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AngloGold Ashanti
Annual Report 2015

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FY2015 Annual Report · AngloGold Ashanti
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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015

SUPPORTING OUR STRATEGY 
for sustainable cash flow improvements and returns

OUR MISSION To create value for our shareholders, our employees and our business and social partners through safely and responsibly 

exploring, mining and marketing our products. Our primary focus is gold, but we will pursue value creating opportunities in 
other minerals where we can leverage our existing assets, skills and experience to enhance the delivery of value.

OUR VALUES

Safety is our first value.

We place people first and 
correspondingly put the highest 
priority on safe and healthy 
practices and systems of work. 
We are responsible for seeking out 
new and innovative ways to prevent 
injury and illness in our business 
and to ensure that our workplaces 
are free of occupational injury 
and illness. We live each day for 
each other and use our collective 
commitment, talents, resources 
and systems to deliver on our most 
important commitment .... to care.

We treat each other with 
dignity and respect.

We believe that individuals who 
are treated with respect and who 
are entrusted to take responsibility, 
respond by giving their best. We 
seek to preserve people’s dignity, 
their sense of self-worth in all our 
interactions, respecting them for 
who they are and valuing the unique 
contribution that they can make 
to our business success. We are 
honest with ourselves and others, 
and we deal ethically with all of our 
business and social partners.

We value diversity.

We aim to be a global leader with 
the right people for the right jobs. 
We promote inclusion and team 
work, deriving benefit from the 
rich diversity of the cultures, ideas, 
experiences and skills that each 
employee brings to the business. 

We are accountable for our 
actions and undertake to 
deliver on our commitments. 

We are focused on delivering 
results and we do what we say we 
will do. We accept responsibility 
and hold ourselves accountable 
for our work, our behaviour, our 
ethics and our actions. We aim 
to deliver high performance 
outcomes and undertake to 
deliver on our commitments to our 
colleagues, business and social 
partners, and our investors. 

We want the communities and 
societies in which we operate 
to be better off for AngloGold 
Ashanti having been there.

We uphold and promote 
fundamental human rights where 
we do business. We contribute to 
building productive, respectful and 
mutually beneficial partnerships 
in the communities in which we 
operate. We aim to leave a legacy of 
enduring value.

We respect the environment.

We are committed to continually 
improving our processes in order 
to prevent pollution, minimise 
waste, increase our carbon 
efficiency and make efficient use of 
natural resources. We will develop 
innovative solutions to mitigate 
environmental and climate risks.

1

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CONTENTS

“ We strive to generate sustainable free cash flow 
improvements and returns to shareholders, after funding 
our investment requirements and servicing our debt.”

P3-8

P9-24

P25-41

P42-54

P55-130

P131-156

P157-161

INTRODUCTION

LEADERSHIP

3 
4 

5 
7 

 About our reports

 Directors’ 
statement of 
responsibility

Corporate profile

 Highlights of  
the year

10 
14 
15 
18 

19 
23 

 Chairman’s letter

 The board

 CEO’s review

 Executive 
management

 CFO’s report

 Audit and Risk 
Committee: 
chairman’s letter

BUSINESS 
CONTEXT

26 

27 

31 

35 

  Business model 
2015

 Material concerns 
and our external 
environment 

 Stakeholder 
engagement and 
material issues

 People are our 
business

STRATEGY

43 
44 

47 

  Our strategy

 Performance 
against strategic 
objectives

 Managing and 
mitigating risks

ACCOUNTABILITY

132   Corporate 
governance
138   Remuneration and 
Human Resources 
Committee: 
chairman’s letter

140   Remuneration 
report 
156   Approvals and 
assurances

SHAREHOLDER 
AND CORPORATE 
INFORMATION 

158   Shareholder 

information
160   Forward-looking 
statements
161  Administration

PERFORMANCE 
REVIEW

 Financial review 

 Economic value-
added statement

 Regional reviews 

56 
63 

64 
96 

 Five-year statistics: 
by operation
116   Mineral Resource 
and Ore Reserve – 
summary
123   Planning for  
the future
130   One-year outlook

HOW TO USE THIS REPORT

This is an interactive PDF. Navigation tools at the top left of each page and within the report are indicated as follows.

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2

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015ABOUT OUR REPORTS

Our suite of 2015 reports is made 
up as follows:

  

Integrated Report

   Operational profiles

  

 Sustainable  
Development Report

  

 Mineral Resource and  
Ore Reserve Report

   Annual Financial Statements

 

 Notice of Annual General 
Meeting and Summarised 
Financial Information  
(Notice of Meeting)

Visit our reports website:  
www.aga-reports.com

Visit our corporate website:  
www.anglogoldashanti.com

Download the full suite of reports

This , the primary document in our suite 
of reports, provides a concise overview and 
explanation of the performance of AngloGold 
Ashanti Limited (AngloGold Ashanti) in terms of 
our strategic objectives and the related outlook 
for the company. Both financial and non-
financial performance are considered. Individual 
business profiles reviewing our performance at 
an operational level are also available online. 

The  was posted to shareholders, in line 
with the JSE Listings Requirements and the 
requirements of the South African Companies 
Act, 71 of 2008, as amended (Companies Act).

The , which is compiled in line with 
the Global Reporting Initiatives’ (GRI’s) latest 
G4 guidelines, is available together with the 
accompanying GRI scorecard. Our  
are prepared in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and 
information in the  is presented in line 
with the SAMREC and JORC codes.

A dedicated annual reporting website,  
www.aga-reports.com, hosts PDFs of the full 
suite of reports to facilitate ease of access by 
and communication with stakeholders. 

SCOPE AND BOUNDARY  
OF REPORTS
The 2015 suite of reports covers the year from  
1 January to 31 December 2015. We also report 
on any material events that have occurred from 
year’s end to the date of the reports’ approval by 
the board on 22 March 2016. 

The reports cover the entire company and its 
main business units and functions, including 
our joint ventures and investments, over 
which we exercise control or have significant 
influence. Performance is reported regionally, 
in line with our corporate structure. Full 
disclosure is provided for all operations 
managed by AngloGold Ashanti. Those 

operations in which we have an ownership 
interest – Kibali in the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo (DRC) and Morila in Mali – which 
are managed and operated by Randgold 
Resources Limited, our joint venture partner 
in these operations, are partially reported in 
terms of their safety and environmental and 
socio-economic performance. There have 
been no significant changes to the scope, 
boundary or measurement methods applied 
in this report and, where restatements to 
comparatives have been made, these are  
as indicated.

Although we have a diverse range of 
stakeholders, each with their own specific 
information requirements, this report is aimed 
primarily at investors, financiers and potential 
investors. Stakeholders are also referred to 
the supplementary reports in this suite and the 
, in particular, for additional information. 

As this is a group-level report, operational 
targets and performance are discussed 
at regional rather than per individual site, 
although some operational detail is provided 
where appropriate. Detailed information, 
including maps of our exploration activities of 
both our greenfields and brownfields studies, 
is available on the AngloGold Ashanti website, 
www.anglogoldashanti.com.

Information relating to joint ventures and 
other interests is provided for context 
and where this is deemed to be material. 
Production and capital expenditure are 

expressed on an attributable basis, unless 
otherwise indicated. 

Employee data, average workforce data, 
including employees and contractors, are 
reported for AngloGold Ashanti with joint 
ventures reported on an attributable basis. 
Employee and workforce data reported 
includes both our employees and contractors. 
All-in sustaining costs ($/oz) and all-in costs 
exclude stockpile write-offs.

The intense focus on containing and reducing 
costs and improving margins continued in 2015, 
as did active management of our portfolio.

CORPORATE CHANGES  
DURING 2015
The Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) mine 
in the United States was sold in August 
2015. Consequently, CC&V is reported 
as a discontinued operation and group 
numbers for comparative periods for 
the income statements and cash flow 
statements have been restated. The 
balance sheet (statement of financial 
position) remains unchanged.

Obuasi remained on limited operations 
in 2015. 

The closure process at Yatela 
continues and is expected to be 
completed in 2019.

3

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015ABOUT OUR REPORTS continued

THIS INTEGRATED REPORT
As AngloGold Ashanti is a South Africa-
based company with its primary listing on 
the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), 
we have been guided in compiling this report 
by the International Integrated Reporting 
Council’s (IIRC) framework on integrated 
reporting, the recommendations of the King 
Report on Governance for South Africa 2009 
(King III), the Companies Act and the JSE 
Listings Requirements. 

The content of this integrated report is based 
on our overarching strategy, the primary aim 
of which is to create value by generating 
sustainable free cash flow improvements and 
returns. In this report, we describe what we 
have done to create value and to achieve our 
stated strategic objectives in the past year, 
what we have used to do this, what the impact 
of these actions has been, the risks affecting 
our ability to achieve our strategic objectives, 
the circumstances that have affected our 
ability to generate value and how well we have 
performed towards our goal of creating value.

The risks and material issues discussed in 
this report are considered to be those most 
likely to affect the group’s sustainability. In 
identifying these, we have taken into account 
the external environment in which we operate, 
our current performance and feedback 
obtained from stakeholders during the year. 

Further information on AngloGold Ashanti’s 
material sustainability issues is presented in 
the .

APPROVALS AND ASSURANCE
Several internal processes that include among 
others management assurance and reviews by 
internal audit of the information and data in our 
reports are conducted. 

Operations within AngloGold Ashanti 
were subjected to risk-based, integrated, 
combined assurance reviews focusing 
on commercial, safety and sustainability 
aspects of the business. The outcome of 
these reviews, as well as the independent 
technical reviews conducted, provided 
reasonable assurance to allow the board, on 
the recommendation of the Audit and Risk 
Committee, to determine the effectiveness of 
the group’s system of internal controls.

The board and executive management consider 
the matters discussed in this report to be those 
that most influence our ability to successfully 
achieve our strategic objectives and manage 
the risks we face, and believe that this report 
fairly records our performance in the past year. 

Note: AngloGold Ashanti reports its group 
financial information in US dollars (US$) in all 
its reports. Unless otherwise stated, the use of 
‘$’ or ‘dollar’ refers to US dollars.

4

“ The risks and material issues 
discussed in this report are 
considered to be those most 
likely to affect the group’s 
sustainability.”

DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Board of Directors of AngloGold Ashanti, assisted by the Audit 
and Risk Committee, is ultimately responsible for overseeing and 
confirming the integrity and completeness of this Integrated Report 
and of the entire suite of 2015 reports. 

The board, having reviewed and applied its collective mind to the preparation and 
presentation of this report, declared that the Integrated Report addresses all material issues 
and fairly presents the organisation’s integrated performance and its impacts. 

The board, on the recommendation of the Audit and Risk Committee, approved the 
Integrated Report 2015 on 22 March 2016.

Sipho M Pityana
Chairman

Wiseman Nkuhlu
Deputy Chairman

Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan
Chief Executive Officer

Christine Ramon
Chief Financial Officer

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE PROFILE

AngloGold Ashanti, a gold mining 
company with a globally diverse, 
world-class portfolio of operations 
and projects, is headquartered 
in Johannesburg, South Africa. 
AngloGold Ashanti is the third-largest 
gold mining company in the world, 
measured by production.

OUR PORTFOLIO OF ASSETS
Our portfolio of 17 mines in nine countries, 
comprises long-life, relatively low-cost assets 
with differing ore body types, located in key 
gold-producing regions. A number of these 
assets are strongly leveraged to energy costs 
and currencies.

Our operations are grouped regionally as follows:

South Africa (Vaal River, West Wits and 
Surface Operations)

Continental Africa (Democratic Republic of 
the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Tanzania)

Americas (Argentina and Brazil)

Australasia (Australia)

These operating assets are supported by 
greenfield projects in Colombia and a focused 
exploration programme.

LOCATION OF ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI’S 

OPERATIONS AND 
ADVANCED PROJECTS

LEGEND
    Operations      Greenfield projects

5

4

6

7

8

9

3

1

2

AMERICAS
1  Argentina
  Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
2  Brazil

Serra Grande
AGA Mineração

3  Colombia
  Gramalote (51%)

La Colosa

  Quebradona (92.4%)

AUSTRALASIA
10  Australia

Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%)

CONTINENTAL 
AFRICA
4  Guinea

Siguiri (85%)

5  Mali
  Morila (40%) (1)
Sadiola (41%)

6  Ghana

Iduapriem
  Obuasi (2)
7  DRC

Kibali (45%) (1)

8  Tanzania
  Geita

5

SOUTH AFRICA
9  South Africa

Vaal River
Kopanang
  Moab Khotsong
  West Wits
  Mponeng
TauTona
Surface Operations (3) 

10

Percentages indicate the 
ownership interest held by 
AngloGold Ashanti. All operations 
are 100%-owned unless 
otherwise indicated.
(1)   Both Morila and Kibali are 
managed and operated by 
Randgold Resources Limited.

(2)   Obuasi has been on  

limited operations since 
December 2014. 

(3)   Surface Operations includes First 
Uranium SA, which owns Mine 
Waste Solutions (MWS). MWS 
is managed and operated as a 
separate cash-generating unit.

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE PROFILE continued

OUR BUSINESS
Our business activities span the full spectrum 
of the mining value chain and take into account 
the impact of our activities on the varied and 
many communities and environments in which 
we operate. To maintain and strengthen our 
business’s social capital, we aim to create 
sustainable value for shareholders, employees, 
and social partners through safe and responsible 
mining practices and capital discipline.

Over the past three years, the transformation 
of AngloGold Ashanti has aimed at increased 
efficiencies and competitiveness with a focus 
on its safety performance alongside growth 
in the production of high-margin ounces, 
reduced operating and overhead costs and 
positive cash flows. Being cognisant of the 
current market environment, and with limited 
access to financial capital, we ensure that we 
allocate available capital responsibly, in line 
with business requirements, while optimising 
our internal expertise to aggressively identify 
and implement operational efficiencies, 
reduce overhead structures, improve capital 
discipline and pursue other initiatives to improve 
underlying business performance, with an 
emphasis on workplace safety. Our overall 
focus remains on continued debt reduction to 
further strengthen our balance sheet, improve 
the quality of our portfolio and unlock value from 
the Colombian portfolio and Obuasi.

Our organisational and management structure 
is aligned with global best practices in 
corporate governance. By using our human 

capital efficiently and effectively, group support 
functions cover planning and technical, 
strategy, sustainability, finance, human 
resources, legal and stakeholder relations. 
The planning and technical function focuses 
on the management of opportunities and the 
maintenance of long-term optionality, ensuring 
optimal use of our intellectual capital, through 
a range of activities that includes brownfields 
and greenfields exploration, innovative 
research and technology development with a 
focus on mining excellence.

EXPLORATION
Our exploration programme is aimed at providing 
an organic growth pipeline through which to 
create significant value for the company.

Greenfields and brownfields exploration is 
undertaken in both established and new 
gold-producing regions through managed and 
non-managed joint ventures, strategic alliances 
and wholly-owned ground holdings. Recent 
world-class discoveries include La Colosa, 
Gramalote and Quebradona (Nuevo Chaquiro) 
in Colombia and Tropicana in Australia.

legislation, great care is taken to ensure the 
safe production, transportation and storage 
of uranium and sulphuric acid, which are 
hazardous materials. For instance, AngloGold 
Ashanti complies with the International 
Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safeguards 
regarding all its sales contracts and 
shipments of uranium.

OUR PRODUCT
While gold is our principal product, depending 
on local geological characteristics, several 
by-products are also produced, which 
make up the sum total of our manufactured 
capital. These are silver in Argentina, 
uranium in South Africa and sulphuric acid 
in Brazil. In compliance with all applicable 

Once mined, the gold ore is processed into 
doré (unrefined gold bars) on site and then 
dispatched to precious metals refineries 
for refining to a purity of at least 99.5%, in 
accordance with the standards of ‘good 
delivery’ as determined by the London Bullion 
Market Association (LBMA). This refined gold 
is then sold directly to bullion banks.

SHAREHOLDERS
AngloGold Ashanti is an independent gold producer, with a diverse spread of shareholders that 
includes some of the world’s largest financial institutions. The Government of Ghana holds a 1.57% 
interest in the company.

The respective national governments hold direct interests in our operating subsidiary in Guinea and 
joint ventures in the DRC and Mali. In Argentina, Fomicruz, a state company in the province of Santa 
Cruz, has an interest in the Cerro Vanguardia operation.

The primary listing of the company’s ordinary shares is on the JSE in South Africa. Its ordinary shares are 
also listed on the New York, Australian and Ghana stock exchanges. More detailed information on our 
stock exchanges listings is provided in the Shareholder Information section.

At the end of December 2015, AngloGold Ashanti had 405,265,315 ordinary shares in issue and 
a market capitalisation of $2.88bn (2014: $3.51bn). Post year-end, at 22 March 2016, the date of 
approval of this report by the board, the market capitalisation was $5.54bn.

Geographic distribution of shareholders
as at 31 December 2015 (%)

•  United States 

•  South Africa 

•  United Kingdom 

•  Rest of Europe 

•  Asia 

•  Ghana 
•  Rest of world 

41

23

17

7

4

1

7

6

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR

SAFETY

PRODUCTION

EMPLOYEES

FREE CASH FLOW

Both the AIFR and the LTIFR for 
2015 were lower than 2014. Safety 
remains our highest priority and our 
biggest challenge as we relentlessly 
pursue effective controls to improve 
our safety performance. 

Our focus remains on high-margin 
ounces rather than on absolute 
production levels. We have met annual 
production and cost targets for three 
consecutive years. We remain one 
of the global gold industry’s most 
geographically diversified companies.

2015 group AIFR

7.18

(2014: 7.36)

Safety performance by region
(AIFR per million hours worked)

South Africa

Continental Africa

0.5

Australasia

Americas

5.61

10.81

8.56

Annual production (continuing and 
discontinued operations)
(Moz)

11
12
13
14
15

4.3

3.9

4.1

4.4

3.9

Contribution to production 
by region 2015 (%)

•  South Africa 

•  Continental Africa 

•  Australasia 
•  Americas 

26

37

15

22

Our strategy is based on a strong 
foundation built on safe production, 
and attracting and retaining the 
industry’s best people. To this 
end, a redesign of the incentive 
structure is underway to include 
a greater focus on and further 
tightening of the performance-
related measures we use to assess 
and drive the business. 

Number of employees

11
12
13
14
15

61,242

65,822
66,434

58,057

52,266

Active cost management along with 
strict capital discipline allowed us to 
generate free cash flow, despite the 
lower gold price environment. This 
is a marked improvement on a cash 
outflow of $112m in 2014.

Annual free cash flow
($m)

11
12
13
14
15

972

(666)
(1,064)
(112)
141

“ Production of 3.95Moz came 
in at the top end of our revised 
guidance while all-in sustaining 
costs of $910/oz and all-in 
costs of $1,001/oz were both 
better than guidance.”

7

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR continued

COSTS

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNITY

While cost reduction and efficiency 
measures provided a buffer against 
local inflation, tailwinds from 
weakening currencies and fuel 
prices helped mitigate an 8% drop in 
the gold price and lower production.

1,064
1,088

All-in sustaining costs by region
($/oz)

South Africa
14
15

Continental Africa
14
15

Australasia
14
15

Americas
14
15

968

986

974

815

875

792

In line with our commitment 
to responsible environmental 
stewardship and to minimising our 
impact on the environment, we have 
reduced the number of reportable 
environmental incidents to four in 
2015 – down 20% year-on-year and 
an 85% improvement from 2011. 

Number of reportable 
environmental incidents

27

16

10

11
12
13
14
15

5
4

Our 2015 results show the benefits 
of a strong ongoing focus on costs 
and capital allocation. Capital 
expenditure decreased by 29% 
compared to 2014, attributable to 
favourable exchange rate movements 
in South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and 
Australia, as well as planning and 
design changes at certain sites and 
fundamental cost savings.

Capital expenditure 
by region 2015 ($m)

•  South Africa 

•  Continental Africa 

•  Australasia 

•  Americas 

206

315

78

196

Maintaining positive relations 
with communities is essential to 
maintaining our social licence 
to operate. In line with the need 
to understand and respond to 
communities socio-economic 
challenges, we contributed 
$16.8m* to community investment 
projects and spent $2.1bn with 
local suppliers. 

Community investment 
by region 2015 (%)

•  South Africa 

•  Continental Africa 

•  Australasia 

•  Americas 

37

36

2

25

*  Includes equity-accounted investments.

8

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015LEADERSHIP

VALUE

In this section, we present our leadership team, 
who review our performance over the past year, 
with particular reference to our strategy.

TOWARDS VALUE CREATION 
through credible and sustainable business

9

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

Sipho M. Pityana
Chairman

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI 
SHAREHOLDERS
I find myself once again reflecting on 
another challenging year for the world’s gold 
mining sector, which completed the fourth 
consecutive year of declining gold prices 
following bullion’s September 2011 peak. After 
several years of leading the way downward for 
metal prices, however, it was some comfort 
that gold shone relative to the out-and-out rout 
that we saw in commodity prices in general 
during 2015 with base metals, bulk minerals 
and energy all falling victim to slowing demand.  

As commodity producers suffered from the 
collapse in prices, so too did the fortunes of 
many emerging market economies, buffeted by 
the twin headwinds of an ailing China and the 
first hike in US interest rates since well before 
the global financial crisis. 

I start this letter by reflecting on the 
macroeconomic picture, because the 
withdrawal of liquidity from developing countries 
and dwindling demand for metals and energy 
have hit hard for many companies and 
countries alike, including many jurisdictions in 
which AngloGold Ashanti is invested. 

Brazil, where we operate two important 
mining complexes, was downgraded to non-
investment grade status by major credit ratings 
agencies. The impact of this rating downgrade 
was significant. The diminished pool of available 
debt capital and the higher cost of funding 
contributing toward an unprecedented collapse 

in the Brazilian real, which lost almost half of 
its value relative to the US dollar in 2015. The 
threats to the trajectory of Brazil’s inflation are 
clear, as are the concerns for both the country 
and local corporations which face the prospect 
of repaying historically high debt commitments 
from a weakened currency base.

South Africa, where we produce roughly a 
quarter of our gold and where we are domiciled, 
was working hard to stave off a similar ratings 
fate at the time of writing this note. Our country, 
which labours under stubbornly low growth, 
soaring unemployment and the world’s most 
unequal distribution of wealth, is only a single 
downgrade away from similar relegation to 
‘junk’ status. While it is not certain South 
Africa will be downgraded, it is clear that 
Brazil provides an ominous portent of what 
lies in store for a currency already suffering the 
contagion of the global emerging market and 
currency fallout. South Africa’s rand lost fully a 
third of its value relative to the dollar in 2015.

To be clear, the dramatic weakening of these 
currencies provides a significant and helpful 
tailwind to our operations in the short-medium 
term. With most of our costs in Brazil and 
South Africa denominated in real and rand 
respectively, the freefalling currencies help 
ensure lower dollar-denominated costs and 
wider margins. We are mindful that such gains 
are often eroded by the inevitable inflation 
that follows, so we are working harder than 
ever to make the fundamental changes to our 
operations that ensure efficiencies can also be 

managed in local currency terms. You will read 
more of these efforts elsewhere in this report.

But there is a bigger point to be made in 
looking at the struggles of so many of these 
emerging markets and the commodity 
companies that operate in them. At root of 
their current travails is the age-old problem of 
too much debt, accumulated during times of 
seductively low interest rates. This in itself is 
not necessarily a problem unless refinancing 
costs rise, or the price for the commodity 
produced, declines. Unfortunately for many, 
both of these are currently occurring. 

You will recall that we identified our balance sheet 
as one of the focus areas as far back as 2014. 
Back then, despite not being the most indebted 
company in the industry, we were among the 
first to highlight our debt as unsustainably high, 
and to prescribe a range of self-help measures 
to reduce these borrowings without resorting 
to a dilutive equity issuance. Many others have 
since followed suit. This year’s Integrated Report 
highlights many of the successes we achieved 
in this regard, with our debt shrinking by almost 
$1bn, due to the timely sale of CC&V in the 
United States and the increased cash flow we 
generated, despite the lower average gold price 
achieved during the year.

Neither the decision to sell a core mine, nor 
the significant restructuring needed to achieve 
those margins, were easy calls to make, but 
they were critical in ensuring improved long-
term fortunes for the company, its shareholders 
and other stakeholders. 

10

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CHAIRMAN’S LETTER continued

The unanimous decision of the board and 
the Executive Committee to pursue a debt 
reduction strategy forced some much-needed 
introspection into the true health and structure 
of the business. It provided further impetus 
for us to eliminate wasteful and unproductive 
expenditure, streamline sometimes ponderous 
structures, vastly improve our capital allocation 
practices and adopt a more conservative 
outlook. All of these will serve us well in the 
future, regardless of the market conditions.

We remain cautious on our debt-bearing capacity 
given our view that the prevailing, difficult market 
conditions for the broader emerging markets and 
mining universe appear structural in nature and 
may well persist for some time. 

We have seen already how collapsing prices of 
commodities from oil to platinum, and copper 
to iron ore, have slashed revenue for many 
host countries. In many of these countries, 
loss-making operations pay less tax. At the 
same time, capital-starved companies suspend 
projects, greatly reducing foreign direct 
investment to jurisdictions in desperate need of 
it. It is a difficult situation for countries that place 
large reliance on their mining industries.

In this challenging environment, there is a 
threat that governments will succumb to the 
temptation to plug these revenue gaps by 
changing the goal posts for investors – raising 

taxes and royalties, or altering other terms 
under which companies operate. This may, 
after all, appear easier in the short-term than 
making the difficult, structural improvements 
to economies that will make them stronger 
and more competitive in the long-term. 
So, instead of using the crisis to pass the 
reforms needed to enhance competitiveness 
and attract long-term investments, there 
is a risk that a more myopic approach to 
increasing fiscal and other burdens will have 
the opposite effect of permanently raising 
discount rates applied by companies to 
investment in those territories. 

But there are also other, less obvious ways 
of extracting additional resource rents. Many 
will already be aware that governments in 
developing countries are increasingly slow in 
remitting value-added tax rebates, building 
large balances of cash due to be returned 
to companies. You will see evidence of this 
lock-up of working capital elsewhere in this 
report, but suffice to say, this increases the 
cost of doing business, and the returns 
needed to make future investments.

In the past year, we were gratified to see 
peaceful and fully democratic elections in 
Argentina, Tanzania and Guinea. We continue 
to hold dialogues with these and other 
governments to ensure we remain alive to their 

own objectives and needs, while providing 
feedback on our requirements and views as 
investors seeking the best destination in which 
to invest discretionary capital. 

As a multi-national mining company, operating 
17 mines in nine countries from Argentina and 
Brazil in the west, to Australia in the east, and 
South Africa in the south to Mali in the north 
(and with large-scale growth opportunities in 
Colombia), we have throughout this downturn 
continued to invest in projects that will secure 
our future. Our investment criteria have – out 
of necessity – become more stringent as 
market conditions have tightened, and we will 
continue to look for a clear set of criteria that 
our jurisdictions must fulfil if they are to attract 
our capital. 

Like fund managers, we are constantly working 
to make the best capital allocation decisions 
possible, and are always confronted with a 
choice of where to invest that extra dollar. 

Right now, we have several options for 
brownfield expansion of our Siguiri mine in 
Guinea, a life extension of our Geita operation 
in Tanzania or the construction of a new plant 
in Mali to revive a two-decade old operation, 
which is near the end of its life if there is no 
reinvestment. We are looking at the viability 
of deepening the shaft system at Mponeng in 
South Africa to unlock millions more ounces, 

and an even more ambitious plan to revive a 
century-old mining district near the town of 
Obuasi in Ghana. 

In parallel with this, we are progressing the 
three large, new projects in Colombia that will 
potentially transform the company into one of the 
world’s largest mining companies operating in 
the Americas. 

The fact that there is limited available capital 
means there will inevitably be trade-offs. And 
in deciding which assets in our portfolio will 
benefit from investment, we will be looking 
at a suite of requirements that will limit the 
ongoing risks related to any mining project, 
and enhance the long-term returns. This is 
essential if AngloGold Ashanti is to remain 
sustainable as a long-term business.

