.15bn syndicated revolving credit facility.

2008

• Issued 69,470,442 ordinary shares in a fully subscribed rights offer;
• Announced significant exploration results at the 100% owned La Colosa;
• Acquired Golden Cycle Gold Corporation through the issue of 3,181,198 ordinary shares, resulting in Cripple Creek & Victor becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary;
• Sold entire holding in Nufcor International Limited and cancelled 1 million pounds of outstanding uranium contracts;
• Acquired São Bento Gold Company Limited through the issue of 2,701,660 ordinary shares with the ultimate result of doubling production from the Córrego do S?tio project;
• Entered into a $1bn term facility agreement to be used to redeem the $1bn convertible bonds due February 2009; and
• AngloGold Ashanti implemented a hedge restructure programme.

2009

• Sold its 33.33% joint venture interest in the Boddington Gold Mine to Newmont Mining Corporation;
• Entered into an agreement with Simmer & Jack Mines Limited to sell the Tau Lekoa Mine and adjacent project areas;
• AngloGold Ashanti repaid its $1bn convertible bonds;
• Anglo American plc sells its remaining shareholding to Paulson & Co. Inc.;
• Entered into a strategic alliance with Thani Dubai Mining Limited to explore, develop and operate mines across the Middle East and parts of North Africa;
• AngloGold Ashanti issues $732.5m, 3.5% convertible bonds, due 2014;
• Issued 7,624,162 ordinary shares and raised a total of $284m through an equity offering;
• Acquired an effective 45% interest in the Kibali gold project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
• Entered into a joint venture with the De Beers Group of Companies to explore for, and ultimately mine gold and other minerals and metals, excluding diamonds, on marine deposits;
• Increased the holding in the Sadiola Gold Mine from 38% to 41%; and
• AngloGold Ashanti continued to manage its hedge book in accordance with its hedge reduction programme.

For full details of major corporate developments that occurred during 2009 and subsequent to year-end, refer to ‘Significant events during the year under review and subsequent to year-end’ in the Directors' report.