We will look for strong governance and 
transparency; improving administrative 
capacity in government at local and national 
level; clear, consistent fiscal and regulatory 
frameworks that provide the long-term 
certainty to make large investments in 
development of ore bodies and surrounding 
infrastructure; and an overarching climate that 
allows for strong partnerships, particularly 
between government, industry, labour and 
communities, to more effectively invest in 
social expenditure.

11

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CHAIRMAN’S LETTER continued

Also critically important are the host 
governments’ commitments to protecting the 
rights of investors within a recognised legal 
framework. Mining is, by definition, a long-
term game that requires large sums of capital 
and often lengthy payback periods. That 
requires certainty, security and transparency. 
We are certain to avoid any new investment 
in a jurisdiction that doesn’t provide a safe 
and secure environment in which to operate – 
regardless of the vagaries of market cycles.

But this is not a one-way street. As a responsible 
corporate citizen, we will also have a list of 
necessarily onerous commitments to uphold. We 
will agree on our social commitments, pay taxes 
and continue to invest in both the operation and 
community development throughout the cycle, 
to ensure that our hosts see the benefit of our 
mining activities. We will aim to operate safe 
mine sites and be responsible stewards of the 
environment. This consistency on the part of the 
investor is critically important in order to show 
that we – like the governments and communities 
who host us – are in it for the long run.

This year we continued on our improving 
trajectory with regard to the environment, 
reporting four incidents compared to five in 
2015. That takes the improvement since 2007 
to 92%. As regards safety, our highest priority, 
we fell well short of our goal of achieving 
‘zero harm’ across our business, with an 
unacceptable 11 workplace fatalities recorded 
during the year. The board of directors sends 

its heartfelt and sincere condolences to the 
families, friends and loved ones of those 
who died. This number of fatalities is by any 
measure unacceptable. While notable progress 
had been made since 2007, when the number 
of fatalities declined significantly by over 80% 
from 34 to six in 2014, regrettably, this historic 
performance deteriorated in 2015. Although 
disappointed by this increase in the number 
of fatalities, we remain fully committed to 
investing the time and resources to abolish the 
scourge of workplace injuries from our mines 
and plants. At the same time, we recognise 
the enormous strides that have been made 
to this end with our all injury frequency rate, 
the broadest measure of safety performance, 
showing another annual reduction from  
7.36 per million hours worked in 2014 to  
7.18 for 2015.

Many of you will be aware that we agreed a 
three-year wage deal with the majority of our 
South African workforce this past year, the 
longest duration yet for such a deal. We entered 
these talks with our four major unions – the 
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the 
Association of Mineworkers and Construction 
Union (AMCU), Solidarity and the United 
Association of South Africa (UASA) – with the 
intention of shifting the discussion away from 
previous, more confrontational wage talks 
characterised by wide initial gaps in what is 
being asked for and what is being offered, and 
incremental moves toward a settlement. 

Together with our major peers in the sector, 
Harmony and Sibanye, we proposed an 
Economic and Social Sustainability Compact with 
mutually agreed economic viability parameters 
that support the gold industry’s ability to provide 
job security and social benefits to employees, 
enabling them to share in the future of the 
industry. The compact also included a set of 
new methodologies and principles to guide co-
operation between employers, employees and 
their organised labour representatives, to help 
secure the future of the industry and the jobs 
within it.

Although we believe that the proposed 
compact offers a better opportunity for 
sharing the spoils and woes in our industry, 
unfortunately, the unions declined the offer 
of deeper co-operation with the industry, 
under the compact, and instead chose to 
revert to normal bargaining. We countered 
with a higher-than-usual opening offer that 
was close to the final accord with NUM, 
UASA and Solidarity, which together with the 
7% of non-unionised employees, accounted 
for 66% of our workforce. The deal, which 
saw an above-inflation increase, provides for 
guaranteed wages for entry-level employees 
(excluding bonuses and overtime) to rise to 
around R106,000 per annum in the third year 
of the agreement.  

In addition, employees would continue to 
receive their incentive-based pay, in the 
form of bonuses and overtime, which can 

12

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CHAIRMAN’S LETTER continued

materially increase cash remuneration – and 
especially so in the current environment which 
has seen rand-denominated gold prices at 
record levels.

As in the previous round of talks in 2013, 
AMCU declined to sign the wage agreement, 
and continued their 2013 challenge to our 
ability as an industry, to ‘extend’ this agreement 
to their members under Section 23.1(d) of 
the Labour Relations Act. The Labour Appeal 
Court subsequently ruled again in our favour 
and dismissed AMCU’s appeal. We welcome 
the decision as it is in the best interests of 
employees, the companies concerned and the 
industry as a whole.  

We believe that three years of certainty on wage 
agreements provides much needed stability 
for us to improve the operational consistency 
of our South African operations. We believe 
that this also provides the right environment for 
our employees to take advantage of the higher 
gold price environment to increase the variable 
proportion of their remuneration, which has the 
potential to significantly augment remuneration. 
It’s in our mutual interest to ensure an enduring, 
symbiotic relationship.

In early March 2016, we took an important 
step toward resolving some of the legacy 
claims against the company with respect to 

occupational lung disease (OLD). Between 
October 2012 and April 2014, AngloGold 
Ashanti received 1,256 individual summonses 
relating to silicosis and other OLD. I’m 
pleased to report that on 4 March 2016, 
together with Anglo American South Africa, 
we reached a settlement agreement with the 
claimants, through their counsel, for full and 
final settlement – with no admission of liability 
– of those individual claims brought against 
AngloGold Ashanti and the 4,388 individual 
claims brought against Anglo American 
South Africa.  Further information regarding 
the settlement is available on our website at 
www.anglogoldashanti.com/en/Media/news/
Pages/20160304_Silicosis.aspx

We firmly believe that agreeing these settlement 
terms is in the best interests of the claimants, 
their families, and the company. All have a 
common interest in settling this highly-complex 
case that could take several years to resolve 
through litigation. It should be noted that this 
settlement agreement is not related to the 
pending class action certification application that 
is currently before the courts. The court is still 
to determine whether or not a class action law 
suit is the appropriate way to hear this action. 
Judgement on this matter is still pending.

The mining industry acknowledges that OLD is 
of significant importance for the sector and the 

country. We, along with several of our industry 
peers, have also convened a working group 
to address issues relating to compensation 
and medical care for OLD in the South African 
gold mining industry. The companies in this 
working group are in the process of engaging 
all stakeholders in order to co-operate in the 
design and implementation of a comprehensive 
solution to compensation for OLD that is both 
fair to past, present and future gold mining 
employees, and sustainable for the sector.

In closing, we find ourselves in a strong 
position relative to where we’ve come from 
in recent years, and relative to many of our 
peers. We have done hard work to restructure 
the business, strengthen the balance sheet 
and manage risk across the portfolio. I can 
assure you that, despite the success we’ve 
enjoyed over the past three years, the board 
is clear in its intention to continue supporting 
the executive team in its push for further 
improvements across the business. Venkat, 
our Chief Executive Officer, is clear in his note 
to shareholders in this same report, that there 
is a busy to-do list that he and his team will be 
attending to in 2016 to unlock further value.

2015, though we devoted significant effort and 
resources to improving safety, the outcomes 
were below par. This critical area will receive our 
undivided attention in the year ahead. We must 
do better.

Finally, I extend my thanks to our CEO 
Venkat for his exceptional leadership and 
commendable delivery on our strategic 
commitments over the past year, executed 
under the difficult market conditions with 
which the mining industry has been faced 
over the past few years. He would be the first 
one to remind me that without the fantastic 
management team he leads, none of this 
would have been possible. I agree, we are 
lucky to be endowed with such great talent. 
I also acknowledge the continuous support 
of and thank my fellow board members for 
their contribution over the past year. Together, 
we will be unrelenting in our efforts to ensure 
that the business flourishes in the long term, 
regardless of market conditions, for the benefit 
of all stakeholders.

Be assured that our efforts will be firmly rooted 
in our values, which remain sacrosanct for every 
one of our employees working in this business 
– they are non-negotiable and will remain so. In 

Sipho M. Pityana
Chairman
22 March 2016

13

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015THE BOARD

Independent non-executive directors

1:  

 Sipho Pityana   
(Chairman)

2. 

 Wiseman Nkuhlu  
(Deputy chairman) 

3.  Albert Garner

4.  Rhidwaan Gasant

5.  Dave Hodgson

6.  Nozipho January-Bardill

7.  Michael Kirkwood

8.  Maria Richter

9.  Rodney Ruston

Executive directors

10.   Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan  

(Chief Executive Officer)

11.  Christine Ramon  

(Chief Financial Officer)

Company secretary

12.  Maria Sanz Perez

3

9

4

10

2

7

12

5

8

6

1

11

Length of service on the board (%)

HDSAs (%)

Experience (%)

Gender

•  Less than two years 

•  From two to eight years 

•  More than eight years 

27

46

27

•  HDSA 

•  Non-HDSA 

•  Non-South African 

45

10

45

•  Mining/finance 

•  Mining 

•  Finance 

•  Executive management 

10

27

27

36

14

73%

Male

27%

Female

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
CEO’S REVIEW

Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan 
Chief Executive Officer

FELLOW SHAREHOLDERS
After another busy year for the team at 
AngloGold Ashanti, it falls to me to provide an 
update on our progress in delivering on our 
commitments made a year ago to you, the 
owners of this company. In this regard it may 
be useful to revisit our strategy, which has 
guided us since its launch in 2013. We believe 
this strategy, which has at its core the delivery 
of sustainable cash flow improvements and 
returns, will deliver shareholder value in both 
bear and bull markets. It is underpinned by five 
simple business objectives that have served us 
well over the past three years, namely:
•   a strong foundation, built on safe production, 

attracting and retaining the industry’s 
best people and fostering a practical and 
progressive sustainability model

•   placing enormous importance on balance 

sheet strength and flexibility

•   a constant focus and delivery on production 

improvements, cost management and 
sound capital discipline

•   a constant drive to consistently manage and 

improve the quality of our portfolio

•   remembering always that mining is a long-
term game, therefore ensuring we keep 
long-term optionality, at an affordable cost, 
firmly on our radar

AngloGold Ashanti remains one of the global 
gold industry’s most geographically diversified 
companies. In 2015, roughly one-in-every 
four ounces of our production came from 

our mines in South Africa, with three times 
that amount coming from our international 
operations, as we continued to improve the 
balance of our portfolio.

Our presence in Brazil, Argentina, Australia 
and South Africa (collectively two-thirds 
of our production base) ensured we were 
able to offer good leverage not only to gold 
prices, but also to weakening currencies in 
those jurisdictions. That means that while 
we will certainly benefit from a rising dollar-
denominated gold price, we can also flourish 
in a weaker gold price scenario that typically 
brings along with it weaker currencies in 
Australia, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. 

The sharply weaker oil price also provided 
a welcome tailwind, particularly for open-pit 
operations and those mines, mostly in Africa, 
where we generate our own electricity. We 
remained well positioned to benefit from prevailing 
macro-economic conditions, characterised by 
the strong dollar, weaker commodity prices and 
currencies, and lower oil prices.

Production of 3.95Moz came in at the top end 
of our revised guidance while all-in sustaining 
costs of $910/oz and all-in costs of $1,001/oz 
were both better than guidance. When looking 
back to the end of 2012, the performance is 
all the more remarkable. All-in costs have more 
than halved since then and all-in sustaining 
costs have come down by almost half, from 
around $1,700/oz. This achievement comes 
despite a struggling South African business, 

which we expect to turn around in the coming 
year, providing us another good opportunity to 
drive average costs for the business lower.

Our active cost management, along with 
strict capital discipline, allowed us to generate 
free cash flow of $141m for the year, even 
after incurring costs of $61m related to the 
successful tender offer for a portion of our high-
yield bonds. We applied the proceeds from 
the sale of CC&V, plus surplus cash generated 
by the business, to further reduce borrowings. 
This left net debt 30% lower at the end of 2015, 
compared with the end of the previous year. 
We have, very clearly, been more than up to 
the challenge of ensuring that we can make 
money – even in a severe bear market – without 
compromising long-term optionality.

Looking back a year ago, we were certainly not 
the mining industry’s most indebted company 
by any means, but we were among the first 
to commit to a range of self-help measures 
to lower debt from internally generated cash, 
without diluting shareholders. I am pleased to 
report that we delivered on most of our self-help 
measures, including margin improvements, cost 
savings throughout the business, and the sale 
of a core asset for full value. 

After taking the difficult decision to sell CC&V 
to Newmont Mining Corp., we achieved the 
very good price of $819m, plus a future royalty 
stream on potential underground production. 
We received the proceeds in August 2015 and 
moved quickly to deploy most of the cash in a 

15

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CEO’S REVIEW continued

successful tender offer to buy back $779m of 
our high-yield bonds at a reasonable premium 
of only 7.5%, almost five years before they are 
due to mature. In each of those five years we 
will save about $60m in interest payments, and 
also significantly reduce refinancing needs at 
the bonds’ scheduled maturity date in 2020.

A long-term solution at Obuasi, including 
the search for a partner and completion of a 
feasibility study into its redevelopment, as well 
as a search for a strategic partner (or partners) 
to participate in our projects in Colombia, remain 
works-in-progress. While Colombia represents an 
excellent long-term value option for the company, 
the current depressed market conditions for 
greenfield project developments dictate that 
we further rationalise annual expenditure, while 
moving these projects up the value curve.

We’ve done very good work over the past three 
years – and particularly in 2015 – to transform 
the balance sheet from an existential risk to 
a growing competitive advantage. We’ve 
lowered debt by a third in the past year, we 
ended 2015 with ample liquidity in our cash 
and facilities, and we have no material US 
dollar-denominated bonds maturities until 2020. 
We will, nevertheless, continue our work to 
strengthen the balance sheet further in 2016.

Consistent delivery on our commitments to the 
market is another growing advantage. We have, 

month by month and ounce by ounce, built 
a strong track record of reliable performance, 
despite facing stiff headwinds in a challenging 
operating environment. We stretched our record 
of delivery to 12 consecutive quarters, wherein 
we either met or beat our production and cost 
targets. We have also, for the first time in our 
history, met our annual production and cost 
targets for three years in a row.

But as strong as the operational performance 
was in 2015, our safety performance was 
simply not at the level we demand. Safety 
was – and remains – both our highest priority 
and our biggest challenge. This is particularly 
so in South Africa, which accounted for nine 
of the 11 tragic fatalities recorded during the 
year compared to four out of six in 2014. The 
regression in fatalities is especially upsetting 
for all of us in the company, given the marked 
improvements made in the preceding two 
years. We have continued to invest significant 
effort, time and resources into understanding 
the root causes of these accidents, and also 
in understanding the causes of near-miss, 
or high-potential incidents, where fatalities 
were narrowly avoided. In looking at the 
broader safety performance, however, we are 
heartened by the continued improvements 
to our all injury frequency rate which ended 
the year at its lowest ever level of 7.18 per 
million hours worked. I can assure you that our 

resolve to eliminate workplace deaths from our 
mines is stronger than ever.

Our performance across our other 
sustainability metrics was very good indeed, 
with continued improvements in all key areas. 
We again eclipsed the record performance in 
2014 of the fewest reportable environmental 
incidents logged, with four in 2015 compared 
to five the previous year and 27 in 2011. 
We remained diligent in our work to improve 
relationships with host communities and 
governments, and ended the year with 15 
reportable community incidents, down from 
61 in 2011. There is a wealth of detailed 
sustainability-related information in our .

As we return to overall operating performance, 
our international operations have distinguished 
themselves in helping push the portfolio from 
near the top of the industry cost curve in 2012 
to its current position in the lower half. The 
South African operations, which were severely 
hampered by scores of lost operating days 
linked to safety stoppages, did not fare as well 
as in 2014 and were consequently our highest-
cost operations in 2015, when they averaged 
an all-in sustaining cost of $1,088/oz.

While our international portfolio has fared 
exceptionally well in outpacing the peer 
group, we believe that the next step-change 
improvement in the portfolio will come from 

the South African assets, which will help 
drive the performance of the group toward 
the industry’s lowest-cost quartile. The 
performance of these deep-level assets in the 
fourth quarter, when all-in sustaining costs 
fell nearly $200/oz from the previous quarter, 
show they have the potential to provide a 
positive surprise in 2016.

At an operating level, we have a busy work 
schedule in this coming year. In South Africa, 
as you would expect, getting to grips with our 
safety performance underpins all of the other 
turnaround efforts across the region. 

We’re also extending the Project 500 from 
our international operations to the South 
African region, where it has only had limited 
application thus far. We believe that we 
can extend the success you’ve seen in our 
international operations, and at year-end our 
teams were already working on efficiency 
improvement initiatives, tighter labour and 
contractor management, debottlenecking of 
key projects and targeting a range of off-mine 
cost savings of at least R500m. 

Chris Sheppard and his team will also continue 
to establish the production platform created 
by the Below 120 level life extension project 
at Mponeng, our long-term cash engine in 
South Africa, which was delayed by the safety-
related disruptions of the past 18 months. 

16

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CEO’S REVIEW continued

When you put all of these pieces together, you 
will see the building blocks are in place for us 
to deliver a 10% uplift in production from the 
South African region compared to 2015, with 
a commensurate improvement in costs. The 
weaker exchange rate evident since December 
2015, may provide additional benefit.

Ron Largent has a similarly busy schedule 
regarding the international operations in 2016, 
in identifying areas of further improvement and 
ensuring that potential is realised. Together 
with teams in Australasia, South America and 
Continental Africa, we’ll be looking to advance 
a slate of opportunities, which includes an 
exciting brownfields project at Siguiri, that 
will deliver a life extension well into the next 
decade, taking annual production from Guinea 
up to around 300,000oz and dropping all-in 
sustaining costs to around $900/oz. We get all 
of that for a little over $100m. This is precisely 
the kind of project we like, leveraging of an 
existing capital base and providing high returns 
on the capital we invest.

We’ve also taken the initial steps toward 
developing the underground mine at Geita, 
our lowest-cost operation, and are putting 
the final touches on an incremental capital 
project at Sunrise Dam that will allow us to 
tap the significant resource potential of our 
Vogue underground discovery. At Iduapriem, 
in Ghana, we will continue the successful work 
of 2015 that added long-term ounces, life 

and margin. And in Brazil, now amongst our 
top cash generating regions, we are getting 
into the higher grades at the Serra Grande 
operation, which confirms the geological thesis 
that drove our purchase of the remaining 50% 
of this asset a few years back.

There is a lot more work underway which 
makes it evident that our internal pipeline of 
low-capital/high-return brownfield project 
opportunities has never looked better.

At a corporate level, our ‘to do’ list for 2016 
is also a busy one.  Our top priority is to 
effect the turnaround at our South African 
operations. We will also continue to target 
efficiency and cost improvements across 
every corner of the business to further improve 
margins and cash flow, which will be applied 
prudently to further reduce debt. These efforts 
will not ease, despite the improvements seen 
in the gold price at the beginning of 2016.

Obuasi will occupy a disproportionately higher 
weighting in our list, despite the fact that it 
is not in production. The next steps include 
further optimising our feasibility study into 
the mine’s potential redevelopment, ensuring 
the restoration and maintenance of law and 
order on site, and securing the full package 
of regulatory consents and approvals needed 
before we seek a joint venture partner that  
will be critical to our participation in the  
mine’s redevelopment1.  

Looking ahead, there are clear cash flow 
benefits that stem from the hard work and 
restructuring we have completed so far. These 
improvements stem from:
•   the early part repayment of our high-yield  
bonds, which has cut our interest bill by 
almost a third

•   our cost reductions – both through 

fundamental improvements and leverage to 
oil and currency – which have helped widen 
profit margins

•   lower planned expenditure in both Colombia 

and Obuasi, compared to last year

And that’s before we take into account the 
tailwinds we can see from a gold price that 
continues to look stronger, and currencies in 
our key operating jurisdictions which remain at 
historically weak levels, creating a sweet spot 
for our business.

AngloGold Ashanti’s investment case is 
stronger than ever, with several catalysts that 
we are methodically ticking off.

We have a high-quality portfolio of long-life, 
gold assets with strong leverage to gold 
price, energy and currencies. We are a 
transparent and decisive management team 
that is focused on delivery and returns.  
We set ambitious goals, achieve them,  
and set a higher hurdle for the next round  
of improvements.

17

1  Continental Africa regional review

We continue to prioritise margins over 
production growth with relentless cost and 
capital discipline. Our decisive actions to 
date have provided us with the much needed 
balance sheet flexibility, an area in which we 
will seek further improvements in 2016.

My sense of business optimism expressed a 
year ago was largely borne out in 2015, when 
a strong fundamental performance drove 
an equally strong share price performance, 
relative to our peers. I see little reason for this 
optimism to wane during 2016, particularly 
with the strong support we continue to receive 
from our Chairman, board, our executive and 
senior management teams, and the tireless 
dedication and hard work of so many among 
our about 52,000-strong group of truly world-
class employees in AngloGold Ashanti, to all of 
whom I am very thankful.   

Finally, I express my gratitude, and that of 
the board, as I bid farewell to Mike O’Hare 
who had a distinguished career at AngloGold 
Ashanti for close on four decades. Mike 
retired in September 2015. I thank him for this 
immense contribution to the company and the 
industry as a whole, and wish him well.

Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan
Chief Executive Officer
22 March 2016

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

5

6

8

3

2

1

7

4

9

AngloGold Ashanti’s  
executive management team 
(Executive Committee) comprises 
nine members of whom two are 
executive directors. 

This committee oversees the day-to-day 
management of the group’s activities 
and is supported by country and regional 
management teams as well as by group 
corporate functions.

1. 

 Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan  
(Chief Executive Officer)

2.  Christine Ramon  

(Chief Financial Officer)

3.  Chris Sheppard

Gender

4. 

Italia Boninelli 

67%

Male

33%

Female

5.  Charles Carter 

6.  Graham Ehm 

7.  Ron Largent 

8.  David Noko 

9.  Maria Sanz Perez 

Length of service by 
executive management (%)

HDSAs (%)

•  Less than five years 

•  From five to ten years 

•  More than ten years 

45

10

45

•  HDSA 

•  Non-HDSA 

•  Non-South African 

33

22

45

Experience (%)

•  Mining 

•  Executive management 

•  Mining/finance 

•  Mining/strategy 

•  Finance 
•  Human resources 

33

23

11

11

11

11

18

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
CFO’S REPORT

Christine K. Ramon
Chief Financial Officer

We continued to deliver on our 
self-help measures as reflected 
in the strong set of annual results 
beating market consensus views 
in most areas. Improved cost 
metrics, together with lower debt 
levels, resulted in improved cash 
flow generation in the group. This 
provided the flexibility required in 
the current volatile environment.

•   Strong gains in adjusted headline earnings 
and free cash flow, despite the 8% drop in 
gold price

•   Production of 3.95Moz – at top end of our 

revised guidance range

•   Total cash costs of $712/oz – 9% lower 

year-on-year

•   All-in sustaining cost of $910/oz – 11% 

lower year-on-year

•   All-in cost of $1,001/oz – 10% lower  

year-on-year

improvements to $141m, compared to an 
outflow of $112m in 2014

•   Net debt reduced by 30% year-on-year to 

$2.2bn, due to the effect of self-help measures 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As was the case in 2013 and 2014, the year 
under review was marked by a further fall in 
the gold price. The average price decreased 
by $106/oz or 8% over the course of the past 
year.  In 2015, the situation was exacerbated 
by a decrease of 489,000oz or 11% in group 
attributable production (from continued and 
discontinued operations).  The negative 
impact of these factors was substantially 
mitigated by significant cost discipline 
applied and cost savings achieved through 
the Project 500 (P500) initiative, as well as 
greater focus on capital allocation and project 
delivery, while ensuring sustaining capital 
is maintained; coupled with the favourable 
impact of weaker local currencies and 
reduced Brent Crude oil prices. The net result 
of the above was an improvement in all-in 
sustaining costs per ounce by 11% year-on-
year; and 24% from 2013. 

•   Corporate costs of $78m – down 15% from 

$92m in 2014

•   Adjusted headline earnings of $49m 

compared to a loss of $1m in the prior year

•   Capital expenditure of $857m – down 29% 

from $1.2bn in 2014 

•   Full year free cash flow shows significant 

One of our five core strategic focus areas is 
to ‘ENSURE FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY’ which 
means structuring our balance sheet to allow 
us to meet our core funding requirements and 
to provide a reasonable buffer for gold price 
volatility as well as other adverse unforeseen 
events. The successful conclusion of the sale 
of CC&V to Newmont during August 2015 

generated proceeds of $819m which was 
applied to part settle our $1.25bn, 8.5% bonds, 
thereby reducing the outstanding bonds to 
$471m. As a result, net debt was reduced by 
30% and our net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio 
decreased to 1.49 times, in line with our group 
target of 1.50 times.  

The group’s balance sheet is efficiently 
structured and the debt has long-dated 
maturities. Apart from the R750m bonds 
maturing in 2016, which forms part of our 
Domestic Medium Notes Term Programme 
(DMNTP) and the R1.5bn Revolving Credit 
Facility (RCF) which matures in December 
2018, the earliest bonds’ maturity date is in 
April 2020. The issuer’s call on the remaining 
8.5% high-yield bonds can be exercised from 
July 2016 onwards, at the group’s discretion. 

The group remains committed to finding 
long-term solutions for the redevelopment of 
Obuasi in Ghana and its projects in Colombia. 
Various alternatives are being considered, 
with joint venture partnerships still the 
preferred route to be followed.

Our taxation expenses decreased during 
the year through considerable effort. Our 
transparent group tax policy supports a low-
risk approach in dealing with tax matters.

AngloGold Ashanti’s credit rating by Moody’s 
Investor Service was updated on Friday,  
11 March 2016. Moody’s reaffirmed our rating 
at Baa3, and improved the outlook from 

19

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CFO’S REPORT continued

negative to stable. Standard and Poor’s rating 

(S&P) of BB+, with a negative outlook, remains 

unchanged from 2014. The Moody’s rating 

places the company’s credit at the lowest level 

of investment grade and S&P has the company 

at the top level of sub-investment credit grade. 

The S&P rating is scheduled for review in 2016.

CONTINUED FINANCIAL 
FLEXIBILITY

The $819m proceeds received on the 

disposal of CC&V in August 2015 helped 

reduce the net debt levels in the group by 

30% compared to 2014. At 1.49 times, we 

Debt maturities

have now reached our target net debt to 
adjusted EBITDA ratio of 1.5 times through 
the cycle, and we compare favourably to our 
peers in this regard.

We believe that the ample headroom to our 
covenant levels of 3.5 times net debt to 
adjusted EBITDA, our strong liquidity, sufficient 
undrawn facilities as reflected below and our 
long-dated debt maturities provide us with 
the financial flexibility required in the current 
volatile environment. We are well positioned to 
successfully steer a course through moderate 
gold price declines or other unforeseen events, 
within reason.

Debt type

Debt facilities as at 31 December 2015 ($m)

Maturity date

Base currency

Net debt/Net debt to adjusted EBITDA 1

2.99

2.95

3.13

3.15

3.08

Covenant 3.5x

2.29

2.19

Undrawn facilities 
At 31 December 2015

1.8

1.7

1.94

2.02

1.95

1.54

1.49

Q2
2014

Q3
2014

Q4
2014

Q1
2015

Q2
2015

Q3
2015

Q4
2015

Net debt to adjusted EBITDA

Net debt ($bn)

1  Adjusted EBITDA based on last 12 months. 
  Ratio based on restated numbers

•  $800m

•  $484m cash

•  R2,408m

•  A$365m

$1.69bn 

2

Total undrawn

2  Total calculated with ZAR facility 
  excluding DMTNP at R15.5/$, 
  AUD facility at 0.70$/A$. The cash 
  balance is at 31 December 2015.

A$ RCF

US$ RCF

ZAR RCF  
and demand 
facility*

64
64
64

5.375% bonds

8.500% bonds

5.125% bonds

6.50% bonds

98
98
98

200
200
200

220
220
220

365
365
365

471
471
471

300
300
300

300
300
300

700
700
700

700
700
700

471
471
471

750
750
750

750
750
750

  Drawn amount            Facility amount

1,000
1,000
1,000

Jul 2019

Jul 2019

Dec 2018  
to Dec 2020

Apr 2020

Jul 2020

Aug 2022

Apr 2040

AUD

USD

ZAR

USD

USD

USD

USD

Due to the long-dated maturities of our 

existing debt, we have the opportunity 

to plan and execute strategies for the 

redemption or renegotiation of our existing 

debt arrangements on terms favourable to the 

group. As a result of the early redemption of 

the high-yield bonds, we have saved 30% on 

our annual interest bill. 

We continue to view the early redemption 

option on the remaining high-yield bonds at 

the end of July 2016 as an opportunity to 

2016 with the aim of further reducing the 
interest bill in order to improve sustainable free 
cash flows and returns. 

DELIVERY AGAINST 2015 
FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES
1. Continue to focus on self-help 
measures (including the potential sale 
or joint venture of an operating asset) to 
deleverage the balance sheet in order to 
maintain sufficient liquidity and flexibility 
in a lower gold price environment

further reduce our debt. However, since there 

is no external pressure to do so, we will keep 

In 2015, we introduced our focus on ‘self-help 
measures’ in three areas:

all options open in this regard. Our objective 

•   The review of the asset portfolio while 

*   Excludes our South African DMTNP, where we have drawn R750m of the R10bn facility

remains to prioritise further deleveraging in 

actively seeking joint venture partnerships in 

20

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CFO’S REPORT continued

Colombia and at Obuasi in Ghana as well as 
pursuing the potential sale or joint venture of 
an operating asset

that most of our cost base in those countries 
is denominated in the local currencies, while 
our gold is sold in US dollars.

•   Cash flow improvements through the 
optimisation of business plans and 
consolidation of regional hubs 

•   Leverage to exploit weaker currencies, the 
consequently higher price in terms of these 
currencies and lower fuel prices

The year under review reflects that we have 
succeeded in most of these areas, with 
the exception of concluding joint venture 
partnerships in Colombia and at Obuasi. 

Cash flow improvements have been noted 
in 2015, despite a decrease of 8% in gold 
price and 11% lower production for the year 
under review, mainly the result of weaker local 
currencies; the benefits of the P500 cost 
savings initiatives; and the lower Brent crude 
oil price. Free cash inflow for the year, on an 
adjusted basis, amounted to $141m, which is 
the first year of free cash generation since 2011.

The weakening of the South African rand, 
Argentinean peso, Brazilian real and 
Australian dollar, as well as the lower Brent 
crude oil prices, were beneficial to us given 

Our sensitivities to the oil price and currencies, 
which are issued with caution, are as follows:

•   Every 1% average change in our currency 
basket impacts input costs by ~$6/oz

•   Every $10/bbl change in the average Brent 

Crude oil price impacts input costs by ~$8/oz

2. Focus on financial and project risk 
mitigation by seeking joint venture 
partners for Colombia and Obuasi

On 16 September 2015, we concluded 
a conditional investment agreement with 
Randgold Resources (Randgold) aimed at 
the formation of a joint venture to redevelop 
and operate our Obuasi gold mine in Ghana. 
Under the terms of the agreement, Randgold 
would have led and funded a development 
plan designed to rebuild Obuasi as a viable 
long-life mine. The development plan would 
have built on a feasibility plan prepared by 
us and would have ultimately led to the 
formation of a joint venture responsible for 
funding the redevelopment of Obuasi, with 
Randgold acting as operator of the mine.

On 21 December 2015, we announced the 
termination of the conditional investment 
agreement since the proposed investment did 
not meet Randgold’s investment criteria. 

As a result, improvements were identified 
and we have subsequently developed a plan 
to finalise the feasibility study and continue 
with the limited operating phase at the 
mine at a reduced spend. Our focus will be 
proceeding to secure an investment package 
for Obuasi, and limit the spend in this limited 
operations phase from $106m in 2015 to 
approximately $70m in 2016. 

Due to the current depressed global 
mining environment, the appetite of other 
players in our industry to enter into joint 
venture arrangements in Colombia, on 
a number of our promising greenfields 
projects, has dissipated. As a result, our 
exploration efforts in Colombia, including 
the prefeasibility study at La Colosa, 
are progressing under a reduced spend 
programme, while maintaining long-term 
optionality within the country. We will be 
significantly reducing our expenditure 
in Colombia from $73m in 2015 to 
approximately $44m in 2016.

3. Review the asset portfolio with a view 
to rebalancing the portfolio with more 
profitable ounces

A review of the asset portfolio, with a focus on 
more profitable ounces is ongoing. Specific 
focus remains on finding appropriate solutions 
for the redevelopment of mining operations 
at Obuasi and the continued funding of our 
Colombian exploration portfolio. However, we 
continue to consider the contribution of every 
operation within the group.

4. Maintain our focus on cost and capital 
discipline to deliver competitive all-in 
sustaining costs and all-in costs

In response to weaker gold prices, the 
group has over the last two years adopted a 
number of measures focused on sustainably 
reducing the cost associated with producing 
gold. These initiatives have covered a broad 
spectrum of activities, including a greater 
focus on capital allocation and project delivery 
within set group targets and hurdle rates, while 
ensuring that sustaining capital is maintained 
in order to not compromise the business 
in the longer term. Internal cost reduction 
improvements have been further assisted by 
tailwinds from weakening local currencies 
in the environments in which we operate 

21

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CFO’S REPORT continued

and lower oil prices which have assisted in 
negating inflationary and structural pressure. 
We have seen all-in sustaining costs fall 24%, 
from $1,195/oz in 2013 to $910/oz in 2015. 
Over the same period we have also been able 
to substantially improve our position on the 
industry’s cost curve.

The group’s cost performance reflected 
improvements in several key areas, including 
direct operating costs, corporate overheads, 
exploration expenses and capital expenditure. 
The P500 initiative, launched in mid-2013 to 
save $500m in direct operating costs over 
18 months, has surpassed that target and 
has now been embedded in the international 
operations as an ongoing business 
improvement initiative. The P500 team is 
now in the beginning phases of implementing 
a range of efficiency initiatives at the South 
African operations in 2016. 

The P500 initiative, supported by weaker 
local currencies and the lower Brent crude 
oil price observed during 2015, resulted in 
our all-in sustaining costs per ounce margin 
improving to 21% in 2015 from 19% in 
2014, with our all-in cost per ounce margin 
reflecting a similar improvement to 14% in 
2015, from 12% in 2014. 

5. Continue to target sustainable cash 
generation. For 2015, significant cost 
reductions have been included in the 
annual business plans

Our efforts on cost reduction, supported by 
weaker local currencies and a decrease in 
the oil price, assisted us in achieving positive 
free cash flow (on an unadjusted basis) for the 
year under review. We require these results to 
be sustained over longer periods of time, and 
therefore will continue to target sustainable 
cash generation, including the recovery of slow 
remitted value-added taxation rebates and the 
off-setting of indirect taxes, thereby releasing 
working capital lock-up.

FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES   
FOR 2016
Looking ahead to 2016, the key financial 
objectives are to:

•   maintain our focus on cost and capital 
discipline to deliver competitive all-in 
sustaining costs and all-in costs

•   further enhance margins and cash flow 
through continuing focus on self-help 
measures and efficiency improvements, as 
well as further utilisation of weaker currency 
and oil prices

•   further decrease Obuasi expenditure, while 
finalising an investment agreement and 
thereby reducing holding costs

processes will remain unchanged.  This 
initiative will help reduce costs and keep the 
focus on value-adding business initiatives.

•   further decrease Colombia expenditure, 
while maintaining optionality and moving 
the projects in that country up the  
value curve

•   continue to target sustainable cash 

generation

•  reduce the annual interest bill

•   further deleverage our balance sheet in the 

coming year

CHANGE TO HALF-YEARLY 
REPORTING
Consistent with the majority of South African 
domiciled mining companies, AngloGold 
Ashanti has decided to move to half-yearly 
reporting. This will result in the disclosures 
for the three-month periods ending 31 March 
and 30 September consisting of abbreviated, 
selected operational and financial data. The 
six-month periods ending 30 June and  
31 December will be prepared in terms of IAS 
34 (Interim Financial Reporting) on a basis 
similar to the process adopted for interim 
reporting in prior years. Importantly, the internal 
management reporting and governance 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The 2015 financial year is the first full financial 
year that I have been the Chief Financial 
Officer at AngloGold Ashanti. I am supported 
by a strong and diligent financial team who, 
through their understanding of the challenging 
economic environment, continue to assist me 
to proactively manage the financial position 
of the company. In addition, we have been 
able to deliver quality financial information to 
our stakeholders, which reflect our objectives 
and values for long term success. I would like 
to thank our strong and enthusiastic financial 
team for their ongoing support and look 
forward to the year ahead. 

Christine Ramon
Chief Financial Officer
22 March 2016

22

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE: CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

1  Corporate Governance

The Audit and Risk Committee can 
confirm that the financial and risk 
management information provided 
in this  accurately reflects the 
information that has been reported 
to the committee by management. 

Nothing has come to the attention of the Audit 
and Risk Committee to make it believe that the 
systems of internal control and internal controls 
over financial reporting are not adequate in 
their design and effective in their operation to 
provide management with a sound basis to 
prepare financial reports that are reliable and 
free of material misstatement. The Audit and 
Risk Committee has based its conclusion in this 
regard on the reports received from external 
audit, internal audit and executive management 
through the combined assurance process.

EXTERNAL AUDITOR 
INDEPENDENCE
In order to safeguard the independence of 
the external auditor, the formal policy on the 
approval of all non-audit related services has 
been revised, approved and re-implemented. 
In terms of the policy, the Audit and Risk 
Committee has established that the sum of 
the non-audit and tax fees in a year must not 
exceed 40% of the sum of audit and audit-
related fees. The Audit and Risk Committee 
received a quarterly update on tax and non-
audit fees as a percentage of total audit and 

Audit, audit-related, tax and 
non-audit fees for 2015 ($m)

•  Audit services 

•  Tax services 

•  Non-audit services 

7.25

0.65

0.20

audit-related fees and are comfortable that 
the external auditor’s independence had not 
been jeopardised. 

TRANSFORMATION OF 
EXTERNAL AUDIT
In the spirit of AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment 
to transformation, the Audit and Risk 
Committee closely monitors and guides 
transformation within the context of the external 
audit. The current auditors, EY, are Level 2 
contributors. Under the guidance of the Audit 
and Risk Committee, certain of AngloGold 
Ashanti’s subsidiaries, such as MWS, an entity 
acquired in July 2012 for $335m, and the 
Environmental Rehabilitation Trust Fund, with 
a gross asset value of R1.2bn ($78m), are 
audited by Nexia SAB&T (a Level 2 contributor). 
In addition, Nexia SAB&T also conducts audit 
work on the South African operations, under 
the supervision of EY.  

23

PROCEEDINGS AND 
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
During 2015, the Audit and Risk Committee 
met formally six times and all members of the 
committee attended the meetings. For attendance 
details, see Corporate Governance section 1.

THE YEAR AHEAD
In 2016, the Audit and Risk Committee will 
continue to monitor:
•   the maturity of the internal control and internal 
control over financial reporting environments

•   key financial accounting and reporting 

requirements that can impact on the group 
as well as overseeing the change from 
quarterly reporting to half-yearly reporting
•   further refinement of the maturing combined 

assurance process of the group

•   overseeing the successful implementation of 
SAP at Iduapriem, Geita and Siguiri, in the 
Continental Africa region

•   management of key strategic risks by the 

executive management team

•   the activities of internal audit, external audit, 

compliance and whistle-blowing

CONCLUSION 
The Audit and Risk Committee is satisfied 
that it has considered and discharged its 
responsibilities in accordance with its mandate 
and terms of reference during the year under 
review. For a more detailed report on the 
activities of the Audit and Risk Committee, 
refer to the .

Rhidwaan Gasant
Chairman: Audit and Risk Committee
22 March 2016

Rhidwaan Gasant
Chairman: Audit and Risk Committee

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE: CHAIRMAN’S LETTER continued

HIGHLIGHTS OF 
RESPONSIBILITIES   
DISCHARGED DURING 2015

Quarter one

•   Evaluated the performance of the external 

auditors and nominated the appointment of 
Ernst & Young Inc. (EY) as external auditors 
to the shareholders

•   Assessed the expertise and experience  
of the Chief Financial Officer and the  
finance function

•   Reviewed the management representation 

letter

•   Reviewed and approved the annual 

integrated report for recommendation to  
the board

•   Reviewed and approved the 2014 annual 

financial statements and Form 20-F

•   Reviewed and approved the internal audit 

charter and performance objectives for 2015

•   Reviewed and recommended for approval 

the annual Mineral Resource and Ore 
Reserve report

•   Assessing management’s assessment of 

impairments of assets and goodwill
•   Considered the dividend proposal put 

forward by management

Quarter two

•   Assessed the performance of the SVP: Group 
Internal Audit and the internal audit function

•   Held closed session with internal audit, 

external audit and management

•   Considered the accounting treatment for the 

•   Reviewed and approved for 

sale of the CC&V operation in the  
United States

recommendation to the board the Audit and 
Risk Committee’s terms of reference

•  Update on JSE Listing Requirements
•  Assessment of the going-concern statement
•   Assess the implementation of the combined 

•   Received a technical update on changes in 

•   Approval of the revised policy on non-audit 

assurance model

financial reporting standards

•   Received a detailed update from the 

Compliance Officer on compliance with 
legislation and ongoing training

•   Reviewed the global insurance renewal 

process and commented on potential gaps

services

•   Considered actions taken by management 
to address a matter of non-compliance to 
the JSE Listing Requirements relating to  
the  for 2014. No restatement  
was required.

Quarter three

•   Considered and approved the external 
auditor’s integrated audit plan and 
associated fee budget

•   Considered the accounting treatment for 
the proposed joint venture with Randgold 
Resources on Obuasi as well as accounting 
for part settlement of the high-yield bonds
•   Considered and discussed the company’s 

approach in terms of cyber defence
•   Considered for recommendation to the 

At all meetings

•   Received quarterly reports from:
  •  Internal audit and external audit
  •  Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
  •   Financial results of the quarter and  

tax exposures

  •   The Risk Manager and had detailed 
discussion on an agreed risk theme
  •   The Chief Information Officer on IT 

governance 

board the Group Delegation of Authority and 
appointment of the Public Officer

•   Received a technical update on changes in 

  •   Subsidiary Audit and Risk Committee reports
  •  Whistle-blowing reports and outcomes
  •   Review and approval of the quarterly 

financial reporting standards

financial statements

During 2015, the Audit and Risk Committee 
continued to assess the impact of staff 
reductions in 2013 and 2014, obtaining 
assurance from both executive management 
and internal audit that the internal control 
environment has not been negatively impacted.

Management has established and maintains 
internal controls and procedures, which are 
reviewed by the Audit and Risk Committee 
and reported on through regular reports 
to the board. These internal controls and 
procedures are designed to identify and 
manage, rather than eliminate, the risk of 
control malfunction and aims to provide 
reasonable but not absolute assurance 
that these risks are well managed and that 
material misstatements and/or loss will not 
materialise. The Audit and Risk Committee 
closely monitored the actions implemented 
by management during 2015 to enhance 
the AngloGold Ashanti combined assurance 
model and to ensure integration between the 
various in-house assurance providers.

•   Considered the company’s listing on other 

Quarter four

stock exchanges

•   Considered the results of the 2014 self-
assessment results of the committee

•   Considered the accounting treatment for the 
intended sale of CC&V in the United States

•   Received a detailed update from the 

Compliance Officer on compliance with 
legislation and ongoing training

•   Approved the annual internal audit and 

  •   The Treasurer on the gold market
  •   Group Legal Counsel on all material 

litigations and the impact on financial 
reporting

  •   The Group Tax Manager on tax exposures 
for the group and management of these

combined assurance plan

•  Approval of non-audit services

24

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015BUSINESS CONTEXT

VALUE

In this section, we review our business model in 
light of the environment within which we operate, 
related material issues, risks and stakeholders.

TOWARDS VALUE CREATION 
through credible and sustainable business

25

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015BUSINESS MODEL 2015

AngloGold Ashanti’s operating and 
business activities extend across 
the full spectrum of the gold-
mining production pipeline – from 
exploration through to processing, 
production and sales. Our four 
principal areas of activity are:

•   Discovering and assessing the economic 

viability of gold-bearing ore bodies

•   Developing and mining the economically 

viable ore bodies identified

•   Processing the ore mined to extract gold 

and any resulting by-products

•   Producing and selling the gold and  

by-products produced

In conducting our business, we require and 
make use of various resources, or capitals, 
the use of which in turn has consequences 
and produces corresponding outputs in terms 
of these same capitals. We manage the use 
of these resources as efficiently as possible to 
achieve the desired outcomes in line with our 
strategy and value creation and in particular 
regarding the generation of sustainable free 
cash flow and returns. The outputs and 
impacts of our business activities can also be 
measured in terms of these capitals. 

INPUTS

OUTPUTS

OUTCOMES

IMPACTS

CAPITAL RESOURCES

N
N
N
N
N
N

F
F
F
F
F
F

M
M
M
M
M
M

H
H
H
H
H
H

I

I
I

I
I

I

S
S
S
S
S
S

Natural  

Financial  

Manufactured

Human  

Intellectual

Social

26

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MATERIAL CONCERNS AND OUR EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

We have identified those external 
factors which affect and have the 
potential to affect our ability to 
deliver on our strategic objectives. 

gold price throughout the year and when the 
FOMC finally raised rates at its 16 December 
2015 meeting, the gold price fell sharply 
following the announcement, despite the fact 
that it had been widely anticipated. 

This enables us to highlight emerging issues that 
influence the short- and long-term economic 
viability and sustainability of our business, to 
prioritise these factors, to address them and to 
better manage their effects. 

Discussed below are those issues in the 
external environment that have had the most 
impact on our business in 2015 – the gold 
market, capital markets, regulatory uncertainty, 
stakeholder expectations, our social licence 
to operate and competition for resources 
and infrastructure – and that are expected 
to continue to influence AngloGold Ashanti’s 
performance in the year ahead.

THE GOLD MARKET
During 2015, financial markets focused on 
trying to predict the start of the normalisation 
of the interest rate environment in the United 
States. Economic data releases were closely 
evaluated, as were minutes from the US 
Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee 
(FOMC) meetings for clues to confirm the 
timing of interest rate hikes. Speculation 
around the timing of a possible increase in US 
interest rates unfortunately weighed on the 

However, as year-end approached, the price 
managed to claw its way back from multi-year 
lows on heightened fears of further global 
macro-economic risks. Further uncertainty 
regarding the state of China’s economy as 
well as that of Europe caused markets to 
reassess their projections of future interest 
rate increases in the United States, helping to 
underpin a modest recovery in the gold price.

Physical gold demand in 2015 was very much 
a story of two halves. The first half of the year 
saw very tepid demand. However, the fall in the 
gold price around mid-July saw demand return 
strongly in what is traditionally a slow period for 
physical offtake. Another sharp drop in the price 
in November had a similar effect in stimulating 
demand. Although overall physical demand in 
2015 was down on the previous year, it is still 
encouraging to note that physical demand does 
cushion falling prices.

Investment demand, as evidenced by 
exchange traded funds, continued to wane 
through 2015 with a total liquidation of 119t 
recorded for the year. However, this is far from 
the outflows recorded for 2013 (903t) or even 
2014 (155t). 

Official sector buying continued in 2015 as 
central banks sought to continue diversifying 
their reserve assets. Arguably the most notable 
announcement came from China in July when 
they revealed that Chinese gold reserves had 
grown 50% since 2006, taking their holdings 
to 1,658t. Since this announcement the 
People’s Bank of China has begun regular 
reporting updates on its gold holdings and 
these indicate that the Chinese central bank 
continues to accumulate gold. 

Another notable buyer from the official sector 
was Russia, which announced a purchase of 
77t in the third quarter taking its total tally for 
the first nine months of 2015 to 144t. 

CAPITAL MARKETS
Given the current economic downturn and 
slump in the commodity cycle and in investor 
sentiment towards resources companies, access 
to capital remains a challenge. The resources 
equity markets remain difficult, especially for gold 
producers (including, in particular, producers in 
emerging markets) and gold equity valuations 
continued to decline in 2015.

AngloGold Ashanti’s primary strategic 
objective is to generate sustainable free 
cash flow improvements and returns, which 
is aided by deleveraging and strengthening 
the balance sheet and generating cash 
internally by minimising costs, among 

Average monthly gold price ($/oz)
(January 2015 to December 2015)

22 Jan 2015

$1,302/oz

Daily peak for the year

1,500

1,200

900

Jan 2015

Source: Bloomberg

27

17 Dec 2015

$1,051/oz

Daily low for the year

Dec 2015

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MATERIAL CONCERNS AND OUR EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT continued

others. Improving the balance sheet leads to 
improved creditworthiness, which facilitates 
capital raising should this be necessary. If 
the group succeeds in generating sufficient 
cash flow, any potential need to raise capital 
is reduced. This is particularly important given 
the likelihood of continued increases in interest 
rates in South Africa and in the United States, 
and the recent revision to a negative outlook of 
South Africa’s sovereign credit rating by ratings 
agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. 

to transition the mine to limited operations. 
The APMO also allows for a feasibility study 
to be conducted and finalised, to outline 
redevelopment requirements and the future 
potential of Obuasi. We are currently working 
with the Government of Ghana to confirm an 
investment development agreement in terms 
of which the project will be developed. We 
continue to optimise our feasibility study on 
the limited operating phase in parallel with the 
other processes underway.

AngloGold Ashanti has thus far managed to 
deleverage its balance sheet through its self-
help measures. We substantially reduced debt 
and related interest payments in August when 
we sold CC&V and used the proceeds to 
redeem a portion of our high-yield bonds. 

REGULATORY UNCERTAINTY
Regulatory uncertainty makes it less attractive 
to do business or to invest in a country. It also 
complicates competitiveness and adds to the 
difficulty of attracting investors. 

In July 2014 in Ghana, AngloGold Ashanti 
submitted an Amendment to the Programme 
of Mining Operations (APMO) for the Obuasi 
mine to the Ministry of Lands and Natural 
Resources to cover the period from October 
2014 to December 2015. The minister 
approved the APMO in November 2014, which 
allowed AngloGold Ashanti to complete the 
retrenchment of Obuasi’s entire workforce and 

In South Africa, the mining environment is 
governed by legislation to redress some of 
the social and economic imbalances of the 
past. AngloGold Ashanti’s South African 
mineral rights are subject to the Mineral and 
Petroleum Resources Development Act 
(MPRDA), the Mining Charter and social and 
labour plans, and the interpretation of this 
legislation, which establishes the framework 
for the transformation of the mining industry. 
This uncertainty may increase fears of non-
compliance and handicap our ability to deliver 
on our strategy. The work done to ensure 
compliance with the Mining Charter under our 
social and labour plans is set out in the .  

When the Mining Charter reached the end of 
the second five-year commitment period at the 
end of 2014, our South African operations were 
audited and we received commendations for 
work done in achieving the targets. However, 
the revised Mining Charter is yet to be agreed 

between government and the mining industry, 
increasing investors’ unease. In addition, 
there is no certainty on the principle of black 
economic empowerment (BEE), with respect 
to whether the principle of “once empowered, 
always empowered” will be observed. In 2015, 
the minister in the Department of Mineral 
Resources stated that mining companies 
had not achieved the 26% black ownership 
level mandated by the current Mining Charter. 
The Chamber of Mines disagreed with this 
statement based on its own analysis. In March 
2015, the Chamber of Mines, on behalf of the 
mining industry, sought a declaratory order from 
the High Court to obtain clarity on this issue. 
The case was due to be heard in court on  
15 March 2016 but was postponed. 

A ruling has yet to be made on the outcome. 
The threat of regulatory changes, such as 
the outcome of the interpretation of BEE 
ownership, increases uncertainty, particularly 
among investors, and can affect the long-term 
sustainability and viability of the company.

On the new amended Broad-Based Black 
Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act 
and Codes on the Mining Industry, we have 
engaged with the Department of Trade 
and Industry (DTI), through the Chamber of 
Mines, with respect to the impact thereof and 
how these will be aligned to the soon-to-be 
revised New Mining Charter and MPRDA. 
The amendments to the B-BBEE Act are 

now fully operational and the B-BBEE Act 
is the primary law in all black economic 
empowerment policy and legislation, with 
the MPRDA now subject to that policy on 
all matters covered in the B-BBEE Act. 
However, in October 2015, the DTI gazetted 
a 12-month exemption to the DMR, pending 
the industry’s conclusion of the revised Mining 
Charter or Code. Through the Chamber 
of Mines, we are actively providing input 
to government on the development of the 
anticipated new Mining Charter.

The long-awaited White Paper on National 
Health Insurance (NHI) was released late in 
December 2015, and the window for public 
comment is open until end March 2016. We 
contributed to a collective industry submission, 
which will be co-ordinated by the Chamber of 
Mines and Business Unity South Africa. The 
private healthcare industry is concerned about 
the affordability of NHI, and the proposed 
funding plans put forward by National Treasury.

A final decision on the timing of the 
implementation of the proposed carbon tax 
in South Africa is still pending. AngloGold 
Ashanti was an active participant in extensive 
industry engagement with government around 
the proposed carbon tax. A draft bill on the 
proposed carbon tax was released in the 
second half of 2015. We do not anticipate the 
introduction of this tax having an immediate, 
significant impact on our business. However, it is 

28

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MATERIAL CONCERNS AND OUR EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT continued

possible that the tax may have a nominal impact 
on production costs as a result of increases 
in supplier costs. Nevertheless, our continued 
efforts and commitment to reducing energy use 
and emissions are particularly pertinent in light of 
the proposed tax. The South African government 
proposes bringing the tax into effect in 2017.

In other operating jurisdictions, carbon taxes 
or trading schemes, as well as the regulation 
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are being 
considered. AngloGold Ashanti will determine 
the likely impact of these when sufficient 
details are available.

In Argentina, inflationary pressures continue 
to have an operational impact. The previous 
regulatory concerns around import restrictions 
have abated, with no more limitations on 
imports of goods and services.

In 2014, anti-bullying legislation came into 
effect in Australia under the Fair Work Act. In 
response, the Australia region developed and 
began rolling out a training programme for all 
employees during 2015 entitled Fairness @ 
AGAA. The Fairness @ AGAA programme 
assists participants in understanding unlawful 
discrimination, harassment and workplace 
bullying and aligns with equal employment 
opportunity best practice in helping to provide 
a workplace that is free of discrimination and 
harassment. Training has been well received 
at our operations and we expect the entire 
workforce to have received training by mid-2016.

Over the past two years our operations 
in Brazil have implemented training for all 
employees in compliance and ethics, with 
a particular focus on anti-bribery and anti-
corruption. The training forms one of the 
key elements of the compliance programme 
and incorporates online training, printed 
materials and seminars. Senior managers have 
also been trained with regard to the Clean 
Company Act. In 2015, training was extended 
to contractors and government intermediaries 
in particular.

The JSE has joined other stock exchanges to 
raise awareness on and to promote gender 
equality, in collaboration with the UN Global 
Compact South Africa Network and the 
International Finance Corporation, among 
others. In August 2015, the JSE Listing 
Requirements were changed to give effect 
to this. With effect from 1 January 2017, all 
JSE-listed companies will be expected to have 
a policy on the promotion of gender equality 
at board level and to disclose company 
performance in line with this policy.

LABOUR RELATIONS 
UNCERTAINTY
On 20 January 2014, the Association of 
Mining and Construction Union (AMCU) 
served strike notices to three gold companies 
(including AngloGold Ashanti), challenging the 
extension of the 2013 wage agreement to its 
members. An interim interdict was granted 

to the Chamber of Mines by the Labour 
Court in Johannesburg on 30 January 2014, 
declaring the intended strike unprotected and 
prohibiting unprotected strike action as well as 
any conduct that might encourage workers to 
embark on strike action. AMCU was ordered 
to return to court on 14 March 2014 to explain 
why the interim interdict should not be made 
permanent. This deadline was postponed to 
5 June 2014. On 23 June 2014, the Labour 
Court ruled in the companies’ favour by 
upholding the interim interdict. Subsequently, 
AMCU appealed this ruling to the Labour 
Appeal Court. On 24 March 2016, the Labour 
Court dismissed AMCU’s appeal, ruling in 
favour of the Chamber of Mines.

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY
During the year there have been successful 
elections and political transition in Tanzania, 
Guinea and Argentina. In November, elections 
went peacefully with Argentina’s opposition 
candidate elected as the country’s president. 
This was the first change in more than a decade 
for Argentina, ending the rule of the Peronist 
Party most recently led by President Cristina 
Kirchner. Tanzania elected and inaugurated its 
fifth president, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, in 
November. In Guinea, president Alpha Condé 
was re-elected for a second term, receiving 
enough votes to avoid a run-off in the second 
democratic presidential contest since Guinea 
gained independence from France in 1958.

In 2016, Ghana and the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo are expected to hold elections. 
We remain cautiously optimistic in that  
these elections will be conducted fairly  
and peacefully.

SOCIAL LICENCE TO OPERATE
Our social licence to operate refers to the  
level of acceptance by local communities  
and stakeholders of AngloGold Ashanti and  
its operations. 

We strive to contribute positively to the future of 
communities in which we operate. The longer-
term objective is for host communities to be 
self-sustaining long after individual mines have 
ceased operations. To this end, we:

•  invest in communities

•  promote local procurement

•   focus on local employment and skills 

development

We aim to engage constructively and 
transparently with all stakeholders, including 
local communities and local and national 
governments, as and when necessary. 
Communities in different countries have 
different needs and priorities but the 
symbiosis between mine and community 
does not change – we rely on each other. 
And, by progressively deepening our 
understanding of each other’s needs and 
challenges, we increase mutual support.

29

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MATERIAL CONCERNS AND OUR EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT continued

Water

South Africa is a water-stressed country. 
The pressure on available water supplies 
has been exacerbated by fast-rising 
domestic demand as increasing numbers 
of people migrate from rural to urban areas. 
In addition, a drought has reduced water 
levels in the country’s dams and rivers, with 
consequential water restrictions in several 
urban and mining sectors. Against this 
background, our mines have for many years 
been responsibly using this scarce resource 
and proactively lessening consumption by 
recycling water and using groundwater 
draining into underground operations that 
would otherwise have been discharged. 
“Clean-dirty” water separation principles 
are applied and rainwater is kept away from 
operations as much as possible. 

Additionally, some of the mines adjacent to 
our South African operations have closed 
and ceased pumping of underground water, 
which accumulates and threatens to flood 
our operations. Consequently, we have 
taken over the pumps at one of these mines 
neighbouring our West Wits operations and 
have installed additional infrastructure to  
cope with the extra water that would reach 
our shafts.

We provide potable water to neighbouring 
communities at several operations, especially 
in the Continental Africa region.

In Australia, a careful approach to water 
management is essential in the arid 
environment in which our mines are located 
and where any available groundwater is 
highly saline. To deal with this, the borehole 
infrastructure at Tropicana was expanded in 
2015 to increase water abstraction capacity 
and to meet operational requirements. Where 
potable water is required, for example at the 
accommodation villages at both Australian 
mines, or for specialised tasks in the 
processing plants, it is desalinated. 

In Minas Gerais, Brazil, severe water shortages 
were experienced in 2014 and 2015, adversely 
affecting hydro-electrical power generation and 
the volumes of water our mines were allowed 
to use. However, concerted water recycling 
efforts have enabled the mines to avoid 
production slowdowns.

Electricity

The gold mining sector is a significant user 
of energy, and a stable and affordable power 
supply is critical for our business. For many 
years, we have implemented energy saving 
measures at all our operations – underground, 
on surface and in employee residences.

demand periods. We are a member of the 
Energy Intensive Users Group and collaborate 
with the Chamber of Mines and other 
stakeholders to support the national electricity 
network and minimise disruptions. Our mines 
have back-up generators that ensure employee 
safety in case of an emergency and prevent 
infrastructural damage during outages.

Ghana is currently experiencing an energy 
crisis, leaving the majority of its population 
with limited access to power. Although the 
government is looking to address these 
issues, financial constraints and the lack 
of an established power sector have led to 
significant setbacks. However, this is unlikely 
to have a major impact on our operations in 
that country during 2016 as Obuasi’s limited 
operating status will greatly reduce usage 
and Iduapriem, which was affected to a 
limited extent in 2015, continues to optimise 
energy consumption.

Mali is facing country-wide electricity 
challenges that may have an impact on our 
projects going forward. However, we continue 
discussions on the availability of low-cost 
power with the Malian government.

The generation capacity of South Africa’s 
national power utility, Eskom, is severely 
constrained, and this is expected to be the 
case for some years to come. Our operations 
engage directly with Eskom to manage outages 
and curb power usage during national peak-

In Australia, a 293km-long gas pipeline 
has been constructed to provide a source 
of clean power generation at both mines, 
reducing exposure to diesel price volatility 
and establishing a long-term reliable supply 
of power. 

30

USE OF SCARCE RESOURCES 
– WATER AND ELECTRICITY
Water and electricity are both crucial 
to our mines’ operational safety and 
efficiency, and one or both are under 
stress in several of the countries in which 
we operate. 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND MATERIAL ISSUES

Stakeholder engagement is an 
inclusive, continuous two-way 
process between our company and 
the people or organisations that are 
affected by our business. 

Effective engagement with stakeholders is 
a prerequisite to establishing and sustaining 
mutually-beneficial stakeholder relationships. 
Such relationships are essential to us 
maintaining our social licence to operate. 

Our stakeholders are those people and/
or groups who are affected, either directly 
or indirectly, by our business activities and 
also those who can affect the outcomes 
of our operations and projects. Our 
stakeholders are many and varied, and 
include, among others:

•  employees, their families and unions

•   communities, their representatives, 
NGOs and other civic and religious 
organisations

•  governments and regulators

•  shareholders, investors and financiers

•   suppliers, industry peers and joint  

venture partners 

•  the media

The process of stakeholder engagement 
encompasses a range of activities and 
approaches throughout the life cycle of  
our operations, from exploration through  
to closure.

At AngloGold Ashanti, our stakeholder 
engagement aims to build meaningful 
relationships, to demonstrate that we have 
listened, understood and, where practicable, 
that we have responded positively to 
stakeholders in a way that creates mutual 
value. We view our stakeholders as important 
partners and continuously strive to interact 
with them directly.

Below we discuss our engagement with our 
principal stakeholder groupings.

ENGAGING WITH EMPLOYEES
We endeavour to engage with employees 
regularly to ensure we grow and maintain 
a positive, respectful work environment in 
which people feel valued, supported and 
are able to give of their best. In response 
to our 2014 employee engagement survey, 
which had identified, among others, three 
areas requiring attention, namely, senior 
leadership practices, ethics and managerial 
effectiveness, a range of interventions have 
been implemented at both regional and 
country level. 

31

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND MATERIAL ISSUES continued

1   People are  
our business

2   Material concerns and  
external environment

3   South Africa  

regional review

We conduct broad consultation with 
employees, trade unions and communities 
on issues affecting each group. For example, 
in the South Africa region, we have regular, 
direct engagement with employees, particularly 
miners and all underground staff. 

Such engagement includes the quarterly Future 
Forum meetings, run by the Chief Operating 
Officer: South Africa, at both the West Wits 
and Vaal River operations, at which a range of 
employee concerns are discussed. These are 
3  and 
detailed in the South Africa regional review 
our overall employee engagements are detailed 
in ‘People are our business 1.

We also recognise and engage with organised 
labour and afford our employees access to 
collective bargaining, working closely with 
union representatives to achieve stability and 
ensure mutually beneficial outcomes from  
our interactions. 

During 2015, AngloGold Ashanti reached 
a three-year wage agreement with the 
majority of employees in South Africa through 
participation in the centralised collective 
bargaining structures with unions and the 
Chamber of Mines (on behalf of  
the companies). 

The wage negotiations were concluded without 
any strike action or loss of production. See 
Material concerns and our external environment 2 
and the South Africa regional review 3.

In the Continental Africa region, we 
maintained a positive labour relations climate 
during 2015, despite a small number of 
grievances lodged by union leadership 
at Iduapriem in Ghana and Siguiri in 
Guinea. At each operation, stakeholder 
engagement activities are ongoing between 
site management and the recognised trade 
unions, with the support of the Continental 
Africa regional office. 

In Mali, annual wage negotiations and a 
review of the existing collective agreement 
began in 2015, and discussions between 
management and two recognised trade 
unions are currently underway. A stable and 
peaceful labour relations climate has been 
maintained at our operations. 

In Tanzania, the labour relations climate 
remained positive during 2015 and the 
2016 wage negotiations were concluded 
successfully and ahead of schedule with all 
parties approving a one-year agreement.

Main focus areas of engagement:

•  Employee safety and health 

•  Wages and benefits

•  Employee indebtedness

•  Accommodation and living conditions

ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES 
Engaging with communities entails establishing 
dialogue between the company and host 
communities with open communication 
channels for debate and information sharing. 
We provide a platform for communities to share 
their priorities and to communicate concerns. 
We understand the importance of communities’ 
ability to access AngloGold Ashanti. We seek to 
facilitate this access and to develop solutions, 
with communities where possible, that respond 
to the unique cultural landscape of each country 
and area in which we operate. This we do 
using our community engagement standards 
while maintaining open dialogue, for example at 
Obuasi, where we have in place a community 
consultative committee. Our commitment is to 
ensure mutually-beneficial relationships with 
host communities. Further detail on this is 
available in the .

Main focus areas of engagement:

•   Socio-economic challenges

•   Local procurement

•  Local economic development projects 

•   Infrastructural development and the sharing 

of benefits

•  Current and legacy health issues

•  Integrated closure planning 

•  Talent management and skills development

•   Artisanal and small-scale mining and  

•  Job security

•  Human rights

illegal mining 

•  Human rights

32

•  Land access and resettlement

•  Environment and health impacts

ENGAGING WITH GOVERNMENTS 
AND REGULATORS
We contribute to the national fiscus of, and 
economic growth in, the countries in which 
we operate, by generating foreign exchange 
and tax revenues, and by creating jobs and 
local procurement. The breakdown of our 
contributions and payment to governments in 
each country is provided in the . In all our 
work in support of growth and development 
opportunities, we engage with governments 
and representative agents on a regular basis. 
These engagements cover various issues 
depending on the country in question, and may 
include regulatory matters, state participation 
in the mining sector, tax and fiscal policy, 
employment equity, and beneficiation. 

This engagement may be direct or through our 
participation in industry forums, such as the 
Chamber of Mines in South Africa. In this way 
we are able to be proactive regarding regulatory 
changes that may affect our business. It also 
gives us the opportunity to inform authorities 
about our industry and share our perspectives, 
while building and strengthening good 
relationships with regulators. For example, 
in South Africa, recent engagement has 
included the proposed carbon tax laws; the 
new amended Broad-Based Black Economic 
Empowerment Act and Codes on the Mining 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND MATERIAL ISSUES continued

1   Material concerns and our  

external environment

2   Continental Africa  
regional review

3   Continental Africa  
regional review

Industry, and the revised Mining Charter and 
amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum 
Resources Development Act – also see Material 
concerns and our external environment 1.

In addition to ongoing engagement with 
government, we also engage on specific 
matters when necessary. For example, at 
Siguiri, current engagement with government 
is focused on obtaining approvals for 
construction of a combination plant to 
improve performance of the current plant and 
extend the life of mine, on which a feasibility 
study was recently completed. Approval to 
begin construction is still subject to, inter 
alia, the conclusion of discussions on the 
Convention de Base, a stability agreement 
with the government of Guinea. See the 
Continental Africa regional review 2.

In Ghana, Mali and Tanzania, we engage 
extensively with the governments on the 
issue of illegal miners. See Continental Africa 
regional review 3.

In dealing with stakeholders, AngloGold 
Ashanti upholds the principles of good work 
conduct and ethics, and has a zero tolerance 
policy on bribery and corruption. 

We are also committed to transparency and 
regulatory compliance in all payments to 
governments, and we adhere to the objectives 
of the Extractive Industry Transparency 
Initiative (EITI), a global standard to promote 
open and accountable management of 

natural resources, while seeking to strengthen 
government and company systems in order 
to inform public debate and build trust. The 
EITI standard is supported by a coalition of 
governments, companies and civil society.

For further detail on engagement with 
government and regulators, particularly 
regarding our policy on anti-bribery and anti-
corruption, see Compliance within an evolving 
regulatory framework in the . 

Main focus areas of engagement:

•   Compliance in an evolving regulatory 

framework

•  Planned closures

•   Wage negotiations and economic health  

of industry

•  Labour relations

•  Local development

•  Illegal mining

•  Mining Charter compliance

•  Legacy issues

•  Safety 

•  Environmental performance

ENGAGING WITH SUPPLIERS, 
INDUSTRY PEERS AND JOINT 
VENTURE PARTNERS
We collaborate and build mutually-beneficial 
relationships with our industry and joint venture 
partners. We develop sustainable relations 
with our suppliers for economic viability. Our 

33

collaboration with industry partners includes 
working through industry groups (including 
the Chamber of Mines in South Africa), 
to engage government, labour and other 
key stakeholders regarding the long-term 
sustainability of the industry. 

In South Africa, we also work together with 
our peers at sector level to engage and 
inform the market, media, employees and 
communities on new developments, the 
work done by the industry and plans in place 
for the industry’s future. An example of this 
is This is Gold, an initiative undertaken by 
certain gold producing companies in South 
Africa. More information on this is accessible 
on www.thisisgold.co.za. This is Gold 
provides insight into the South African gold 
industry, its processes and its contribution to 
the country’s economy, among others.

We engage regularly with our joint venture 
partners as we endeavour to optimise each 
mine’s performance and extend mine life 
where possible. We also continue to explore 
partnership opportunities with potential future 
partners via joint ventures or partnerships at 
some operations, such as Obuasi, and/or 
projects, such as in Colombia.

Suppliers of services or goods are another key 
stakeholder. In the interests of business longevity 
and of good relations, we encourage our suppliers 
and contractors to embrace sustainability 
practices in the way they do business.

Our procurement processes include a 
disciplined, transparent and ethical way of 
doing business. Aside from our own efforts 
to support local business, we encourage our 
contractors to do the same. All contractors and 
suppliers to AngloGold Ashanti are required to 
abide by our Supplier Code of Conduct, which 
is aligned with our internal compliance policies 
and standards of ethical behaviour. This is 
available to all suppliers.

We ensure that our suppliers and contractors 
are compliant with global standards, and that 
their business philosophy and operational 
specifics are in line with our Human Rights 
Policy. As of 2015, AngloGold Ashanti suppliers 
were required to complete a self-assessment 
questionnaire, an important first step towards 
ongoing dialogue on responsible sourcing. See 
Respecting Human Rights in the .

We also participate in Project Phakisa, an 
initiative by the Presidency in South Africa 
to bring together government, the mining 
industry and other stakeholders to discuss 
the outlook for the sector and to plan for 
its continued survival in the long term. An 
initial planning session was held towards 
the end of 2015. Future developments 
regarding Project Phakisa include obtaining 
agreement on the way forward and 
implementing the agreed plan, followed 
by monitoring, reporting and evaluation of 
progress made. 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND MATERIAL ISSUES continued

We have worked closely with suppliers, advising 
them on capacity building requirements and 
raising business standards in order to help 
them qualify as potential vendors. This includes 
meeting fundamental responsibilities in the 
areas of human rights, labour, environment and 
anti-corruption.

We also support our suppliers in line with each 
country’s laws and regulations. Increasing local 
procurement – a priority at all our operations – 
is a focus of supplier engagement. For example, 
at Geita in Tanzania, we are piloting a project 
that encourages our large global suppliers to 
channel more of their procurement spend into 
local economies. 

In South Africa, as part of the national 
development goals, we encourage potential 
suppliers to form appropriate joint ventures to 
facilitate transformation in business ownership. 
Our work in this area will be intensified with the 
implementation of our enterprise development 
centres, which are business hubs designed 
to provide information, training and business 
services to small business. See also the 
 for more details on the local economic 
development work we do.

•   Human rights

•   Regulatory concerns

•   Compliance with our policies, standards and 

our Supplier Code of Conduct

•   Encouraging global suppliers to promote 

local procurement

Industry peers and joint  
venture partners:

•   Economic outlook

•   Gold market

•   Proposed legislation

•   Industry labour relations

•   Operational and financial performance

ENGAGING WITH THE 
INVESTMENT COMMUNITY

Our investment community includes 
shareholders, financiers, analysts, investors 
and potential investors. We communicate 
regularly, in person and by phone or 
email, at our quarterly and annual results 
presentations, conference calls, site visits, 
investor conferences and at one-on-one 
meetings. 

Main focus areas of engagement:
Suppliers: 

•   Financial performance and business 

sustainability

In all our engagements with the investment 
community, we ensure compliance at all times 
with the regulations of the various exchanges 
on which we are listed. 

Given the current economic environment – 
low commodity prices and negative investor 
sentiment towards resources stocks – 
access to capital is a challenge. As a result,  
management has implemented a range of 
self-help measures in recent years to reduce 
debt and improve financial flexibility, without 
resorting to a dilutive equity issuance.

In 2015, a core asset was sold to reduce debt 
and we successfully completed a tender offer 
for a portion of the high-yield bonds and thus 
reduced our interest expense. We maintained 
our cost discipline and significantly reduced 
operating and overhead costs to improve free 
cash flow to ultimately create enhanced value 
for shareholders.

Main focus areas of engagement:

•   Financial and operational performance and 

sustainability of the business

•   Corporate activities, including the sale of the 
CC&V mine, and a tender offer for bonds, 
among other matters

•  Labour relations

•  Safety performance

•  Employee well-being

•  Regulatory concerns

•  Shareholder returns

•  Provision for rehabilitation

34

ENGAGING WITH MEDIA
We engage regularly with media 
on ad hoc matters, and at least 
quarterly on financial and operating 
results. This we do in a transparent 
manner with local and international 
media. Engagement with the media 
facilitates accurate reporting on 
and understanding of our company. 
Media engagement can enhance the 
company’s reputation and can be 
used to supplement communication 
with other stakeholders. 

Main focus areas of 
engagement:

•   Financial and operational 

performance and sustainability of the 
business

•  Labour relations

•  Safety performance

•   Executive remuneration

•  Regulatory concerns

•  Gold market

•   Socio-political and economic 

development

•  Geo-political issues

•  Occupational health

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS

At AngloGold Ashanti we 
understand the value of our 
people in driving and achieving 
business success. This is 
reflected in our business 
strategy – people, safety and 
sustainability, is one of our five 
strategic focus areas. 

We have made it our goal to enhance the 
performance of our human capital, despite 
intense market competition for skills. This 
we do by developing and engaging more 
meaningfully with employees. 

With this in mind, a strategic review was 
undertaken by our people and organisational 
development discipline with the aim of 
refocusing our approach to employee 
engagement, in alignment with our 
operational efforts.

For more detail on our revised human 
resources (people and organisational 
development) strategy and how it translates 
into a set of actions in AngloGold Ashanti’s 
strategic work plan, see .

EMPLOYMENT
In 2015, AngloGold Ashanti employed 
on average 52,266 people (38,749 
permanent employees and 13,517 
contractors) (2014: 58,057 people – 
43,073 permanent employees and 14,984 
contractors), more than 14,000 fewer 
than in 2013. 

The sustained focus on core business 
and costs as well as the optimising and 
restructuring of operations continued 
in 2015. In line with Project 500, 
revised labour plans and productivity 
improvement initiatives are being 
implemented across the group. 

The focus of these in 2015 was on the 
Continental Africa region where employee 
numbers declined by 26% on the year 
and productivity increased by 44% to 
20.61oz/TEC (total employee costed) 
from 14.36oz/TEC in 2014. Most of this 
reduction in the region’s workforce was a 
result of retrenchments at Obuasi in 2014.

Employee wages and benefits make up a 
significant component of our cost base, 
35% of costs of sales in 2015 (2014: 
39%). Payment of wages and benefits 
to employees totalled $1,146m in 2015 
(2014: $1,538m). 

35

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

OUR APPROACH

We evaluate our human capital 
performance in terms of four key 
areas, namely: 
•  building managerial effectiveness
•   talent management and skills 

development

•   engaging employees and  

building trust

•  transformation and diversification

Other aspects affecting our human 
capital are health, safety, employee 
benefits and human rights.

BUILDING MANAGERIAL 
EFFECTIVENESS
Credible leadership is vital for effective 
management and organisational change. 
During 2015, our human resources 
function undertook a series of leadership 
conversations, which focused on 
understanding the leadership imperatives 
facing the business; defining management 
and executive accountability; and articulating 
the attributes of and requirements for good 
leaders. The aims of this process were to 
establish a common view of challenges and 
secure a commitment to effective leadership.

During the year, the System for People – our 
people management system – was revitalised 

and renamed How We Work. The revised 
approach provides a set of practical methods 
to help managers and supervisors to empower 
and effectively manage employees – mainly 
through one-on-one and team conversations, 
for which openness and the freedom to 
exchange ideas are crucial. 

Global performance management

Roll out of the global performance 
management system continued at corporate 
and regional levels. Role descriptions, task 
assignments and development plans were 
clearly established for all employees. Online 
performance reviews are conducted twice 
during the year to enable a more focused 
approach to individual development plans, 
and the implementation of learning and 
development activities to address specific 
developmental needs. Other benefits of 
this online review system include enhanced 
strategic alignment, reduced role ambiguity, 
increased communication and engagement, 
and improved performance and results as well 
as better staff retention.

In 2015, human resources contributed 
significantly to Project 500, a formal cost-
cutting programme begun in 2013, and to 
‘having the right people doing the right work’. 
The focus was on optimising labour by defining 
the appropriate structures, competencies and 
skills mix required for the different disciplines. 
For more information, see .

Impact of operational 
restructuring

In the Americas region, CC&V in the United 
States was sold to Newmont, effective  
3 August 2015. Most of the CC&V workforce 
was successfully transferred to Newmont. Six 
Denver-based support staff were retrenched. 

In the Continental Africa region, full labour 
reviews were conducted at Siguiri and Geita to 
establish the unique labour baseline for each 
mine. Various findings were made relating 
to structural effectiveness, reporting lines, 
staffing levels, the localisation of roles, multi-
skilling opportunities, training requirements 
and the insourcing of contracted work. These 
findings served as the basis for Geita’s 2016 
labour plan and took into account the mine’s 
expected labour needs for the next three to 
five years. 

Given the sensitive nature of labour relations 
at Siguiri where a new union committee was 
appointed, implementation of a revised labour 
plan has been deferred to 2016 and 2017. 
Following the national elections in Guinea in 
2015, there have been personnel changes 
among regulatory and government stakeholders. 

At Obuasi, which remains on limited operations, 
following a further review of related requirements, 
fewer employees will be retained for ongoing 
critical and outstanding work in 2016.

36

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

SAFETY AND HEALTH OF 
OUR PEOPLE

Safety

Given that our people are our business, 
their safety is paramount. Safety, our first 
value, is a priority at all operations and a 
key driver in ensuring focus on our people 
who are exposed to the hazards and risks 
associated with mining activities. We are 
unrelenting in our vigilance, analysis of safety 
risks and incidents, and in the pursuit of 
innovative, effective controls to improve our 
safety performance. 

Our goal remains to eliminate fatalities and 
injuries in the workplace. One life lost is 
one too many, and we are committed to 
achieving zero harm at our operations.

We recognise that procedures alone 
cannot create a safe work environment. 
Our approach includes a hazard and 
risk management system that combines 
structured work processes focused on 

building and constantly reinforcing a strong 
safety culture throughout our company. 
While safety challenges remain complex, 
our ability to identify and understand risks 
and how they materialise has improved 
significantly over time through persistent 
research and analysis. This is reflected in 
the improving safety performance of most 
of our operations.

Our safety performance in 2015 saw an 
all injury frequency rate (AIFR) of 7.18 
recorded for the group (2014: 7.36). 
The Continental Africa and South Africa 
regions achieved their best AIFR and LTIFR 
performances. Eleven people tragically 
lost their lives at our operations during the 
year. For details on our safety performance, 
fatalities and additional safety-related 
information, see the Chief Executive 
Officer’s Review1 in the  and Employee 
Safety in the .

All our operations are OHSAS 18001 certified. Furthermore, as a member of the International Council 
on Mining and Metals (ICMM), AngloGold Ashanti subscribes to all relevant international mining 
industry standards. AngloGold Ashanti introduced the Zero Harm Awards to encourage and recognise 
innovation in safety. This year’s winner of our Global Safety award was Iduapriem in Ghana.

37

1  Chief Executive Officer’s Review

Health

Allied to our commitment to ensuring the safety 
of our employees is our commitment to ensuring 
their health and well-being, which are critical 
to our business success. We actively work to 
mitigate health risks in the workplace and non-
work related health issues.

Our primary aim is a workplace free of 
occupational diseases. While a population’s 
general health is complex and influenced by 
factors beyond the company’s control, we aim 
for employees to be healthy. To this end, we 
address the potential impacts of occupational 
disease, while working to prevent and manage 
non-occupational illnesses.

but more remains to be done. In 2015, the 
number of new cases of silicosis in South 
Africa was 140 (2014: 201). At group level, 
the total number of new cases of NIHL 
declined to 68 (2014: 183).

In 2015, the mining industry working group 
established in 2014 to address issues relating 
to compensation and medical care for 
occupational lung disease in South Africa’s 
gold mining industry announced the launch 
of a partnership, Project Ku-Riha, with the 
Department of Health. The aim of this project 
is to address the backlog of compensation 
claims for OLD and to ensure that new valid 
claims are paid in a timely manner. 

We actively manage the risk of exposure to 
health hazards in the workplace. The most 
significant occupational health risks in our 
industry are occupational lung diseases 
(OLD) in the South Africa region and noise-
induced hearing loss (NIHL). 

Community health challenges include HIV/
AIDS in South Africa and malaria in much of 
the Continental Africa region. Our approach 
to HIV/AIDS includes voluntary counselling 
and testing, the provision of anti-retrovirals 
and wellness and educational programmes. 

We provide employees with protective 
devices and clothing, and instill responsibility 
for their use with continuous training and 
messaging in and beyond the workplace. 
Incidences of these diseases are falling, 

Malaria is best prevented by ensuring 
that disease vectors are interrupted by 
providing indoor residual spraying, both 
at our operations and in communities. In 
addition, systems are established to reinforce 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

community education and engagement as well 
as prompt detection and treatment. In this we 
support and co-operate fully with local health 
authorities. In all, there were 2,244 new cases 
of malaria in the Continental Africa region in 
2015 (2014:1,934), 70% of which were in 
Guinea. 

For more information, see the section ‘Current 
and legacy employee and community health 
issues’ in the .

“ We actively work to 
mitigate health risks in  
the workplace.”

All occupational disease 
frequency rate (group)
(per million hours worked)

13
14
15

7.68

7.23

6.59

UPDATE ON LITIGATION
Class actions

On 21 August 2013, an application was 
served on AngloGold Ashanti, along with 
other South African mining companies, 
for the consolidation of the previous class 
actions brought by attorneys Richard Spoor 
and Charles Abrahams. The applicants 
requested certification of two classes, 
a silicosis class and a tuberculosis (TB) 
class. The silicosis class would consist of 
certain current and former underground 
mineworkers who have contracted silicosis 
and the dependants of certain deceased 
mineworkers who have died of silicosis 
(whether or not accompanied by any other 
disease). The TB class would consist of 
certain current and former mineworkers 

who have or had contracted pulmonary TB 
and the dependants of certain deceased 
mineworkers who died of pulmonary TB (but 
excluding silico-TB).We await judgement 
on the application to certify the class action 
which was heard from 12 to 16 October 
2015. See also the .

Between October 2012 and April 2014, 
AngloGold Ashanti received 1,256 individual 
summonses and particulars of claims 
relating to silicosis and/or other OLD. All 
of these claims were filed in the South 
Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, and 
were subsequently referred to arbitration on 
9 October 2014.

On 4 March 2016, AngloGold Ashanti and 
Anglo American South Africa (AASA) entered 

into a settlement agreement with claimants’ 
counsel for the full and final settlement 
with no admission of liability of all individual 
claims brought against the companies. 
An independent trust has been set up to 
administer the allocation of the settlement 
amount on the basis of claimants’ 
employment and medical histories. 

AngloGold Ashanti and AASA will contribute 
in stages toward a total amount of up to 
R464 million (approximately $30 million as at 
31 December 2015), which will be placed in 
the independent trust. 

The settlement agreement relates solely to 
the individual claims and does not cover 
the class actions mentioned above. See the 
announcement on www.anglogoldashanti.com.

Malaria lost-time frequency rate
(2015)

55

Ghana

28

Mali

Guinea

Tanzania
16

204

New cases of occupational TB 
(South Africa only)
(number of cases)

541

446
447

385

315

11
12
13
14
15

38

New cases of silicosis (South Africa only)
(number of cases)

11
12
13
14
15

252

293

168

201

140

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

TALENT MANAGEMENT AND 
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Talent management and skills development 
are key aspects of our strategy, and focus on 
identifying and developing talent internally in 
order to remain competitive and productive, 
while positioning the company for a future 
recovery in market conditions. We have 
maintained and strengthened our talent pool. 

We have reviewed our succession plans and 
development initiatives and this has resulted 
in an improved succession cover ratio. The 
CEO talent pool has been well managed, with 
specific interventions having been identified 
for senior vice president and general manager 
roles. Examples of such interventions include 
the management development and leadership 
courses identified for specific individuals in 
the talent pool and which focus on specific 
developmental areas.

Talent management activities are closely linked 
to succession planning. At corporate level, 
succession plans have been developed for 
senior managers, along with development plans 
for potential successors. This has improved our 
succession cover ratio from 0.32 to 0.45.

For the longer term, we have designed and 
conducted a leadership initiative for young 
leaders to build the talent pool for future 

general managers. This programme began 
in 2015 and, given the considerable success 
achieved, has been repeated in 2016 to further 
grow and develop young talent internally.

of expatriates employed in the areas in which 
we operate. Since the launch, the total number 
of expatriates employed has declined by 37%, 
from 300 to 190. 

Talent management is driven by our skills 
development committees, which include 
senior human resources managers, senior 
management of the relevant business units 
and organised labour. We also maintain 
relationships with universities and professional 
bodies to ensure training and development is 
delivered to professional standards.

Our talent management philosophy starts at 
the lowest level upwards, and includes basic 
education for unskilled workers as well as 
technical, supervisory and managerial training 
for higher organisational levels. Employee 
development work also focuses on enhancing 
skills at various levels, on topics such as 
improved financial management and well-
being, and indebtedness. For more information 
on work done in this regard see the .

Globally, in remote areas or where there has 
previously been a high demand for skills that 
were not available locally, AngloGold Ashanti 
has deployed globally mobile employees 
(expatriates) to fill roles on a short- to 
medium-term basis. An employee localisation 
programme was launched in 2013 and a 
concerted effort made to reduce the number 

In line with this, an annual talent review 
process is underway, which provides the 
opportunity to formally consider all staff at 
mine level for talent management purposes, 
including staff in scarce and critical skills roles. 
This process identified a number of local 
successors for expatriate roles. Currently 134 
successors have been identified for the 190 
expatriate roles in the Continental Africa region. 
As at 31 December 2015, there were only two 
expatriates in the Americas region and the 
intention is to keep the number consistently 
low. Only one expatriate is expected to be 
employed in this region in 2016. 

A Localisation Report and Plan, which 
provides information on talent and local 
successors, is submitted annually to the 
Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee. 

Chairman’s Young Leaders 
Programme

In 2015, we launched the Chairman’s Young 
Leaders Programme. This flagship annual 
programme operates under the auspices of 
our Chairman, Sipho Pityana. It is aimed at 
developing the company’s future leaders from 
early on within the AngloGold Ashanti group. 

The programme selects young leaders from 
our global operations, and seconds them for a 
year to work in different areas and operations, 
alongside company experts. As part of this 
broad company exposure, participants work 
on finding solutions for specific business 
challenges. For more information on this 
programme, see the .

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES AND 
BUILDING TRUST
Employee engagement survey

In 2015, we took clear action in response to 
our 2014 employee engagement survey, which 
featured, among others, questions specific to 
AngloGold Ashanti’s values, ethics and safety. 
Employee responses identified three areas 
requiring further attention: senior leadership 
practices, ethics and managerial effectiveness. 

A range of interventions was implemented at 
regional and country level to address not only 
employee issues but also to amplify employee 
voices within safe spaces, and to give 
assurance that issues raised are considered 
and addressed appropriately. 

The survey will be undertaken again in the first 
half of 2017, and will be repeated every two 
years thereafter, to assess progress made 
since the baseline 2014 survey. For more 
information see the .

39

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

1  South Africa regional review

Collective bargaining

At AngloGold Ashanti, employees have the right 
to collective bargaining, which we recognise 
and apply according to the applicable laws and 
regulations in each of the countries in which 
we operate. Only our Australasian operations 
do not have collective bargaining as this is not 
recognised in Australia. 

At all other operations, the right to collective 
bargaining is key to effective labour relations 
across operations. Accordingly, our 
employees have union representation and all 
recognised trade unions are provided with 
adequate platforms to freely exercise their 
fundamental labour rights in a responsible 
and constructive manner.

In the Continental Africa region, positive 
working relations between management 
and organised labour continued. To facilitate 
constructive engagement and equip union 
representatives with the skills required for 
collective bargaining and wage negotiations, 
all parties participated in capacity-building 
training workshops prior to the start of 
negotiations. Annual wage negotiations and 
review of applicable collective bargaining 
agreements began with our respective 
representative unions in the third quarter  
of 2015. 

At Geita in Tanzania, Siguiri in Guinea, and at 
our South Africa and Malian operations, annual 

wage negotiations were successfully concluded 
with final wage agreements being signed with 
the respective unions. In Mali, these negotiations 
also involved a review of the existing collective 
bargaining agreement, which is still underway. 

In Ghana, bilateral wage negotiations with the 
Ghana Mineworkers Union began at Iduapriem 
in October 2015. These negotiations continue. 
At Obuasi, in terms of the agreement 
negotiated, there were no wage negotiations 
with organised labour for 2015 as the mine is 
on limited operations. 

In the Americas region, annual wage 
negotiations in both Brazil and Argentina 
were successfully concluded and agreements 
signed in the latter part of 2015.

In the South Africa region, 93% of our 
workforce is represented by four unions whose 
representation at our South African operations 
is as follows: NUM (51%), AMCU (33%),  
Solidarity (2%) and UASA (7%). 

Ahead of the 2015 wage negotiations, 
numerous sessions were held with unions to 
present company-specific economic models 
to motivate the affordability of possible 
wage increases. For the first time, senior 
financial and investor relations staff from the 
gold producing companies were extensively 
involved in presenting their companies’ 
financial positions to the unions. All statutory 
and ad hoc committees pertaining to labour 

relations, organisational restructuring and 
people issues met and were attended by both 
company and representatives from all four 
unions – AMCU, NUM, Solidarity and UASA. 

Every effort was made to ensure that all parties 
participating in the negotiations understood the 
likely impact and economic consequences of 
unaffordable wage increases on employment 
and the sustainability of the industry1.

Notwithstanding the challenging wage 
negotiations process in 2015, negotiators 
succeeded in focusing on the key issues: 
(i) an economic component relating to gold 
price, rand/dollar exchange rate, costs, safety 
and productivity, and (ii) a social component 
detailing job retention, guaranteed pay and 
benefits, housing and accommodation, 
retirement savings, health and wellness, and 
education and skills development. 

The negotiations were successfully concluded 
and a three-year wage agreement signed with 
NUM, Solidarity and UASA. Regrettably, AMCU 
did not sign the wage agreement. However, as 
the unions that did sign the deal represented 
the majority of employees, in terms of the 
Labour Relations Act, the wage agreement was 
extended to all employees, irrespective of union 
affiliation. It was a significant achievement on 
the part of both the unions and the companies 
involved that the wage negotiations were 
concluded without any strike action.

TRANSFORMATION AND 
DIVERSITY
AngloGold Ashanti’s operations and 
exploration activities span 10 countries 
on three continents. Our transformation 
philosophy seeks to harness the strategic 
and operational power inherent in a 
diversity of cultures, languages, beliefs, 
ages, genders and expectations. By 
embracing diversity, we are able to draw 
on a broad range of unique experiences 
and perspectives, which enable and inspire 
progressive thinking and innovation. 

AngloGold Ashanti’s Global Transformation 
Policy and Framework governs the company’s 
approach to diversity, localisation and gender 
equality. It is supported by the Code of 
Business Principles and Ethics and the board 
charter, which define our approach to talent 
management and skills development.

In South Africa, all Mining Charter 
transformation targets relating to the 
appointment of historically disadvantaged 
South Africans have been met at all 
organisational levels. 

Mining Charter Scorecard

40

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS continued

1  Remuneration report

Localisation and the skills development 
of nationals has been a particular focus 
at our operations in the Continental Africa 
region. Our approach includes a progressive 
reduction in the company’s dependence 
on skilled expatriates. Our focus is on 
localisation at all levels, from the transfer of 
technical skills to leadership and managerial 
roles. Progress highlights include the first 
appointment of a Guinean national as General 
Manager at Siguiri.

Gender equality is another key component of 
transformation within AngloGold Ashanti and 
a Gender Equity Policy was approved by the 
board during the year. We remain committed 
to increasing female representation at all 
levels within the company. The company 
voluntarily committed to and achieved 30% 
female representation on the board and the 
Executive Committee. This is in line with 
our affiliation with the 30% Club, a global 
network of chairmen, CEOs and senior 
executives who have voluntarily committed 
to having more female representation on 
company boards. 

 In addition, we support the JSE and UN Global 
Compact Network South Africa’s initiative 
to raise the profile of gender equality and to 

promote sustainable development. For more 
information about transformation and diversity 
in AngloGold Ashanti, see the .

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
We aim to remunerate our employees and 
provide benefits to that drive and reward 
behaviour and performance, aligned with 
delivery on the company’s strategy to ensure 
sustainable cash flow improvements and 
enhance shareholder returns. For detailed 
information, see the Remuneration Report 1.

HUMAN RIGHTS
At AngloGold Ashanti, we strive to nurture 
positive human relationships. Respecting 
human rights means we endeavour, in every 
way, to conduct our business and mining 
activities without causing harm to other people 
through our mining activities or through our 
relationships with others. 

Business activities often have human 
rights implications – positive and negative 
– for communities, employees, suppliers, 
contractors and wider society. If managed 
responsibly, respect for human rights can help 
to build enduring relationships based on trust, 
which in turn reinforces our commitment to 
maintaining our social licence to operate. 

Conversely, failure to effectively manage 
human rights issues may have significant 
financial, legal and reputational implications, 
including operational delays, legal disputes, 
negative investor confidence, employee 
dissatisfaction and reputational harm.

AngloGold Ashanti is a signatory to the 
Voluntary Principles on Security and 
Human Rights and the company’s Human 
Rights Policy is informed by the United 
Nations Guiding Principles on Business and 
Human Rights. In support of our policy, we 
developed a series of standards including 
the human rights due diligence standard, 

a standard for vulnerable persons as well 
as a standard for indigenous people. The 
due diligence standard specifically identifies 
current and future human rights risks, 
allowing us to address these as they arise. 
A due diligence assessment pilot project at 
Geita was concluded in January 2016 and 
its findings will be assessed in line with our 
human rights policy. 

These human rights standards are available 
in all the official languages of AngloGold 
Ashanti’s operations. These have been 
approved by the Executive Committee and 
are expected to be implemented in 2016. 

Human rights training

Our human rights ambassador training, which began at Geita in Tanzania two years ago, 
involves appointing and training human rights ambassadors at each of our operational sites. 
These ambassadors, in turn, implement localised training material. 

To date, all employees at Geita have completed human rights training and training is being 
developed currently for our operations and teams in Brazil and Colombia. In addition, 70% 
of senior management completed online human rights training in 2015. Human rights 
ambassador training is to be fast tracked at all operating sites in 2016.

41

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015STRATEGY

STRATEGY

SUPPORTING OUR STRATEGY
through credible and sustainable business

We review our delivery in terms of 
our strategic objectives.

42

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015OUR STRATEGY

AngloGold Ashanti’s core strategic 
focus is to generate sustainable 
free cash flow improvements 
and returns by focusing on 
five key business objectives, 
namely: people, safety and 
sustainability; ensuring financial 
flexibility; actively managing 
all expenditures; improving 
the quality of our portfolio; and 
maintaining long-term optionality.  

E   S
OUR C O R
O pti m is e o v erh e a d, c o sts a n d 
c a pital e x p e n diture

T R A TEGIC FOCU

Im

pro
v
e p

S A

ortfolio q

R

E

A

S

u

ality

Supporting 
our strategy for 
sustainable 
cash flow 
improvements 
and returns

E

n

s

u

r

e

f

i

n

a

n

c

i

a

l

f

l

e

x

i

b

i

l

i

t

y

Focus on people, safety and sustainability

n

ality
ptio
m o
-te
g
n

r

aintain lo

M

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI’S

INVESTMENT CASE: 

1. 

4. 

 HIGH-QUALITY portfolio of long-
life, pure gold assets with strong 
leverage to energy and currencies

 Decisive STRATEGIC 
RESPONSE to a lower  
gold price

2. 

5. 

 Transparent, decisive management 
team, FOCUSED ON DELIVERY 
and shareholder value 

 BALANCE SHEET FLEXIBILITY; 
appropriate liquidity, covenant 
and maturities

3. 

6. 

 PRIORITISING MARGINS over 
volumes – focus on cost and 
capital discipline

 WELL-DEVELOPED 
ENGAGEMENT model ensures 
strong stakeholder relationships 
and licence to operate

43

We believe that these building 
blocks will help ensure long-term 
value creation for shareholders, 
employees and other stakeholders 
in the business. 

People are the foundation of our business.  
Our business must operate according to our values if 
it is to remain sustainable in the long term.

We must ensure our balance sheet always remains 
able to meet our core funding needs.

All spending decisions must be thoroughly scrutinised 
to ensure they are optimally structured and necessary 
to fulfil our core business objective.

We have a portfolio of assets that must be 
actively managed to improve the overall mix of 
our production base as we strive for a competitive 
valuation as a business.

While we are focused on ensuring the most efficient 
day-to-day operation of our business, we must keep 
an eye on creating a competitive pipeline of long-
term opportunities. 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
PERFORMANCE AGAINST STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1: FOCUS ON  
PEOPLE, SAFETY,  
AND SUSTAINABILITY 

The people we focus on include 
employees, host communities and 
all other stakeholders. Internally, 
we ensure that the right people are 
in the right roles, working together 
to address the company’s key 
strategic objectives. 

Being fully cognisant of the importance of 
human capital – our people – in achieving 
business success, we undertook a strategic 
review, refocusing our approach and aligning 
our efforts across the company to ensure that 
our people are well placed to help achieve our 
business objectives 1.

Our aim – to drive sustainable cash flow 
improvements through our operations – 
depends on our ability to operate safely, 
with the co-operation and consent of our 
host communities and governments, and to 
remain careful stewards of the environment, 
notwithstanding the invasive nature of mining.  
Furthermore, achieving our business objectives 
enables us to contribute to local socio-
economic development, which is continuously 
affected by the market conditions 2. 

While we continue to make progress in this 
core strategic objective, we remain vigilant 
in our safety practices, continuously seeking 
to achieve our ultimate goal of zero harm 
– to eliminate fatalities and injuries in the 
workplace – and minimising our impact on 
the environment. 

1  People are our business

2   Material concerns and our  

external environment

44

Number of fatalities

Number of environmental incidents

11
12
13
14
15

15

18

8

6

11

27

16

10

11
12
13
14
15

5
4

Productivity (continuing operations)
(oz/TEC)

11
12
13
14
15

8.86

7.66
7.77

9.30

8.87

All injury frequency rate for 2015

7.18

per million hours worked
(2014: 7.36)

Number of employees

Community investment
($000)

11
12
13
14
15

61,242

65,822
66,434

58,057

52,266

11
12
13
14
15

20,612

24,907

22,536

14,799
15,229

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PERFORMANCE AGAINST STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES continued

2: ENSURE  
FINANCIAL  
FLEXIBILITY 

During the year, a range of self-
help measures were implemented 
to reduce debt and improve 
financial flexibility.

Delivering on our self-help measures in 2015 
included continued proactive balance sheet 
management; sale of a core asset to reduce 
indebtedness; successfully completing the 
tender offer for a portion of the high-yield bonds 
and reduced interest expense; and significantly 
reducing operating and overhead costs to 
improve free cash flow.  

These actions were in keeping with 
management’s decisive action to implement 
‘self-help’ measures in a volatile, low gold price 
environment. Proactively reducing debt levels 
and improving overall balance sheet flexibility 
remain important objectives, particularly in the 
short to medium term.

Adjusted EBITDA
($m)

11
12
13
14
15

3,082

2,486

1,525
1,616
1,472

Net debt to adjusted EBITDA
(times)

0.20

0.83

11
12
13
14
15

2.04

1.94

1.49

610

Net debt
($m)

11
12
13
14
15

2,061

2,190

3,105
3,133

$2.19bn

Net debt for 2015

3: OPTIMISE OVERHEAD 
COSTS AND CAPITAL 
EXPENDITURE

Corporate and overhead costs
($/oz)

11
12
13
14
15

22
20

68

78

52

Total cash costs (continuing operations)
($/oz)

11
12
13
14
15

712

842
836

785

712

Capital expenditure*
($bn)

11
12
13
14
15

1.69

2.32

1.99

1.21

0.86

* 

Includes equity-accounted investments

Focus was maintained on 
optimising corporate costs, 
which have been reduced 
by more than 60% since 
2013. Capital expenditure in 
2015 was 57% lower and 
exploration expenses were 
47% lower than in 2013. 

We have intensified our focus on value- 
creation opportunities deliverable from 
current structures by prioritising the 
delivery of sustainable high-margin 
ounces and improved efficiencies. 

Plans continue to aggressively identify and 
implement further operational efficiencies, 
reduce overhead cost structures and 
pursue other initiatives to improve cash 
flows and help weather the weak gold 
price environment.

45

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PERFORMANCE AGAINST STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES continued

4: IMPROVE THE QUALITY 
OF THE PORTFOLIO 

5:  MAINTAIN LONG-
TERM OPTIONALITY

In line with our aim to simplify our portfolio 
and focus on high-quality ounces, we have 
successfully brought on-line two new 
operations in the past three years, placed 
our loss-making Obuasi mine in limited 
operations mode, commenced closure at 
Yatela and consolidated Great Noligwa 
into the neighbouring Moab Khotsong 
infrastructure. 

In September, a concerted effort was made to unlock a 
new opportunity for Obuasi through a joint venture with 
Randgold Resources. This was subsequently terminated 
in December. Following Randgold Resources’ decision 
not to proceed with the proposed joint venture, we 
developed a plan to finalise the feasibility study and 
to continue with limited operations at reduced spend. 
We will resume our search for a joint venture partner 
at Obuasi. Once all permits are received, a satisfactory 
feasibility study completed and an investment 
agreement concluded, the search for a partner(s) in 
Colombia will resume when market conditions improve. 
We continue to advance the Mponeng Below 120 level 
project in the South Africa region. 

We remain committed to 
developing the long-term  
prospects of the business. 

was the achievement of reef-boring cycle 
times of  
82 hours/hole, which is trending close to our 
targeted 72 hours/hole. 

The current exploration focus is 
on those areas with the greatest 
exploration potential. These include 
Australia and Guinea, in the medium 
term, and Colombia in the long term.

In addition, our brownfields projects 
include underground development 
work at Geita in Tanzania, the 
underground expansion at Cerro 
Vanguardia in Argentina and accessing 
the high-grade ore at Serra Grande in 
Brazil, while at Sadiola in Mali we are 
studying a new mine plan to revive the 
operation and extend its life of mine. 

In South Africa, the technology and 
innovation initiative continues to make 
progress. Ultra-high strength backfill 
was successfully pumped a distance 
of more than 1,000m, a prerequisite 
for a full mining cycle. Also notable 

Average gold price received
($/oz)

11
12
13
14
15

1,576
1,664

1,401

1,264

1,158

Annual production (continuing and 
discontinued operations)
(Moz)

11
12
13
14
15

4.3

3.9

4.1

4.4

3.9

46

Expensed exploration and evaluation costs*
($m)

11
12
13
14
15

313

292

461

156
140

* 

Includes equity-accounted investments

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS

Our risk management process 
underpins the successful 
execution of our strategy 
and planning for the future. 
Risk, and its identification, 
assessment, management and 
mitigation, are fundamental to 
our business. 

At AngloGold Ashanti, we recognise 
that risk is a factor in all business and 
operational activities, and that threat 
and opportunity are both facets of risk. 
The overall aim of our risk management 
function is to strategically manage the 
threats to delivery on our strategic 
objectives and to harness and capitalise 
on any opportunities identified for the 
benefit of all stakeholders.

Once evaluated, principal risks and 
opportunities are prioritised and managed 
within the group’s risk framework.

“ The overall aim of our 
risk management function 
is to strategically manage 
the threats... and to 
harness and capitalise on 
any opportunities...”

OUR PRINCIPAL RISKS
AngloGold Ashanti’s top group risks are classified 
as follows:

Strategic risks are those taken voluntarily 
after consideration of risk-versus-reward to 
achieve AngloGold Ashanti’s strategic objectives.

TOP GROUP RISKS
AngloGold Ashanti’s top risks, as at the end of 2015, are illustrated below in a ‘heat map’ that 
plots the severity of the consequence of a risk against the likelihood of that risk occurring.  

Operational risks are preventable risks 
resulting from employees’ undesirable and 
unauthorised actions as well as from breakdowns 
in routine operational processes and human error.

External risks are those emanating from 
uncertain and uncontrollable events.

Risk assessments are undertaken annually and the 
risks discussed here were identified, reviewed and 
assessed by the Executive Committee.

Full details and the status of each risk are 
monitored continuously in terms of: 

•   context and background of risk

•  risk performance indicators

•  mitigation plans

•  expected outcome and residual risks

•   expected date for completion of mitigation 

measures

•  possible root causes and consequences

•  mitigation and prevention controls

This information is updated and presented 
quarterly to the Audit and Risk Committee.

Top group risks heat map

Y
T
I
R
E
V
E
S

Political

Obuasi

Labour

Health

Skills

Debt

Commodities and currencies

Operational and safety

Ore Reserves

Power

LIKELIHOOD

Principal risks identified

Strategic

Operational

External

47

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

These top 10 risks are tabulated below, ranked from the highest to the lowest in order of magnitude.

Top 10 risks

Ranking

Type

Potential risk

1 

2

3  

4 

5

External

Adverse gold and commodity prices, and currency movements

Operational

Operational and safety underperformance negatively impacting 
improved track record

Strategic

Inability to develop projects to bring our Ore Reserve to account

External

Security of power supply and cost increases

External

Elevated political and country risk profiles in core production areas

6  

Strategic

Failure to demonstrate and/or realise the business case for  
Obuasi redevelopment or to sustainably improve the security 
situation at the mine

7

8

9

Operational

Critical skills and talent retention

External

Protracted labour-related stoppages

External

Financial covenant breach and excessive debt levels

10

External

Legacy occupational and community health compensation 
claims/litigation

48

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

MITIGATION OF TOP 10 GROUP RISKS

Risk 

1: 

Adverse gold  
and commodity prices, and 
currency movements*

2: 

Operational and safety 
underperformance 
negatively impacting 
improved track record*

Potential consequences

Mitigation action plan

•   Inadequate free cash flow/liquidity/credit rating impact

•   Balance sheet flexibility – appropriate liquidity, covenant and maturities

•   Inability to develop strategic growth and development 

•   Prioritising margins over production growth – focus on cost and capital discipline

projects to bring Ore Reserves to account

•  Lower market capitalisation

•   Project 500 to seek further cost optimisation

•   Overhead structures continue to be refined

•   Conservative near-term planning assumptions which will focus margins

•   South Africa safety focus to help recover volume

•   Intensify efforts to improve efficiencies and reduce all costs across our portfolio

•   Restrict exploration and reef-boring to further focus on near- to medium-term production 

•   Significantly reduce Colombia portfolio holding costs

•  Harvest short-life mines for cash

•   Reduced cash flow and decreased liquidity

•  Revise Safe Production strategy 

•  Decline in investor confidence

•   Implementation of critical control monitoring for major hazards to reduce risk of fatalities

•  Credit ratings impact

•   Focus on ore development strategy which addresses logistical constraints to increase mining 

•   Restricted ability to invest in strategic growth and 

face length

development projects

•   Implementing Project 500 to reduce input costs

•   Implementation of the ‘How We Work’ process to embed safety standards, the Business 

Process Framework and work routines

•   Mponeng action plan in place to address seismicity challenges and ventilation

•   Geological drilling done to mitigate ore body uncertainties 

•   Surface operations revising the surface-dump retreatment operation

•   Resolving the carbon in the mix to ultimately improve and increase volumes 

*    Imminent – elevated potential for risk to materialise over the next nine to 12 months

49

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

Risk 

3:

Inability to develop  
projects to bring Ore 
Reserve to account*

4:

Security of power supply  
and cost increases*

5:

Elevated political and 
country risk profiles in  
core production areas*

6:

Failure to demonstrate  
and/or realise the 
business case for Obuasi 
redevelopment or to 
improve the security 
situation at the mine*

Potential consequences

Mitigation action plan

•   Ore Reserve write-down and market capitalisation decline

•   Identification of suitable joint venture partnerships and alternative sources of funding

•   Impairment and lower future earnings per share

•   Revised tenements strategy with focused exploration funding for critical operations 

•   Production profile and business plan reduction

•   Business planning and portfolio optimisation

•  Loss of tenements

•  Feasibility studies

•   Premature mine closure or mothballing of operations

•   Focused project management to deliver projects on budget and schedule

•   Employee safety comprised in unplanned  

•   Emergency strategy in place to minimise production losses during stages 2 and 3 emergency 

power curtailment

•  Loss of production

•  Increased operational cost

•  Flooding and/or sterilisation

declarations by Eskom (load shedding/curtailment)

•   Emergency generation systems to ensure safe evacuation of underground mines in case of 

national supply grid collapse

•  CEO and industry interventions

•  Adverse impact of business plans

•  Socio-political-economic analyses

•   Adverse impact of market capitalisation

•   Use of joint venture alliances with local companies

•  Compromised employee safety and security

•   Gradual investment while developing familiarity with the local environment

•  Reduced cash flow

•  Increased operational costs

•  Increased tax and royalties

•   Use of third-party consultants/contractors

•   Local community and host government engagement

•   Development of good relations with political leaders

•   Engagement with non-governmental organisations

•  Inability to bring the Ore Reserve to account

•  Finalise Obuasi feasibility study

•  Cash drain

•   Transition the operation to limited operations

•   Adverse socio-economic stakeholder impact and  

•   Reduce holding costs

reputational damage

•   Negotiate with the Government of Ghana to obtain requisite approvals and consents

•  Withdrawal from mine on a long-term or permanent basis

•   Seek alternative development partner

•   Review gold price and economic conditions at the time

•   Seek government’s co-operation to re-instate and maintain security protection

*   Imminent – elevated potential for risk to materialise over the next nine to 12 months

50

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

Risk 

7:

Critical skills  
and talent retention*

Potential consequences

Mitigation action plan

•  Employee impact and further losses

•   Continue Chairman’s Young Leaders Programme to assist in the development of general 

•   Negative project and operational impacts

•  Increased labour costs

managers and senior leadership

•   Launch of the ‘How We Work’ initiative

•   Development of the talent scorecard to track and define  scarce and critical skills

•   Global and regional plans developed to address the results of the employee engagement survey

•   Rollout of the global performance management system to align roles with strategic plans

•   Broadening the short- and long-term measures which drive incentives to make them financial 

and non-financial

•  Review of retention policies for critical skills

8:

Protracted  
labour-related stoppages*

•   Production stoppages and losses leading to  

•   Communication as per communication strategy across various platforms ongoing,  

liquidity crisis

with regular updates

•   Intimidation of employees and violence and  

•   Pre-emptive dialogue with union structures and leadership, utilising existing union employee 

damaged assets

structures and consultation processes

•   Compromised safety and operational conditions

•  Lower market capitalisation

•  Organisational restructuring

•   Security strategies and operational framework in place, and strategic working relations with 
security institutions and agencies (South African Police Service, National Joint Operations 
Centre and public order policing units)

•   Collaboration with gold sector peers to manage and contain the contagion effect of labour risks

•  Legal strategies in place

•   Recourse to conduct obligations as contained in recognition agreements with labour unions

•   Strike management and handling protocols in place

•  SASRIA insurance

•   A high level policy and operational framework are in place to deal with a myriad of 

eventualities  emanating from labour conflict, wage negotiations and disputes which may 
result in strike action

*   Imminent – elevated potential for risk to materialise over the next nine to 12 months

51

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

Risk 

9:

Financial covenant breach 
and excessive debt levels

Potential consequences

•  Balance sheet stress

•  Raised cost of capital

•  Equity overhang

Mitigation action plan

•   Proactive and timely approach to refinancing of facilities

•  Diversified sources/ facility tenor

•   Cost management to preserve cash and support credit metrics/ ratings

•   Inability to develop strategic growth and  

•  Liquidity planning

development projects

•  Impeded portfolio options

•  Breach of debt covenants

•  Credit rating downgrades

•  Cross default

•  Financial impact

•   Eliminating remaining high-interest bonds

•  Defend all claims on their merits (both individual and class action)

•  Market capitalisation reduction

•   Participate in an industry working group on OLD to address issues relating to compensation 

•  Reputational damage

•  Impacted employee well-being

and medical care for OLD in the gold mining industry in South Africa

•   Entered into a settlement agreement with claimants’ counsel for full and final settlement with no 
admission of liability of all individual claims brought against both AngloGold Ashanti and Anglo 
American South Africa

10:

Legacy occupational 
and community health 
compensation claims/
litigation

52

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

TOP GROUP OPPORTUNITIES
We recognise that identifying and managing 
opportunities is an important component of 
risk management. The company identifies 
suitable opportunities, endeavouring to exploit, 
harness or maximise them, with the aim of 
creating value from mitigating our risks. This 
table lists our key opportunities along with the 
strategy for each.

“ The company 
identifies suitable 
opportunities...  
with the aim of creating  
value from mitigating 
our risks.”

Top group opportunities 

Type

Opportunity

Strategy

Operational

Benefits from increase in gold  
price enhanced by cost 
reduction 

•   Actively improve the quality of the portfolio 
•   Focus on margins through initiatives to improve all-in sustaining costs and all-in costs, 

including Project 500

•   Improve leverage to the gold price

Pursuing key growth opportunities 
for our asset portfolio

•  Focused brownfield exploration activities
•  Prefeasibility studies for life-of-mine extensions and improved recoveries

Technology step-change in  
South Africa

•   AngloGold Ashanti Technology and Innovation Consortium
•   Proof of concept work relating to geological drilling, reef boring, ultra-high strength 

backfill and haulage boring machines 1
•   Stakeholder identification and engagement

Benefits from weaker currencies 
and lower oil price

•   Demonstrate leverage at operations most exposed to declining currencies
•   Demonstrate leverage at operations that use most oil/diesel

Strategic

Continued debt reduction to 
improve flexibility

•  Bond repurchase
•  Diversified sources of funding
•  Reduced cost and restructured organisation

Colombia

Obuasi

•   Revised tenements strategy with focused exploration funding
•   Work to ensure that ‘social licence to operate’ is realised
•  Partnering options

•   Reduce holding costs
•   Deliver feasibility study and refine to ensure optimal returns from high-margin,  

mechanised operation

•   Ensure buy-in for redevelopment from all stakeholders including government
•   Test market for potential value-creating joint venture and find optimal funding structure

Business planning and portfolio 
optimisation processes

•  Sound business planning with top-down goals
•   Portfolio rationalisation and optimisation 

1   Refer to Planning for the future 

Asset sale or joint venture for  
full value

•   Potential to realise full value of operating asset in cash for sale or joint venture
•   Increased ability to deleverage in a value-enhancing manner

53

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISKS continued

RISKS BY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
Achievement of each of our strategic 
objectives is subject to a set of particular 
risks. Detailed below are the risks for each 
of our five strategic objectives:

E   S
OUR C O R
O pti m is e o v erh e a d, c o sts a n d 
c a pital e x p e n diture

T R A TEGIC FOCU

Im

pro
v
e p

S A

ortfolio q

R

E

A

S

u

ality

Supporting 
our strategy for 
sustainable 
cash flow 
improvements 
and returns

E

n

s

u

r

e

f

i

n

a

n

c

i

a

l

f

l

e

x

i

b

i

l

i

t

y

Focus on people, safety and sustainability

n

ality
ptio
m o
-te
g
n

r

aintain lo

M

Focus on people, 
safety and 
sustainability

Ensure financial 
flexibility

Optimise overhead, 
costs and capital 
expenditure

Improve portfolio 
quality

Maintain long-
term optionality

•   Protracted labour-related  

•   Adverse gold and commodity 

•   Adverse gold and commodity 

•   Protracted labour-related 

•    Adverse gold and commodity 

stoppages  8

•   Critical skills and talent  

retention  7

•   Legacy occupational and 

prices, and currency  
movements  1

•   Protracted labour-related  

stoppages  8

community health compensation 
claims/litigation  10

•   Operational and safety 

underperformance negatively 
impacting improved track  
record  2

•   Inability to develop projects  

to bring Ore Reserve to account 
3

•   Legacy occupational and 

community health compensation 
claims/litigation  10

prices, and currency  
movements  1

•   Inability to develop projects  
to bring Ore Reserve to  
account  3

•   Failure to demonstrate and/

or realise the business case for 
Obuasi redevelopment or to 
improve the security situation at 
the mine  6

•   Elevated political and country  
risk profiles in core production 
areas  5

stoppages  8

•    Failure to demonstrate and/or 
realise the business case for  
Obuasi redevelopment or to 
improve the security situation at 
the mine  6

•    Security of power supply and  

cost increases  4

•    Operational and safety 

underperformance negatively 
impacting improved track  
record  2

•   Elevated political and country risk 
profiles in core production areas  5

prices, and currency  
movements  1

•   Financial covenant breach and 

excessive debt levels  9

•   Protracted labour-related  

stoppages  8

•    Legacy occupational and 

commodity health compensation 
claims/litigation  10

•   Operational and safety 

underperformance negatively 
impacting improved track  
record  2

The figures in circles indicate ranking of the risk in our top 10 risks (see page 48).

54

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
PERFORMANCE REVIEW

VALUE

In this section, we review our operational 
performance, the status of our Mineral Resource 
and Ore Reserve, and our future outlook.

TOWARDS VALUE CREATION 
focus on high-quality ounces with long-term optionality

55

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW

REVIEW OF GROUP’S 
PROFITABILITY, LIQUIDITY  
AND STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL 
POSITION FOR 2015
The following commentary should 
be read in conjunction with the  
summarised financial information.

Profitability and returns

The 11% decrease in production over 2014 
levels to 3.95Moz (including discontinued 
operations), was due in part to lower output 
from South Africa following safety related 
disruptions resulting in production loss of 
113,000oz; the sale of CC&V on 3 August 
2015 accounting for a further decrease in 
production of 94,000oz; the transition of 
Obuasi to limited operations at the end of 
2014, resulting in decreased production of 
190,000oz; and the grade-related reduction in 
contribution from Australia.

In Continental Africa, production decreased 
mainly due to the transition of Obuasi to 
limited operations. Production was supported 
by strong performances at Geita, Kibali and 
Iduapriem, which more than offset declines 
in production at Siguiri and Sadiola. These 
declines were mainly the result of planned 

decreases in recovered grade.  In addition, 
Navachab was sold in June 2014, having 
produced 33,000oz in that year.

In Australia, Sunrise Dam production continued 
to be impacted by lower mined grades which 
in turn resulted in lower head grade through 
the mill. Tropicana’s production marginally 
decreased as grades gradually declined in line 
with the mine plan.

The Americas production (excluding the 
CC&V discontinued operation) increased for 
the year under review. The 13% increase in 
Cerro Vanguardia’s production was the result 
of planned increase in grade, resulting in the 
highest annual production for this operation in 
16 years. In Brazil, AGA Mineração continued 
to improve its performance with increased 
production from both of its complexes, 
offsetting a marginal decrease in production at 
Serra Grande.

Despite the 11% decrease in production over 
2014 levels, all-in sustaining costs improved 
11% over the same period to $910/oz. 
The significant year-on-year improvement 
reflects an especially strong delivery from 
the international operations which saw their 
all-in sustaining costs fall by 16% to $822/oz. 
Geita was once again a standout performer in 
Continental Africa, with all-in sustaining costs 

of $717/oz. The Americas’ all-in sustaining 
cost was $792/oz, benefiting from strong 
fundamental performances combined with a 
tailwind from weakening currencies, particularly 
in Brazil. Conversely, the South African 
operations struggled due to a combination 
of lower grades and several safety-related 
disruptions that resulted in all-in sustaining 
costs increasing to $1,088/oz, 2% higher than 
the previous year. The weaker performance 
was only partly offset by the weaker rand. 

All-in costs reduced by 10% to $1,001/oz 
(2014: $1,114/oz) reflecting the impact of 
cost saving initiatives; weaker currencies and 
lower oil prices, partly offset by the decreasing 
production volumes.

At the adjusted headline earnings level, there 
was a profit of $49m, or 12 US cents per 
share in 2015 compared to a loss of $1m 
in 2014. Earnings in 2015 were affected by 
the 8% decline in the average gold price, as 
well as the 11% production decline, which 
was more than adequately offset by weaker 
local currencies, lower oil prices and the cost 
savings initiatives described previously.

price, decreased production, and higher costs 

incurred at Obuasi related to limited operations, 

partly offset by lower corporate and marketing 

costs, exploration and evaluation costs, lower 

retrenchment costs incurred, and a decreased 

interest bill due to the part settlement of the 

high-yield bonds.

No dividends were declared in 2015  

(2014: nil; 2013: 50 SA cents per share).

Liquidity, cash flow and 
statement of financial position

Net debt levels were substantially reduced in 

2015 decreasing from $3.133bn to $2.190bn 

mainly as a result of the part settlement of the 

high-yield bonds. Net debt: adjusted EBITDA 

ratio decreased to 1.49 times, in line with the 

target group level of 1.50 times. By reducing 

costs, overheads and capital expenditure, the 

group managed to generate free cash inflow, 

on an unadjusted basis, for the first time 

since 2011:

•   Adjusted EBITDA: $1.472bn  

(2014: $1.616bn)

During 2015, a loss attributable to equity 
shareholders of $85m was recorded, compared 
to a loss of $58m in 2014. The increased 
loss was the direct result of the lower gold 

•   Cash inflow from operating activities: 

$1.139bn (2014: $1.220bn)

•   Free cash inflow: $141m (2014: outflow  

of $112m)

56

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

The group’s principal debt facilities are: 

Debt facility

Rated bonds

Amount

Maturity date

$1.75bn in aggregate  
(fully drawn)

April 2020 ($700m: 5.375%)
August 2022 ($750m: 5.125%)
April 2040 ($300m: 6.5%)

Remaining high-yield bonds

$471m (fully drawn)

July 2020 (8.5%)

Revolving credit facility 

A$ credit facility

$1bn (drawn $200m at 
December 2015)

A$500m (earmarked for 
construction of Tropicana)
($98m drawn at 31 December 
2015)

July 2019

July 2019 

South African floating- 
rate bond

R750m (fully drawn)

December 2016 

South African revolving  
credit facilities

R2.9bn in aggregate 
(R992m drawn)

December 2018 and
July 2019 

South African on- 
demand facility

R500m (undrawn)

Overnight bank lending rate

Disclosure of our taxation exposures across the group supports the transparency of our 
taxation policy, where we have adopted a low risk approach. 

Across the group, we have refunds due to us for input tax and fuel duties for an attributable 
amount of $195m (2014: $238m), which has remained outstanding for periods longer than 
those provided for in the respective statutes. Considerable effort was made to recover the 
outstanding amounts, as reflected in the reduced balance.  

See the tables on the following pages for summarised group financial results. More detailed 
notes and analyses of the group’s income statement, statement of financial position and 
statement of cash flow for 2015 are available in the .

57

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

FIVE-YEAR SUMMARIES
Summarised group financial results – income statement (1)

US dollar million

Gold income
Cost of sales
(Loss) gain on non-hedge derivatives and other commodity contracts
Gross profit
Corporate administration, marketing and other expenses
Exploration and evaluation costs
Other operating expenses
Special items
Operating profit (loss)
Dividends received
Interest received
Exchange (loss) gain
Finance costs and unwinding of obligations
Fair value adjustments on convertible bonds
Share of equity-accounted investments’ profit (loss)  
Profit (loss) before taxation
Taxation
Profit (loss) after taxation from continuing operations 
Discontinued operations
(Loss) profit from discontinued operations
(Loss) profit for the year
Allocated as follows:
Equity shareholders
- Continuing operations
- Discontinued operations
Non-controlling interests
- Continuing operations

2015

 4,015 
 (3,294)
 (7)
 714 
 (78)
 (132)
 (96)
 (71)
 337 
 –   
 28 
 (17)
 (245)
 66 
 88 
 257 
 (211)
 46 

 (116)
 (70)

 31 
 (116)

 15 
 (70)

2014

 4,952 
 (3,972)
 13 
 993 
 (92)
 (142)
 (28)
 (260)
 471 
–
 24 
 (7)
 (276)
 (17)
 (25)
 170 
 (225)
 (55)

 16 
 (39)

 (74)
 16 

 19 
 (39)

2013

 5,172 
 (3,947)
 94 
 1,319 
 (201)
 (250)
 (19)
 (2,951)
 (2,102)
 5 
 39 
 14 
 (293)
 307 
 (162)
 (2,192)
 237 
 (1,955)

 (245)
 (2,200)

 (1,985)
 (245)

 30 
 (2,200)

2012

 5,943 
 (3,765)
 (36)
 2,142 
 (288)
 (390)
 (47)
 (402)
 1,015 
 7 
 43 
 8 
 (228)
 245 
 (30)
 1,060 
 (285)
 775 

 140 
 915 

 757 
 140 

 18 
 915 

2011

 6,148 
 (3,700)
–
 2,448 
 (277)
 (279)
 (31)
 163 
 2,024 
–
 52 
 2 
 (194)
 188 
 72 
 2,144 
 (822)
 1,322 

 311 
 1,633 

 1,276 
 311 

 46 
 1,633 

(1)  Cripple Creek & Victor is disclosed as a discontinued operation. The comparative results, excluding those for balance sheet, have been restated. 

58

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

Summarised group financial results – statement of financial position 

US dollar million

Assets

Tangible and intangible assets

Investments

Inventories

Cash and cash equivalents 

Other assets

Total assets

Equity and liabilities

Total equity

Borrowings

Provisions

Deferred taxation

Other liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

5,088

 1,553 

 1,524 

468

501

9,134

2,871

3,721

567

776

9,134

5,082

 1,459 

 1,639 

648

846

8,091

 1,215 

 1,823 

892 

718

6,755

 877 

 1,408 

1,112

597

9,674

12,739

10,749

3,107

3,891

5,494

3,583

579

982

1,084

1,119

5,120

2,488

 977 

1,148

1,016

9,674

12,739

10,749

 1,199 

 1,115 

 1,459 

4,219

 1,557 

 736 

484

288

7,284

2,467

2,737

 954 

514

612

7,284

59

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

Summarised group financial results – statement of cash flows (1) 

US dollar million
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
Dividends received from joint ventures
Net taxation paid
Net cash inflow from operating activities from continuing operations
Net cash (outflow) inflow from discontinued operations
Net cash inflow from operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Capital expenditure
Net (payments) proceeds from acquisition and disposal of subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures
Net proceeds (payments) from disposal and acquisition of investments, associate loans, and  
acquisition and disposal of tangible assets
Interest received
(Increase) decrease in cash restricted for use
Other
Net cash inflow (outflow) from investing activities from continuing operations
Cash outflows from discontinued operations
Net cash inflow (outflow) from investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Net (repayments) proceeds from borrowings
Finance costs paid
Dividends paid
Acquisition of non-controlling interest
Other
Net cash (outflow) inflow from financing activities from continuing operations
Cash outflows from discontinued operations
Net (outflow) inflow from financing activities
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Translation
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year (2)

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

1,250
57
(163)
 1,144 
 (5)
1,139

(667)
(12)

810
25
(17)
–
 139 
 (59)
80

(867)
(251)
(5)
–
(61)
 (1,184)
 (2)
(1,186)
33
(17)
468
484

1,343
–
(153)
 1,190 
 30 
1,220

(849)
42

(11)
21
24
–
 (773)
 (170)
(943)

(144)
(246)
(17)
–
(9)
 (416)
 (5)
(421)
(144)
(16)
628
468

1,307
18
(164)
 1,161 
 85 
1,246

(1,431)
(466)

(8)
23
(20)
–
 (1,902)
 (138)
(2,040)

864
(200)
(62)
–
(36)
 566 
 (6)
560
(234)
(30)
892
628

2,178
72 
(453)
 1,797 
 172 
1,969

(1,916)
(684)

(70)
36 
(3)
(50)
 (2,687)
 (88)
(2,775)

1,221
(145)
(236)
(215)
(28)
 597 
 (6)
591 
(215)
(5)
1,112
892 

2,855
111 
(379)
 2,587 
 226 
2,813

(1,500)
(117)

(62)
39 
(19)
4
 (1,655)
 (67)
(1,722)

(155)
(142)
(169)
–
9
 (457)
 (6)
(463)
628 
(102)
586 
1,112

(1)  Cripple Creek & Victor is disclosed as a discontinued operation. The comparative results, excluding those for balance sheet, have been restated. 
(2)   The cash and cash equivalent balance at 31 December 2013 includes a bank overdraft included in the statement of financial position as part of other liabilities of $20m.

60

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

Ratios and statistics (1) 

Operating review – gold
Production from continuing operations
Production from continuing and discontinued operations
Gold sold from continuing operations

Gold sold from continuing and discontinued operations
Continuing operations
Closing price at year-end
Average gold price received

Total cash costs
All-in sustaining costs (2)
All-in costs (2)
Earnings
Adjusted gross profit
Adjusted gross margin
Adjusted EBITDA (3)
Adjusted EBITDA margin
Interest cover
Asset and debt management
Net debt to adjusted EBITDA (3)
Continuing and discontinued operations
(Loss) profit attributable to equity shareholders
(Loss) profit attributable to equity shareholders
Headline (loss) earnings
Headline (loss) earnings
Adjusted headline earnings (loss)
Adjusted headline earnings (loss)
Capital expenditure (4)
Net cash flow from operating activities
Free cash inflow (outflow)

See footnotes overleaf

Units

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

000oz
000oz
000oz

000oz

$/oz
$/oz

$/oz
$/oz
$/oz

$m
%
$m
%
times

times

$m
US cents
$m
US cents
$m
US cents
$m
$m
$m

 3,830 
 3,947 
 3,850 
 3,965 

 1,160 
 1,158 
 712 
 910 
 1,001 

 721 
 18 
 1,472 
 37 
 7 

 4,225 
 4,436 
 4,248 

 4,458 

 1,266 
 1,264 

 785 
 1,020 
 1,114 

 980 
 20 
 1,616 
 33 
 6 

 3,874 
 4,105 
 3,862 

 4,093 

 1,411 
 1,401 

 836 
 1,195 
 1,466 

 1,225 
 24 
 1,525 
 29 
 6 

 3,697 
 3,944 
 3,707 

 3,953 

 1,668 
 1,664 

 842 
 1,285 
 1,623 

 2,179 
 37 
 2,486 
 42 
 14 

 4,064 
 4,331 
 4,040 

 4,307 

 1,572 
 1,576 

 712 

 2,448 
 40 
 3,082 
 50 
 22 

 1.5 

 1.9 

 2.0 

 0.8 

 0.2 

 (85)
 (21)
 (73)
 (18)
 49 
 12 
 857 
 1,139 
 141 

 (58)
 (14)
 (79)
 (19)
 (1)
 (0)
 1,209 
 1,220 
 (112)

 (2,230)
 (568)
 78 
 20 
 599 
 153 
 1,993 
 1,246 
 (1,064)

 897 
 232 
 1,208 
 312 
 988 
 255 
 2,322 
 1,969 
 (666)

 1,587 
 411 
 1,519 
 394 
 1,332 
 345 
 1,686 
 2,813 
 972 

61

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FINANCIAL REVIEW continued

Ratios and statistics (1) (continued)

Asset and debt management

Equity

Net capital employed 

Net debt 

Net asset value – per share 

Market capitalisation 

Return on equity 

Return on net capital employed 

Net debt to equity

Other

Weighted average number of shares

Issued shares at year-end

Exchange rates

Rand/dollar average

Rand/dollar closing

Australian dollar/dollar average 

Australian dollar/dollar closing 

Brazilian real/dollar average 

Brazilian real/dollar closing 

Argentinean peso/dollar average

Argentinean peso/dollar closing

Units

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

$m

$m

$m

US cents

$m

%

%

%

million

million

2,467

5,190

2,190

609

2,877

2

5

89

410

405

12.77

15.46

1.33

1.37

3.33

3.90

9.26

12.96

2,871

6,640

3,133

711

3,515

0

4

109

408

404

10.83

11.57

1.11

1.22

2.35

2.66

8.12

8.55

3,107

5,519

3,105

770

4,727

18

12

100

393

403

9.62

10.45

1.03

1.12

2.16

2.34

5.48

6.52

6,082

8,420

2,061

1,580

12,025

19 

15

34 

387 

385 

 8.20 

8.45 

0.97 

0.96 

1.95 

2.05 

4.55

4.92

5,880

7,444

610 

1,528

16,226

26 

20 

10 

386 

385 

7.26 

8.04 

0.97 

0.97 

1.68 

1.87 

4.13

4.30

(1)  Cripple Creek & Victor is disclosed as a discontinued operation. The comparative results, excluding those for balance sheet, have been restated. 
(2)  World Gold Council standard, excludes stockpiles written off.  All-in sustaining costs and all-in costs $/oz are available from 2012 only. 
(3)  The adjusted EBITDA calculation is based on the formula included in the revolving credit agreements for compliance with the debt covenant formula. 
(4)  Includes equity-accounted investments. 

62

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ECONOMIC VALUE-ADDED STATEMENT
For the year ended 31 December

US dollar millions

Economic value generated

Gold sales and by-product income (1)

Interest received

Royalties received

Profit from sale of assets

Income from investments

%

98

1

–

–

1

2015

4,280

28

4

1

64

%

99

1

–

–

–

2014

 5,350 

 24 

 4 

 23 

–

Total economic value generated

100

4,377

100

 5,401 

Economic value distributed

Operating costs

Employee salaries, wages and other benefits 

Payments to providers of capital

– Finance costs and unwinding of obligations

– Dividends

Corporate taxation

– Current taxation (2)

Community and social investments (3)

Loss from investments

Total economic value distributed

Economic value retained (4)

Note: This economic value-added statement includes the results of Cripple Creek & Victor until the date of sale.

1,876

1,183

245

245

–

192

15

–

3,510

867

46

30

5

5

–

3

–

–

84

16

 2,464 

 1,588 

 278 

 278 

–

 165 

 14 

 20 

 4,529 

 872 

43

27

6

6

–

4

–

–

80

20

63

(1)   Gold sales decreased by 19% year-on-year due  

to an 8% lower average price received of $1,158/oz 
and an 11% decrease in ounces sold.
(2)   Current tax charge (credit) by country is  

as follows: 

US dollar millions
South Africa 
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Ghana
Guinea
United States
Tanzania
Other

2015

(13) 
25
25
61
–
17
(6)
79
4

2014
31 
24 
–
31 
2 
31 
(5)
65 
(14)

(3)   Community and social investments exclude 

(4) 

expenditure by equity-accounted joint ventures.
 Economic value retained excludes impairments 
and impairment reversals. 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
REGIONAL REVIEWS
South Africa

AngloGold Ashanti’s four South African deep-level mines and surface 
production facilities are divided into three mining districts: Vaal 
River, West Wits and Surface Operations. Currently, these three areas 
comprise the following operations:

Vaal River

West Wits

Surface Operations

•   Surface Operations extracts gold from 
marginal ore dumps and tailings storage 
facilities on surface at various Vaal River 
and West Wits operations. The hard 
rock business processes material from 
underground as well as from marginal ore 
dumps. Surface Operations also includes 
Mine Waste Solutions (MWS) which 
operates independently and processes 
slurry material reclaimed hydraulically 
from the various tailings storage facilities. 
Uranium is produced as a by-product, as 
is backfill that is used as mining support in 
underground mined out areas.

The Vaal River mining district comprises two 
mines, which share a milling and treatment 
circuit. The mines, which are located about 
180km from Johannesburg, near the Vaal 
River on the Free State-North West Province 
border, are:

•   Kopanang, which is bound to the south by 
the Jersey Fault, has a single shaft system 
to a depth of 2,600m. It exploits the Vaal 
Reef almost exclusively, producing gold as 
its primary output and uranium oxide as a 
by-product.

•   Moab Khotsong, AngloGold Ashanti’s 

newest South African mine, is located in 
the Free State and has three vertical shaft 
systems mining to a depth of 3,100m. Given 
the geological complexity of the Vaal Reef, 
the mine’s principal reef, scattered mining 
is employed. Great Noligwa’s operating 
infrastructure and employees were fully 
incorporated with those of Moab Khotsong 
during 2015.

The West Wits mining district’s operations, 
situated southwest of Johannesburg, on the 
border between Gauteng and North West 
Province, are:

•  Mponeng, the world’s deepest gold mine 
and our flagship South African operation, 
exploits the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) 
at depths of between 2,400m and 3,900m 
via a twin-shaft system. Ore is treated and 
smelted at the mine’s gold plant.

•  TauTona’s three-shaft system exploits 

both the Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) and 
the VCR, with the secondary and tertiary 
shafts sinking to depths of between 
2,900m and 3,480m. The full integration 
of Savuka into TauTona’s infrastructure 
was completed with a link between the 
two mines reducing dependency on a 
single infrastructure system. TauTona’s 
infrastructure is being used to access 
the remaining Ore Reserve at Savuka. 
Hoisting of Savuka ore via TauTona began 
in the second quarter of 2015. To improve 
efficiencies, ore mined is processed at 
Mponeng’s gold plant.

64

View map

OVERVIEW

Contribution to group
production – 2015 (%)

•  South Africa 

•  Rest of AngloGold Ashanti 

26

74

Contribution to regional production 
(excluding technology) – 2015 (%)

•  West Wits 

•  Vaal River 

•  Surface Operations 

43

37

20

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Key statistics

Operational performance

Tonnes treated/milled

Pay limit (1)

Recovered grade (1)

Gold production

Total cash costs

Total production costs 

All-in sustaining costs (2)

Capital expenditure 

Productivity

Safety

Number of fatalities

AIFR

People

Average no. of employees: total

– Permanent employees

– Contractors

Employee turnover

Training and development expenditure

See footnotes overleaf

Production
(000oz)

11
12
13
14
15

1,624

1,212
1,302
1,223

1,004

1,004,000oz

2015 production

Productivity
(oz/TEC)

11
12
13
14
15

5.85

4.19

4.47
4.40

3.74

3.74oz/TEC

2015 productivity

Units

2015

2014

2013

36.8

0.39

14.38

0.225

7.70

1,004

881

1,091

1,088

206

3.74

9

10.81

28,325

25,274

3,051

7

29

38.4

0.39

14.35

0.239

8.19

1,223

849

1,087

1,064

264

4.40

4

11.85

29,511

26,056

3,455

10

37

39.2

0.36

13.37

0.204

7.00

1,302

850

1,070

1,120

451

4.47

6

12.63

32,406

28,526

3,880

12

45

Mt 

oz/t

g/t

oz/t

g/t

000oz

$/oz

$/oz

$/oz

$m

oz/TEC

per million hours worked

%

$m

65

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Key statistics (continued)

Environment

Total water consumption

Total water use per tonne treated

Total energy usage

Total energy usage per tonne treated

Total GHG emissions 

Total GHG emissions per tonne treated

Cyanide used

No. of reportable environmental incidents

Total rehabilitation liabilities: 

– restoration

– decommissioning

Community and government

Community expenditure (3)

Payments to government

– Taxation

– Withholding tax (royalties, etc.)

– Employee taxes and other contributions

– Property tax

– Other (includes skills development) 

(1)  Refers to underground operations only.
(2)  Excludes stockpile write-offs.
(3)  Includes corporate social investment expenditure.

Units

2015

2014

2013

AIFR
(per million hours worked)

25,182

27,219

27,228

0.685

11.41

0.31

2,959

0.080

9,573

1

95

18

77

6

105

4

5

89

3

4

0.708

11.31

0.29

2,981

0.078

10,100

1

84

12

72

8

144

16

18

100

5

5

0.694

11.80

0.30

3,025

0.081

9,688

3

78

10

68

8

157

12

12

122

5

6

11
12
13
14
15

15.57

13.24
12.63
11.85

10.81

10.81

2015 AIFR

Total cash costs and all-in 
sustaining costs
(S/oz)

11

12

13

14

15

694

873

850

1,189

1,120

849

1,064

881

1,088

Total cash costs

All-in sustaining costs

$881/oz

2015 total cash costs

ML

kL/t

PJ

GJ/t
000t CO2e
t CO2e/t
t

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

66

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Production

Production for the year ended December 
2015 was lower, predominantly due to safety 
related stoppages with about 113,000oz lost 
as a result of these disruptions. Mponeng 
and Moab Khotsong were most affected. 
In addition to the operational effects of the 
safety-related stoppages, Mponeng also 
experienced delays to phase 1 of its Below 
120 level life-extension project. Mining flexibility 
was curtailed as production was undertaken 
on only three levels, at 120 level and above, 
toward the lateral extremities of the ore body 
where travelling distances and lower grades 
hampered efficiency. 

A derisking plan was implemented to address 
seismicity challenges and a decision was taken 
during the year to withdraw from some of 
those areas to improve safety, further reducing 
available mining areas and leading to lower 
mining extraction rates. This is expected to 
be alleviated when the higher-grade areas 
below 120 level – which are currently being 
developed – are available for mining. The 123 
level is now continuing its production ramp-up. 

Elsewhere in the West Wits, TauTona mined 
a smaller area with a decrease in its mine call 
factor, the measure of gold produced relative to 
the amount of gold contained in the area mined.

Much of the ledging had been completed by 
year-end and good progress was made in 
establishing raise lines underground at the 
Savuka section of TauTona. This will create 
ledging panels that will improve operational 
efficiency and the availability of face length, 
which is crucial to the life-of-mine plan.

In addition to – and in some cases as a result 
of the safety stoppages – production at the 
Vaal River operations was also negatively 
affected by a deterioration in the mining mix as 
the anticipated move into higher-grade areas 
was delayed. Increased dilution resulted in a 
decline in head grades. 

Safety stoppages and lack of available 
face length and mining flexibility, a result of 
the premature halt to mining of low-grade 
areas, affected production at Kopanang. In 
mitigation, more concentrated efforts were 
put in place, prioritising safe practices, and 
plans are underway to increase available face 
length and Ore Reserve development. Safety 
improvements achieved in the last quarter of the 
year indicated a return to operational stability.

At Surface Operations, a reduction in grades 
in the marginal ore dump material negatively 
impacted production. In an attempt to 
mitigate this, a project was commissioned 
at the end of November to screen material 
ahead of the plant. 

At TauTona, seismic activity and the intense 
ledging programme affected production. 

The Project 500 cost savings initiative is 
expected to continue during 2016 in an 

endeavour to further improve efficiencies. At 
MWS, the flotation and uranium plants were 
temporarily stopped during the latter part of 
the year as these units did not operate at 
expected efficiencies. 

The South Africa region produced 0.9Mlb of 
uranium in 2015 (2014: 1.3Mlb), as a by-
product at its Vaal River operations.

Costs

All-in sustaining costs at $1,088/oz for the 
year ended December 2015 were 2% higher 
compared to the previous year. The negative 
cost impact was marginal, assisted in large part 
by the weaker rand relative to the US dollar, as 
well as a modest contribution from the early 
stages of Project 500 efficiency interventions. 
Performance was significantly affected by 
the lower volumes mined as well as ongoing 
inflationary pressures in South Africa, which is 
fully exposed to above-inflation administered 
price increases for critical inputs, like power and 
water, while gaining little benefit from a lower 
fuel price. 

Project 500 cost optimisation is ongoing and is 
being introduced to a range of core disciplines 
in the region. Key areas of focus are labour 
cost management, reef mining activities, 
reduced power consumption, improved 
contractor management, the implementation 
of service optimisation strategies and a 
robust critical review of commodity as well as 
services-related contracts. 

Reduced energy consumption in particular has 
yielded significant savings through efficiency 
improvements and a focus on compressed air 
at TauTona. In addition, all hoisting now takes 
place at TauTona, including that of ore mined 
in the Savuka section, resulting in improved 
operating efficiency.

A study is planned for 2016 to investigate ways 
to further reduce the South Africa region’s all-in 
sustaining cost. This study will focus on the 
rationalisation of off-mine services and costs, 
and is expected to include a further footprint 
reduction in the Vaal River area in particular. This 
work will be incorporated in the Project 500 
framework and could contribute to the viability 
of key growth projects.

Good progress was made with the integration 
of the Vaal River operations. This entailed 
consolidation of the surface infrastructure of 
the neighbouring Moab Khotsong, Kopanang 
and Great Noligwa mines as well as some 
of their underground infrastructure. This 
is expected to further reduce the surface 
footprint, enable improved mining flexibility 
in response to a variable gold price, allow 
us to take advantage of synergies in the 
management of mineral and shared services, 
and improve the profitability and sustainability 
of these operations. Substantial savings have 
been realised to date. In 2016, the focus is 
expected to be on refining and embedding 
these changes to achieve further cost 
efficiencies and eliminate duplication.

67

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Growth and improvement

Mponeng Phase 1 below 120 level was delayed, 
as discussed above, with key infrastructure 
to service Ore Reserve development lagging 
behind schedule by more than a year at the 
end of 2015. The main issues contributing to 
the schedule delays included safety-related 
operational disruptions and infrastructure 
reliability; slower than anticipated secondary 
support installation rates, which affected 
construction handover dates; poor trackless 
equipment availability; and logistics complexity, 
which constrained the supply of material to and 
removal of rock from the project area. 

To address critical issues, a detailed system 
capability study was undertaken to determine 
ore handling and material supply capacity.  
A high-level revised schedule was completed, 
based on system capability. The study 
prioritises capital infrastructure to support 
Ore Reserve development. The preliminary 
impact of this schedule indicates a delay of 
approximately 15 to 18 months in the Below 
120 level gold delivery profile.

Given the constraints experienced in phase 1, 
the approach to phase 2 is being reviewed. 
Co-extraction of the VCR from the same 
shaft deepening infrastructure platform is 
being considered rather than from the decline 
development employed in phase 1. Phase 2 
may therefore be delayed. Work on 126 level 
is expected to be completed on schedule, and 

consequently, there will be no gold gap as a 
result of the delay.

At Moab Khotsong, project Zaaiplaats 
remained on hold. Another study has been 
undertaken to determine the best technical 
and economically viable options for the 
project and is expected to recommend 
alternative investment opportunities. The 
purpose of this study will be to formulate 
mine designs to economically extract 
Zaaiplaats and contiguous blocks from the 
Moab Khotsong shaft systems and to claw 
back value through potential schedule, 
cost and mining-volume gains by applying 
modern shaft designs and other associated 
technologies. A further study is expected to 
begin in 2016 to investigate the impact of 
the regional cost rationalisation initiative.

SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE
Safety

The South Africa region has had mixed safety 
results, with the all-injury frequency rate 
(AIFR) improving to 10.81 per million hours 
worked in 2015, from 11.85 in 2014. The 
lost-time injury frequency rate was 8.63 in 
2015 against 9.29 in 2014. Both these were 
all-time best annual performances.

Surface Operations was awarded the John  
T Ryan Trophy 2015 as national winner of the 
Surface Operation category at the MineSAFE 
awards ceremony. This is the second time this 

68

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

award has been won by an AngloGold Ashanti 
operation. This strengthens our work on the 
‘people pillar’ of our safety strategy, which now 
comprises two enablers, namely ‘knowledge 
and skills’ and ‘behaviour/attitude’. While it 
is recognised that we operate in a high-risk 
environment, with labour-intensive operations at 
depth, we will continue to strive for zero harm, 
making sure every employee returns unharmed 
from work every day.

Regrettably, in 2015, our safety performance 
reflected a significant regression in mine 
fatalities. Tragically, nine of our colleagues lost 
their lives in separate accidents compared with 
four in 2014. 

We would like to extend our deepest 
condolences to the families, friends, 
communities and colleagues of Lebakeng 
Nkone, Jeffrey Dogo, Tsoabiso Mokoetsi, 
Tihareseole Kanyane, Thabo Pooe, Khosi 
Machosi, Gabriel Mosoeunyane, Rampatsa 
Moleleki and Reino Minnaar. 

Three fatalities were caused by falls of 
ground, two by seismic-related falls of 
ground, one during rail-bound transport 
operations, one during scraper-winch 
cleaning operations, one as a result of carbon 
monoxide inhalation due to the indoor use of 
a warming brazier, and one was caused by 
electrocution during the commissioning of an 

electrical substation. This marked increase in 
the number of lives lost in 2015 prompted a 
strong response from the management and 
executive team in the South Africa region, 
culminating in a thorough review and revision 
of the safety strategy, now referred to as the 
Safe Production Strategy. 

Our Safe Production Strategy aims to develop 
a culture that delivers predictable control of 
safe production in a highly-effective compliant 
organisation. This strategy is based on four 
pillars around which detailed work plans have 
been developed. These pillars are: improved 
knowledge and skills; working on critical 
aspects of behaviour and attitude; optimising 
workplans; and, most critically, removing people 
from risk and improving workplace conditions. 
This strategy will be underpinned by systems 
for both people and work management. This 
strategy has been presented to the board 
Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee 
and work on its various elements has begun. 
Progress will be monitored internally and 
reported quarterly to the committee.

As fully detailed in the , the work we are 
doing to make the workplace safe is aligned 
with the critical control management guideline 
issued by the International Council on Mining 
and Metals in 2015, while ensuring compliance 
with applicable legislation.

We recognise that systems and processes 
alone cannot create a safe work environment. 
By encouraging every person to be aware 
of their workplace conditions and to be 
accountable for their own safety and that 
of others, we seek to keep safety at the 
forefront of everyone’s mind and thus create 
a secure workplace. Line management will 
be held accountable for safety as we believe 
that living these leadership behaviours is an 
important driver to progress the organisation 
along an improved safety journey. Our  
target is to eliminate fatalities and injuries in 
the workplace.

Health

Health risk management: A high-level 
and preliminary risk assessment (including 
contributory causes, consequences, and 
critical controls) of the broad health risks 
facing our people in the South Africa 
region was completed. Given the long lag 
periods associated with most occupational 
health risks, we aim to review medical risks 
annually. This data will now be loaded into 
the newly-designed ‘health risk architecture’ 
in AuRisk. All health risks in the region have 
now been placed into 10 major hazard 
categories. We have also prioritised the top 
12 specific injuries or illnesses that pose  
the greatest health risks to employees in  
the region. 

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

We work constantly to reduce noise exposures 
at source. Our efforts include the silencing 
of critical equipment, standardising hearing 
protection devices (which are selected for 
comfort and efficacy), as well as improving 
compliance in the use of hearing protection.

Of concern is NIHL which is on the rise with 
rates having almost doubled over the past 
year, from 1.2 per 1,000 to 2.5 per 1,000. 
The reason for this increase is not intuitive as 
occupational exposure to noise appears to 
be controlled. 

With increasing national and regional attention 
being given to tubercolosis (TB) across the 
Southern African Development Community, the 
South African government’s departments of 
Health and Mineral Resources have launched 
a major TB screening programme across the 
South African mining sector. This is a multi-
stakeholder initiative with the Chamber of 
Mines and the country’s four largest mining 
unions. AngloGold Ashanti is involved in the 
design and implementation of this programme, 
which also assists smaller companies in 
implementing screening and testing.

Healthcare outcomes: The all-occupational 
diseases frequency rate (AODFR) remained flat 
at 12.11 per million hours worked.  

The AODFR includes silicosis, occupational 
TB, NIHL, barotrauma (pressure-related 
injury to the middle ear following rapid 
descent/ascent in deep-level mines) and all 
heat-related illnesses. In all, 822 cases of 
occupational disease were reported in the 
year to December 2015 (64 cases of NIHL; 
315 of occupational TB; 148 of heat illness; 
155 of barotrauma; and 140 of silicosis). 

New TB and HIV infection rates remain 
at 10-year lows and good progress was 
made in reducing the number of cases of 
silicosis. Dust control measures continued 
to be effective, and our South African 
operations exceeded the Mine Health and 
Safety Council milestones for dust control. 
The number of silicosis cases submitted 
for compensation declined for the second 
successive year and early silicosis cases 
remain at low levels. Stringent South African 
mining industry targets for reducing silica 
dust exposure by 2024 require modifications 
to methods for measuring silica dust 
exposures and further strengthening of 
workplace controls.

The TB incidence rate declined from 1.57% in 
2014 to 1.26% in 2015. This is consistent with 
the downward trend of occupational TB over 
the past decade. Despite significantly higher 
risk in the gold sector for the development of 
occupational TB (as a consequence of silica 
dust exposure and HIV co-infection), the 
incidence rate reported by the company is in 
line with that of the general population of  
South Africa.

We continue to participate in initiatives to 
manage and, where possible, to deal with TB, 
such as World TB Day 2015, which we hosted 
at Vaal River with the Minister of Health. See 
the .

Gold Working Group on silicosis: 
AngloGold Ashanti is working together with 
other South African mining companies on 
a solution to the compensation of OLD. 
Current work streams are focused on 
improving efficiency at the Medical Bureau for 
Occupational Disease and the Compensation 
Commission for Occupational Diseases 
(CCOD); cleaning of compensation data 
and compilation of a credible database; 
preparation for another actuarial valuation 
of the Occupational Disease in Mines and 
Works Act (ODMWA) fund; and exploratory 
work on a potential legacy fund. The fund will 
also play a part in compensation for silicosis. 
In addition to the existing one-stop shops 
in Mthatha and Carletonville, there are also 
plans to set up two new one-stop shops for 
the industry in Kuruman and Burgersfort. 

Furthermore, the Gold Working Group and the 
Department of Health launched Project Ku-
Riha during ‘Workers’ Month’ (May 2015) at 
the one-stop shop at Carletonville Hospital. Of 
the files at the CCOD that have thus far been 
verified, 50% of eligible individuals have not 
yet been compensated. The plan is therefore 
to track and trace, and then formalise a 

mechanism to compensate eligible ex-miners 
over the next few years. 

Total health spend: Approximately 
$58m was spent on health and wellness 
programmes in the South Africa region 
in 2015 – $27m on clinics and hospitals 
through AngloGold Ashanti Health, and a 
further $31m on various medical insurance 
and compensation costs for occupational 
and non-occupational injuries and illnesses 
affecting our employees. Over the past 
decade, AngloGold Ashanti has managed 
to contain the unit costs for direct health 
services. However, these costs are now on 
the rise. Alternative strategies and models of 
health service provision are being explored. 

Employee and labour relations

In 2015, employee numbers were slightly down 
year-on-year, a result of the restructuring that 
came with the consolidation of certain mines 
in the region, and the moratorium on external 
recruitment. However, there was a marginal 
increase in December with the hiring of employees 
with specific skills and the reinstatement of those 
employees who had previously been dismissed at 
Moab Khotsong – see below.

Wage negotiations took place from June 
through to October 2015. All unions 
participated in the central collective-
bargaining process with the Chamber of 
Mines representing the gold producers. 

70

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Notwithstanding the challenging negotiations, 
a three-year wage settlement was agreed, 
without any strike action or loss of production. 
AngloGold Ashanti signed its agreement 
with NUM, Solidarity and UASA. Regrettably, 
AMCU did not sign but as the unions that 
signed represented the majority of employees, 
the wage agreement was extended to all 
employees irrespective of union affiliation. 

Employers’ wage negotiators ensured that 
unions understood the possible consequences 
for employment and sustainability of 
unaffordably high labour-cost increases. 
Building on our engagement with unions 
in 2014, we continued to share detailed 
information on the company’s financial position 
and the industry’s precarious position. 

A proposed economic and social compact 
aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the 
industry, preserving jobs and the sharing of 
profit was also presented during negotiations. 

The socio-economic compact was 
based on: 

•    an economic model of the gold price, 

the rand/dollar exchange rate, inflation, 
geographic conditions, the regulatory 
environment, costs, safety and productivity

•     a social component detailing job 
retention, guaranteed pay and 
benefits, housing and accommodation, 
retirement savings, health and wellness, 
and education and skills development

In the latter part of the year, the Labour 
Court ruled in favour of AMCU regarding 
the dismissal of 542 employees at Moab 
Khotsong in April 2013. AngloGold Ashanti 
re-instated the relevant employees and 
agreed to pay each an amount equivalent 
to 12-months’ basic pay, as ordered by 
the court. The company did not appeal the 
judgement and a joint management-AMCU 
working group was established to oversee 
and manage the reinstatement process in 
line with our human resources plan and  
skills requirements. 

Employee empowerment: Indebtedness 
remains a source of profound stress for 
many South African mine workers supporting 
extended families. Socio-economic 
pressures combined with the actions of 
irresponsible lending practices by financial 
institutions and micro-lenders can lead to 
employees finding themselves trapped in 
a debt spiral that becomes increasingly 
difficult to escape. Extensive engagement 
with organised labour and investigation into 
indebtedness, identified illegal emolument 
attachment orders (EAOs) as a significant 
part of the debt problem. EAOs are court 
orders which compel employers to deduct 
debt repayments directly from a debtor’s 
salary to pay to debt collectors.

Our Masidibanise Izandla (Managing today, 
for tomorrow, together) campaign aims to 
address the problem of indebtedness by 

providing accessible financial management 
assistance. This initiative, which began in 2014 
and aims to create awareness, educate and 
provide financial advice to our employees, has 
achieved the following:

refer them to the appropriate advisor to 
address their financial problems. The service 
is free and all interactions with referral agents, 
debt counsellors and legal advisors are 
strictly confidential. 

•   Decreased the total number of EAOs, 

commonly known as garnishee orders, 
against our employees from 3,110 in May 
2014 to 2,321 by December 2015 

•  210 EAOs were terminated during 2015 

•   22,948 employees have received 

indebtedness training

Our long-term proactive support programme 
to address employee indebtedness comprises 
three elements:

•   Practical training – helps employees 

understand, recognise and avoid debt traps 
that could be crippling. This training is also 
incorporated into the induction training that 
all employees undergo regularly.

•   Counselling and referral – ensures that 
employees have access to appropriate 
assistance before EAOs are issued against 
them. It includes access to debt counsellors 
and debt restructuring. 

•   Legal assistance – helps employees challenge 
the legality of the EAOs and identify illegal or 
irresponsible lending practices. 

By including indebtedness training during 
induction, we have sought to make remedial 
action for our employees’ debt problems. The 
approach has worked well, with a marked 
increase in calls to the toll-free call centre 
immediately after induction training. In 2016 
we will focus on increasing the momentum to 
further reduce employee indebtedness.

In addition, a sexual awareness and 
harassment campaign was implemented, in 
support of gender empowerment.

Environment

Surface Operations retained its ISO 14001 
certification for another year. While our focus 
remains on reducing tailings pipeline spillages, 
containing dust from tailings dams and ensuring 
effective rehabilitation, there was one reportable 
environmental incident at Vaal River when a 
pipeline failure spilled tailings into a storm water 
trench. Remedial action was taken to mitigate 
any potential damage. The region also had few 
minor and unreportable environmental incidents 
in 2015, related mainly to water spills.

We also have a toll-free help line for follow-
up sessions. Employees can make an 
appointment with a referral agent who will 
advise them of their options and, if necessary, 

West Wits, Vaal River and Surface Operations, 
including MWS, are actively working to achieve 
International Cyanide Management Code 
certification by the end of 2017.

71

INTEGRATED REPORT 20151   Material issues and the  
external environment

REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Water: Pumping installations to manage 
water ingress from neighbouring mines where 
operations have ceased in the West Wits 
and Vaal River districts, are expected to be 
completed in the first half of 2016. These 
systems are intended to safely intercept water 
to prevent flooding as well as to re-use the 
water in surface re-mining activities. Pumping 
systems at both sites are able to pump water 
in case of earlier-than-expected decant into 
our operations. 

Drought conditions across most of South 
Africa and particularly in the Highveld continue 
to affect the volume of water pumped in the 
area close to Margaret Shaft (Vaal River) and, 
over the past three dry seasons, volumes have 
dropped from around 37ML/day to a current 
22ML/day, just enough to supply MWS and 
Vaal River plant requirements. 

As standard practice, for many years our 
mines have been using this scarce resource 
responsibly, lessening their consumption 
by reusing and recycling water1. We aim to 
spend time in 2016 aligning mine closure and 
regional water management plans with the 
region’s expected operating life. This work will 
necessitate discussions with regulators and 
neighbouring mining operations. 

Energy: As energy-saving projects are 
completed and brought on line, our energy 

consumption continues to decline. The heat-
pump project at Kopanang appears to have 
reduced peak demand by up to 2.5MW and 
the heat-recovery project at Mponeng is on 
track and planned for commissioning during 
the second quarter of 2016. This is expected 
to bring in another 500kW of recovered energy 
from waste heat at the compressor stations. 
Overall, savings in energy consumption  
were achieved. 

The country’s electrical generation capacity 
remains constrained as a result of poor 
maintenance and late project completion 
by Eskom. Electricity generation availability 
remains around 70-73%. Given unplanned 
outages were around 6,000-9,000MW per 
day, Eskom has delayed maintenance to 
counter the shortfall.

Good progress was made regarding the 
amount of energy used in compressed air 
control. Improvements at the West Wits 
operations, a result of greater efficiencies 
in compressed air controls and progress in 
automation, are especially noteworthy.

Rehabilitation: As part of its ongoing 
rehabilitation programme, a phytoremediation 
research project has been underway for two 
decades and is being implemented in the 
Varkenslaagte catchment in the West Wits. 
See the .

72

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Stakeholder engagement and 
communities

In South Africa, ongoing community 
engagement involves broad consultation 
with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure 
our community development efforts are 
appropriate, relevant, targeted and effective. 
This engagement takes place quarterly at 
Future Forum meetings at both the West Wits 
and Vaal River operations. Consultation involves 
employees, community representatives, 
municipalities, non-governmental organisations, 
community-based organisations and various 
government departments. These ongoing 
consultations take various forms, which include 
community forums (held quarterly), surveys, 
and engagement through formal government 
structures. Meetings provide an opportunity 
for stakeholders’ concerns to be heard and 
discussed, and for information and updates on 
progress to be shared.

The consultation process highlighted the 
need for development and investment 
in education and health care in host 
communities and labour-sending areas. 
In response, our social and labour plans 
(SLPs) for 2015–2019, which outline our 
specific commitments to socio-economic 
development, were created with a focus 
on these issues. These plans – available on 
our website, www.anglogoldashanti.com – 
also support the goals of the South African 
government’s National Development Plan. 

Mandating and implementing committees 
were established to give effect to the SLPs. 
The mandating committee, which comprises 
municipal mayors and AngloGold Ashanti 
senior management, meets quarterly to 
assess the progress of current projects and 
to discuss issues related to broader socio-
economic development. The implementing 
committee meets at least once a month 
to report on project implementation  
and progress.

In South Africa, we exceeded our local 
procurement targets in terms of the Mining 
Charter. We have worked closely with 
suppliers, advising them on capacity building 
and raising business standards in order to 
qualify them as potential vendors. 

Tender information, supply opportunities, 
training and facilities such as offices, 
computers and internet access are available 
to aspiring suppliers. The intention is not only 
to enable businesses to supply AngloGold 
Ashanti, but also to provide broader access to 
alternative markets and customers. 

Our work in this area will be intensified with 
the implementation of enterprise development 
centres (EDCs) – business hubs designed to 
provide information and business services.

The first EDC was launched in October 
2015 in the Eastern Cape, an important 
labour-sending community, as a partnership 
between AngloGold Ashanti, the unions and 

government. The ongoing implementation 
of EDCs is underway in the Merafong and 
Matlosana municipalities, where our West Wits 
and Vaal River operations are located.

Community development work:
AngloGold Ashanti continued to make a 
positive impact on youth development in 
our host and major labour-sending areas 
through our community human resources 
programmes. These programmes include 
bursaries, internships, learnerships, portable 
skills training, various school enrichment and 
school leadership development initiatives. 

The Youth Technical Skills Development 
Programme, a collaboration between 
AngloGold Ashanti and the Department of 
Higher Education, the Mining Qualifications 
Authority (MQA) and the OR Tambo District 
Municipality was launched in March 2015 
in Mthatha. This programme, sponsored 
by the MQA, covers skills such as welding, 
bricklaying, plumbing and carpentry with about 
750 youths as beneficiaries. 

in the day’s events. This event was sponsored 
by our Social and Institutional Development 
Fund and corporate office’s corporate social 
investment fund, which assist in addressing 
critical social and institutional challenges 
identified by the Sustainable Development 
Goals (previously the Millennium Development 
Goals) and government priorities such as 
education, health and poverty alleviation in our 
host and major labour-sending areas. A total of 
$0.4m was contributed in 2015, bringing the 
total since 2012 to $4.4m. 

Challenges remain regarding access by small, 
medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to 
our procurement system, even though we 
have surpassed the DMR’s target of 15% 
local procurement – AngloGold Ashanti’s 
procurement with local host communities was 
23% at the end of September 2015. We will 
endeavour to develop more SMMEs in our 
local and host communities from 2016, once 
the three enterprise development projects 
in the Merafong, Matlosana and OR Tambo 
district municipalities are fully operational. 

AngloGold Ashanti, in conjunction with the 
Future Forums, also successfully participated 
in the annual International Nelson Mandela 
Day projects and programmes in three 
municipalities – Merafong, Matlosana and 
OR Tambo. In addition to government and 
municipal dignitaries, our CEO, the regional 
COO and the chairman of the Social, Ethics 
and Sustainability Committee, all participated 

Other challenges relate to the high levels of 
poverty and unemployment in our host and 
major labour-sending areas. The especially 
high rate of unemployed youths resulted in 
a picket by members of the community in 
Khuma at our MWS site in November 2015. 
AngloGold Ashanti and the Matlosana local 
municipality continue to engage jointly with 
this grouping.  

73

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
South Africa

Regulatory compliance 

The South Africa region has complied with 
the requirements of the MPRDA and has 
submitted all required reports and plans to 
the DMR. However, for 2015, employment 
equity at senior management level for Vaal 
River was 37.1% and 40.2% for West Wits, 
against the Mining Charter’s target of 40%. 
The rating level for the region overall was 
39%. This will be remedied by the end of the 
first quarter of 2016.

Gold mining companies in the Vaal River/
West Wits areas have had disputes with  
the municipalities. AngloGold Ashanti, 
Sibanye and Harmony were successful 
in their appeal to the Valuation Appeal 
Board against the Merafong Municipality’s 
significantly increased property valuations. 
We subsequently served the Merafong City 
Local Municipality with a letter of demand 
for refunds, including notice of intention 
to institute legal proceedings against the 
municipality to comply with its duties 
and obligations in terms of the Municipal 
Property Rates Act. The municipality has 
taken the ruling to the High Court for review. 
The Merafong municipality has indicated 
that the demand for refunds for rates and 
taxes will likely bankrupt the Municipality 
and cause social unrest in the area. This 

matter has drawn public attention and 
was discussed with the Minister of Mineral 
Resources in September 2015. AngloGold 
Ashanti, Sibanye and Harmony are acting 
jointly on this matter as all three companies 
are affected parties.

In addition, the Merafong Local Municipality has 
applied to the Constitutional Court to appeal the 
Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision regarding 
the water services’ surcharges. The application 
for leave to appeal, and appeal, were heard on  
18 February 2016, the decision on which is 
pending. The amounts owed by the Merafong 
municipality to the mines are significant – 
AngloGold Ashanti alone is owed more than 
R150m (approximately $11.75m at  
31 December 2015).

As South Africa is a signatory to the 
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 
Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with 
the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA) – the Department of Energy is ultimately 
responsible for the implementation of IAEA’s 
safeguards – we comply fully with the IAEA’s 
safeguards regarding the sale and transport 
of uranium produced. Day-to-day safeguard 
activities are overseen and monitored by 
the safeguards division of the South African 
Nuclear Energy Corporation, NECSA.

74

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

AngloGold Ashanti has seven mines 
in the region, six of which are 
producing mines and processing 
operations, and five of which 
AngloGold Ashanti manages. Obuasi 
mine is on limited operations, and 
closure is underway at Yatela.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

•   Kibali, which began commercial production 

in October 2013, has achieved full 
production. The mine, adjacent to the town of 
Doko and 180km from Arua on the Ugandan 
border, is co-owned by AngloGold Ashanti 
(45%), Randgold Resources Limited (45%) 
and Société Minière de Kilo-Moto (SOKIMO) 
(10%), a state-owned gold mining company. 
Randgold Resources operates the mine. 
Kibali is expected to be one of the largest 
mines of its kind in Africa.

•   Obuasi is located in the Ashanti Region, 

approximately 60km south of Kumasi. Mining 
operations have primarily been underground, 
to a depth of 1,500m. Following a two-year 
review of operational efficiencies, the mine 
was placed on limited operating status at the 
end of 2014.  

Guinea

•   Siguiri is a multiple open-pit oxide gold 
mine in the relatively remote district of 
Siguiri, around 850km northeast of the 
country’s capital, Conakry. The gold 
processing plant treats about 30,000t daily. 
AngloGold Ashanti holds an 85% interest in 
Siguiri, with the remaining 15% held in trust 
for the nation by the Government of Guinea. 
Siguiri, which comprises multiple open pits 
containing oxide gold, is contractor-mined 
using conventional open-pit techniques. The 
area has significant potential for gold mining 
and has long been an area of traditional 
artisanal mining.

Ghana

•   Iduapriem, which comprises the Iduapriem 

Mali

and Teberebie properties in a 110km2 
concession, is located in the Western 
Region of Ghana, some 70km north of the 
coastal city of Takoradi and 10km southwest 
of the Tarkwa mine. Iduapriem is an open-pit 
mine and its processing facilities include 
a carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plant with a gravity 
circuit. The gravity feed recovers about 
30% of the gold, with the remainder being 
recovered by the CIP plant.

•   Morila is a joint venture between AngloGold 
Ashanti and Randgold Resources, which 
operates the mine, and in which each has a 
40% interest. The Government of Mali owns 
the remaining 20%. Morila is situated 180km 
southeast of Bamako, the country’s capital. 
The operation ceased mining operations 
in 2009 and currently treats low-grade 
stockpiles and mineralised waste. The plant, 
which incorporates a conventional carbon-

in-leach (CIL) process with an up-front 
gravity section to extract the free gold, has 
an annual throughput capacity of 4.3Mt. In 
2015, the mine processed 3.1Mt of ore.

per annum CIL processing plant. While Geita 
generates its own power, the operation of its 
power-generating facility is outsourced and 
fuel is delivered by road.

View map

•   Sadiola is a joint venture between 

AngloGold Ashanti (41%) and IAMGOLD 
(41%). The Government of Mali owns the 
remaining 18%. The Sadiola mine is situated 
in south-western Mali, some 77km south-
southwest of the regional capital Kayes.  
On-site surface infrastructure includes a 
4.9Mt per annum CIL gold plant where the 
ore is eluted and smelted. The mine, which 
began operating in 1996, has multiple  
open pits.

•   Yatela, which began operating in 2001, is 
situated in southwestern Mali, some 25km 
north of Sadiola and approximately 50km 
south-southwest of the regional capital 
Kayes. As Yatela’s ore body has been 
depleted and the pits have reached the end 
of their lives, activities during 2016 will focus 
on preparing the mine for closure.

Tanzania

•   Geita, one of our flagship mines, is located 

in northwestern Tanzania, in the Lake 
Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza Region, 
about 120km from Mwanza and 4km west 
of the town of Geita. The Geita gold deposit, 
mined solely as a multiple open-pit operation 
until now, has begun to transition to 
underground mining at the Star & Comet pit. 
The mine is currently serviced by a 5.2Mt 

75

OVERVIEW

Contribution to group
production – 2015 (%)

•  Continental Africa 

•  Rest of AngloGold Ashanti 

37

63

Contribution to regional
production – 2015 (%)

•  Tanzania 

•  DRC 

•  Ghana 

•  Guinea 
•  Mali 

37

20

17

18

8

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

Key statistics

Operational performance

Tonnes treated/milled

Pay limit

Recovered grade

Gold production (attributable)

Total cash costs

Total production costs

All-in sustaining costs (1)

Capital expenditure (2)

Productivity

Safety

Number of fatalities

AIFR

People

Average no. of employees: total

– Permanent employees

– Contractors

Employee turnover (3)

Training and development expenditure

See footnotes overleaf

Production
(000oz)

11
12
13
14
15

1,570
1,521
1,460

1,597

1,435

1,435,000oz

2015 production

Productivity
(oz/TEC)

11
12
13
14
15

11.41
10.97
9.97

14.36

20.61

20.61oz/TEC

2015 productivity

Units

2015

2014

2013

26.9

0.049

1.669

0.054

1.69

1,460

869

1,086

1,202

839

9.97

2

1.97

16,625

10,778

5,847

11

11

Mt 

oz/t

g/t

oz/t

g/t

000oz

$/oz

$/oz

$/oz

$m

27.2

0.036

1.233

0.053

1.64

1,435

678

900

815

315

29.9

0.039

1.345

0.054

1.66

1,597

783

977

968

454

oz/TEC

20.61

14.36

1

0.50

11,942

5,061

6,881

16

3

0

1.56

16,070

8,739

7,331

64

2

per million hours worked

%

$m

76

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

Key statistics (continued)

Environment

Total water consumption

Total water use per tonne treated

Total energy usage

Total energy usage per tonne treated

Total GHG emissions 

Total GHG emissions per tonne treated

Cyanide used

No. of reportable environmental incidents

Total rehabilitation liabilities: 

– restoration

– decommissioning

Community and government

Community expenditure

Payments to government

– Dividends 

– Taxation

– Withholding tax (royalties, etc.)

– Other indirect taxes and duties

– Employee taxes and other contributions

– Property tax

– Other (includes skills development) 

(1)  Excludes stockpile write-offs.
(2)  Includes equity-accounted investments.
(3)  The 2014 number includes the retrenchment of the entire workforce at Obuasi.
(4)  Energy use restated at Sadiola.

Units

2015

2014

2013

AIFR
(per million hours worked)

16,931

0.603

8.00

0.28

663

0.024

8,405

2

425

261

164

6

291

12

97

85

24

52

1

20

17,582

21,031

0.553

(4) 9.09

(4) 0.28

(4) 795

0.025

10,549

4

463

292

171

4

306

16

79

108

27

69

1

6

0.671

12.01

0.38

969

0.030

13,720

5

411

273

138

13

320

21

72

106

46

64

5

6

3.03

2.26

1.97

1.56

11
12
13
14
15

0.50

0.50

2015 AIFR

Total cash costs and all-in 
sustaining costs
(S/oz)

11

12

13

14

15

698

830

869

1,235

1,202

783

968

678

815

Total cash costs

All-in sustaining costs

$678/oz

2015 total cash costs

ML

kL/t

PJ

GJ/t
000t CO2e
t CO2e/t
t

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

77

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Production 

Despite the decline in overall output for the 
region in 2015, Geita, Kibali and Iduapriem 
all recorded higher production. Underground 
production at Kibali continued to ramp up 
on schedule and Geita continued as the star 
performer, helping to make up some of the 
production lost by Obuasi’s limited operations 
following the suspension of underground 
mining operations at the end of 2014. 

Increased production at Geita was driven 
by an increase in recovered grade from ore 
sourced from Nyankanga Cut 7. Mining 
volumes were maintained despite abnormally 
heavy rainfall and a decline in plant throughput 
in the last quarter of the year due to planned 
maintenance. 

At Kibali, the ramp up of plant operations to 
design capacity and increased plant availability, 
resulted in a 23% increase in tonnage 
throughput, and a concomitant increase 
in gold produced. Production at Iduapriem 
improved given the increase in the recovered 
grade and the ramp up from limited mining 
operations the previous year.

Production at Morila increased by 17% with 
an increase in recovered grade as higher- 
grade tonnes were sourced from the cutback 
of the main pit that was commissioned in 
the latter part of 2014. Reduced operational 

flexibility and a decline in the availability 
of higher-grade oxide ore contributed to 
reduced production from Sadiola. 

Siguiri’s production was negatively impacted 
by a planned fall in recovered grade, driven 
by depletion of the higher-grade ore in mined 
areas owing to delayed access to the Soloni 
pit. This was compounded by a decrease 
in tonnage throughput following unplanned 
maintenance that occurred during the year. 
Production however, started improving in the 
last quarter of the year as delays in accessing 
mining areas were resolved and the mine 
began processing ore from the Soloni pit.

Costs

Overall costs for the region improved 
significantly year-on-year, declining by 13% 
(total cash costs) and 16% (all-in sustaining 
costs). These improvements were the result 
of the cumulative benefits of operating and 
cost management initiatives that have been 
implemented since 2013.

Costs specifically benefitted from increased 
production and improved efficiencies at the 
larger operations. The Continental Africa 
operations were also able to take advantage 
of lower oil prices, especially the open-pit 
operations which run large mining fleets and/
or generate all or part of their own power 
from diesel or heavy fuel oil. Reduced capital 
requirements at Kibali and Obuasi also helped 
to contain costs. 

In addition, the region was able to capitalise 
to some extent on exposure to weaker 
local currencies by in-country sourcing of 
goods, services and labour and by targeting 
operational efficiencies.

Growth and improvement

An extensive pipeline of project opportunities 
is planned, targeted mainly at energy cost 
savings and mine-life extensions. These 
opportunities include: 

•   progressing to underground mining at 

Geita’s Star & Comet ore body

•   accessing additional Mineral Resources at 
Iduapriem – to this end exploration work is 
to be conducted within the concession and 
the mine plan revised

•   extending Siguiri’s life of mine as proven by 

the recently completed feasibility study

Although the portion of hard sulphide ore 
tonnes milled at Geita remained high during 
the year, the plant nevertheless managed to 
process 5.2Mt as a result of the better quality of 
feed and improved fragmentation control. 

Earlier planned access to Nyankanga Cut 8 
and the Geita Hill East Cut 1, along with the 
inclusion of ore from underground operations 
at Star & Comet and Nyankanga, has led 
to an upgraded production profile for 2017 
– 2020. In January 2016, the first blast for 
development of the Star & Comet portal for 
underground operations took place. 

Power supply challenges in Ghana have 
affected plant operations at Iduapriem. Major 
modification and repair work was completed 
on the milling circuit, resulting in improved 
milling rates and availability. The mine’s 
strategy in the short term is to explore for 
high-grade, low-strip ratio ore bodies within 
the concession to further drive costs down, 
and to improve efficiencies across the entire 
operation while working towards cutbacks 
in Blocks 7 and 8 in 2018. To improve plant 
recovery, the current CIP leaching and 
adsorption circuit configuration is planned 
to be modified to a hybrid CIP circuit 
configuration in the fourth quarter  
of 2016.

In line with Obuasi’s Amendment to the 
Programme of Mining Operations, at the end 
of 2014, the mine successfully transitioned to 
limited operations. Tailings retreatment and 
maintenance activities continued and the mine 
produced 53,000oz of gold. 

Development of a decline from surface to 
the existing underground mining blocks 
progressed. This decline is expected to allow 
development of the infrastructure necessary 
for the mechanisation of operations and to 
debottleneck the mine. By year end, the 
decline had reached an overall distance of 
3,000m, allowing access to Sansu 3 and 
Block 8L, from where the bulk of early ore 
extraction is expected to be done once 
operations resume. Work continued on a 

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

feasibility study into the redevelopment of  
the mine.

AngloGold Ashanti continues to work closely 
with the Government of Ghana to conclude 
a suitable investment agreement for the 
redevelopment of Obuasi, provided market 
conditions are suitable. Once concluded, the 
search for a suitable joint venture partner will 
resume (see page 79 for comment on the status 
of artisanal and small-scale mining at Obuasi).

In Mali, mining continued in Sadiola’s satellite 
pits. These had previously been considered 
uneconomical, but have now been included in 
the mine plan as a result of the lower cost base. 
Their inclusion has helped to extend the life of 
mine of the oxide ore body until the end 2017. 
The Sadiola Sulphide Project remains on hold. 
At Morila, production is expected to decrease 
during 2016 as the operation continues to wind 
down. During 2016, the mine will continue 
to process the mineralised waste stockpile. 
At Yatela, closure is underway. Consultation 
continues with the relevant authorities for full 
approval to proceed with closure activities. 
Approval is expected to be received in the 
second quarter of 2016. Rehabilitation is 
planned for completion early in 2019, with final 
relinquishment of the mining rights expected in 
2020.

Kibali contributed substantially to overall group 
production and a containment of overall costs 

per ounce, aided by increased output and 
optimisation of the hydropower generation 
system during the year. Sinking of the vertical 
shaft reached shaft bottom at a depth of 751.2m 
and equipping of the crusher and production 
levels was completed. Construction of Ambarau, 
the second hydropower station, was delayed 
following the failure of the temporary berm 
wall owing to high river flows. Repair work 
continues and the first phase is now expected 
to be completed in the second quarter of 2016, 
with full completion and commissioning of the 
power station scheduled for the latter part of the 
year. Once operational, Ambarau is expected 
to deliver 11MW. A third hydropower station, 
Azambi, also expected to generate 11MW, is 
planned to come on line in 2018.

At Siguiri, a range of projects is targeted at 
reducing energy costs and extending mine 
life. The feasibility study on the Combination 
Plant Project to improve plant performance 
and extend the life of mine was completed. 
It is expected that this project will involve the 
conversion of the Siguiri process plant into 
a hard rock treatment plant, enabling the 
treatment of fresh and transitional material. 
The project remains conditional on securing 
access to the Area 1 mining zone with the 
local Kintinian community and realisation 
of an acceptable amendment to the fiscal 
Convention de Base, the stability agreement 
with the Guinean government. Siguiri is 

currently party to a mining convention, an 
agreement concluded with the Guinean 
government in November 1993. 

On 9 September 2011, the government 
adopted a new mining code which was 
subsequently amended on 8 April 2013 (the 
New Code). As part of the new legal regime, the 
New Code provides for the audit and review of 
existing mining titles and conventions and the 
negotiation of related amendments. Given the 
timing of the Siguiri Combination Plant Project 
and that the current convention will expire in a 
few years, discussions are currently underway 
through a Technical Committee established by 
the Guinean government.

SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE
Safety

Tragically, there was one fatality in the region,  
the result of a work-related incident at Obuasi.  

The overall safety performance in the region 
continued to improve with Iduapriem, 
the winner of our 2014 and 2015 global 
safety awards, continuing its sterling safety 
performance and recording zero injuries 
for the second year in succession. In Mali, 
Sadiola also maintained its safety performance 
and recorded a second year with zero lost time 
injuries. The AIFR for the region improved to 
0.50 per million hours worked, from 1.56 in 
2014. This was a record best.

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

Health

The principal occupational health concern 
in the region is NIHL. This has primarily 
been a concern at Obuasi. Now that mining 
operations have been suspended with 
that mine being on limited operations, the 
incidence of new cases of NIHL has dropped 
dramatically with few cases diagnosed 
in 2015. No new cases of silicosis were 
diagnosed in the region during 2015.

Although we continued to make progress, 
malaria remains endemic at all our operations 
in the region. Our integrated malaria control 
programmes, which include our operational 
sites and local communities, continued to 
make good progress. These multi-faceted 
programmes, undertaken in partnership 
with communities and local governments 
and health authorities, have had positive 
impacts for the company and surrounding 
communities, and support the United Nations 
Sustainable Development Goals. 

Employees and labour relations

The labour relations climate remained positive 
in the Continental Africa region during 
2015, despite a small number of grievances 
lodged by union leadership at Iduapriem in 
Ghana and at Siguiri in Guinea. Stakeholder 
engagement activities are ongoing at each 
operation between site management and the 
recognised trade unions with the support of 
the Continental Africa regional office. 

Challenges included union relations at 
Siguiri, work stoppages at Iduapriem and 
management of the change to limited 
operations at Obuasi. Despite these 
challenges, positive engagement and 
successful wage negotiations, underpinned 
by sound working relationships, have enabled 
business continuity.

At Siguiri, the 2015 annual wage negotiations 
were successfully concluded within the first 
mandate. In Mali, annual wage negotiations 
and a review of the existing collective 
agreements began in 2015, and discussions 
between management and two recognised 
trade unions are currently underway and are 
expected to be concluded in the first half of 
2016. A stable and peaceful labour relations 
climate was maintained throughout the year.

In Tanzania, in preparation for the 2016 annual 
wage negotiations, Geita management and 
union representatives underwent joint capacity 
building training. Wage negotiations for 2016 
were concluded successfully and ahead of 
schedule. A one-year agreement was reached 
with the Tanzanian Mines Energy Construction 
and Allied Workers Union (TAMICO).

functions to leadership and managerial roles. In 
line with our employee localisation programme, 
the first Guinean national was appointed 
General Manager at Siguiri. In addition, following 
implementation of limited operations at Obuasi, 
17 Ghanaian nationals from the Obuasi talent 
pool were seconded to AngloGold Ashanti’s 
international operations – in Guinea, Australia 
and South Africa – for further work experience 
and technical training.

Environment

There were two reportable environmental 
incidents in the region, both at Obuasi and 
both involving spillages of cyanide-containing 
process water into trench areas. Authorities 
were notified, corrective rehabilitative action 
was taken and ferrous sulphate was applied 
to neutralise the cyanide. Corrective remedial 
actions were also taken. In addition, the region 
had a few minor unreportable environmental 
incidents in 2015.

The effects of reduced rainfall in several 
countries in the Continental Africa region, 
combined with energy supply issues across 
multiple national power grids, impacted 
operating costs and production reliability. 

Localisation and the skills development of 
nationals is a particular focus at our Continental 
African operations. Our approach includes 
a progressive reduction in the company’s 
dependence on skilled expatriates. The aim 
is localisation at all levels, from technical skills 

Measures were taken to improve and 
stabilise power security, including intervention 
with national utilities, development of self-
generation projects and the investigation of 
renewable energy sources. Solutions have 
been reviewed using environmental criteria and 

those appropriate to each regional location are 
expected to be implemented in 2016.

In addition to the launch of the AngloGold 
Ashanti’s energy management system, sites 
within Continental Africa implemented a 
number of energy efficiency improvements. 
These included the automation of pumping 
systems; updated conveyor controls; 
conversion of pit dewatering from diesel to 
efficient electrical power and LED lighting 
retrofits. The expansion of energy metering 
and monitoring systems facilitated improved 
performance analytics. These systems are 
expected to be expanded further in 2016. 

Updates of International Cyanide 
Management Code (ICMC) certification in the 
region were as follows: 

•   Yatela was re-certified for a three-year period 

•   Iduapriem was audited in December 2015 
and recommended for full certification 

•   Geita is currently working towards certification

Extensive progress has been made with 
environmental rehabilitation at Yatela. Most of 
the waste rock dumps have been rehabilitated 
and the pits are being secured to achieve safe 
landforms in the post-closure era. Unused 
roads have been rehabilitated and some mine 
infrastructure has already been removed. The 
major components still to be decommissioned 
and rehabilitated are the heap leach pads 
and associated processing infrastructure. 
The mine is still in discussion with the Malian 

80

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

government regarding the list of infrastructure 
to be transferred to the State, which includes 
the mine village.

Final ratification of Yatela’s integrated closure 
plan by the Malian Council of Ministers remains 
pending. Rehabilitation and mine closure 
activities are planned for completion in 2019 
and site relinquishment in 2020. To read more 
about this, see the . 

Several closure activities were undertaken at 
Obuasi, including in particular, the rehabilitation 
of the historic Diawuoso tailings area and the 
watercourse that runs through it. Re-mining of 
the tailings was completed and rehabilitation 
of the cleared footprint is planned to continue 
in 2016. A new tailings management strategy, 
(which would be implemented in the initial 
years of mine redevelopment), is being 
developed in line with Obuasi’s feasibility study. 
This strategy involves the separate deposition 
of two tailings streams – the first stream of 
large, relatively benign flotation tailings from 
which sulphide minerals have been removed; 
and the second stream of BIOX® tailings, 
which are cyanide-bearing and have higher 
contamination potential. Environmental permit 
approvals are pending completion of the 
feasibility study currently underway.

Communities

understanding the local socio-economic 
landscape and identifying risks related to 
conflict and low levels of trust. In addition 
to surveying 200 employees, focus group 
discussions were held in four villages 
around Geita and in three villages in nearby 
Kahama. The survey highlighted the need 
for closer working relationships with local 
communities and district officials in the design 
and implementation of local developmental 
projects. The need for greater collaboration 
with authorities to co-ordinate contributions 
to education, technical training and alternative 
livelihood initiatives was also highlighted as 
an important element in improving community 
relations. The survey also provided useful 
insights into developing guidelines for 
business activities that impact communities.

While every effort is made to avoid the 
need for community resettlement and 
displacement, when necessary this involves 
a complex process that is dealt with in a 
highly sensitive manner and requires in-depth 
community engagement. There are currently 
three resettlement processes underway:

•   Iduapriem: agreement was successfully 

reached with the developers, the local chief 
and Tarkwa Municipality pertaining to a 
dispute involving the acquisition of Teberebie 
land by competing developers. 

The first of a series of stakeholder perception 
surveys to be undertaken in the region 
was conducted at Geita and focused on 

•   Iduapriem (Mankessim resettlement): 
As at 31 December 2015, 37 community 
members had taken occupation of newly 

built houses. Negotiations continue with the 
remaining community members affected and 
the Minerals Commission.

•   Siguiri: agreement regarding access 
to a portion of land at Siguiri was 
reached with the community of Kintinian, 
granting access to the area, subject 
to resettlement conditions agreed with 
the community currently living in the 
area. The construction of houses for 
resettlement is expected to begin in the 
first half of 2016. 

The Geita Economic Development 
Programme (GEDP), sponsored by 
the mine, is aimed at stimulating and 
diversifying the local economy through 
infrastructure growth, enterprise 
development, skills training and the 
expansion of local agriculture. The primary 
goals of the programme are to stimulate 
the development of an alternative economy 
independent of the mine and to increase 
local procurement – a priority at  
all operations.

At Geita, we are piloting a project that 
encourages our large global suppliers to 
channel more of their procurement spend 
into local economies. 

In 2015, Geita launched three small and 
medium enterprise projects, which include 
boiler making, tailoring, embroidery and 
knitting, welding and brick making. 

Phase 1 of the GEDP agricultural project, aimed 
at increasing small-scale farming productivity, 
was launched in partnership with local and 
regional authorities and community groups. 

We supported local agriculture to promote 
local procurement and create jobs. 

See the case study “Youth Groups  
in Tanzania”

The Geita water project was delivered in 
partnership with government, sanitation 
authorities and the community. We supplied 
infrastructure to pipe water from Lake Victoria 
and treat it to potable standards, while 
Tanzanian authorities manage distribution. 

In consultation with the communities around 
Yatela and Sadiola over the last two decades, 
we have jointly identified several opportunities to 
support and assist local community members 
to develop livelihoods independent of our 
mining operations. This is a critical factor in 
mitigating any potentially negative impacts on 
the communities as the mines close.

Initiatives implemented over a period of several 
years have included microfinance facilities to 
stimulate the development of small enterprises, 
as well as various programmes designed to 
assist local farmers to increase productivity 
expand their operations, and improve water 
security for crops and animal husbandry.

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Continental Africa

Following on from the update of the group 
policy on anti-bribery and anti-corruption, 
an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy 
localisation project is being piloted at Siguiri.

Artisanal and small-scale mining 

Efforts to formalise artisanal and small-scale 
mining (ASM) activities are part of an ongoing 
process. As ASM is largely unregulated, most 
of our activities in support of formalisation 
depend on direction from the relevant 
government authorities in each area.

Progress in 2015 regarding the government-
led Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Initiative 
(MSPI) launched in the Geita region of 
northern Tanzania was delayed due to a lack 
of funding by the World Bank. We expect 
that with a more stable political climate, 
funding will improve and the project will 
advance as planned. The initiative, initially 
piloted through the Lwamgasa project, 
is aimed at improving the conditions and 
livelihoods of artisanal miners, decreasing 
environmental degradation and facilitating 
peaceful co-existence between ASM and 
large-scale mining companies.

In early February 2016, the military 
contingent that had provided security to 
Obuasi since March 2013, in terms of an 
agreement between Ghana’s military and 
members of the country’s Chamber of 
Mines, was withdrawn from the site. No 

reason was given for the withdrawal and 
Obuasi was the only operation affected 
among dozens which enjoy this form of 
security. Shortly after the withdrawal, the 
site was invaded by hundreds of illegal 
miners who immediately began mining 
activities in the northern part of the 
concession. Police were unable to repel 
these miners, known as Galamsey in Ghana. 
Several acts of vandalism and arson were 
reported. Tragically, John Owusu, a long-
time employee and colleague, was killed 
in a vehicle accident when a contingent of 
AngloGold Ashanti employees, observing the 
activities of the illegal miners, fled following 
an unprovoked attack on their position by 
the Galamsey.

AngloGold Ashanti immediately withdrew 
employees engaged in non-essential work 
on the site, while critical services, such 
as water pumping and treatment, medical 
services and the provision of electricity 
(including to some local communities), 
continued. We maintained correspondence 
and direct engagement with local, regional 
and national authorities at the highest level, 
to ensure a peaceful return to law and order 
at the site. This engagement continued for 
more than a month, with the illegal miners 
operating unchecked, and in the process 
causing significant damage to infrastructure 
and to the ore body.

As of publication of this report, the 
authorities in Ghana had not restored 
law and order to the site, and the 
illegal mining activities at Obuasi Mine 
continued unchecked, causing damage to 
infrastructure and undermining the quality of 
the ore body, its principle asset. AngloGold 
Ashanti has, since the start of this incursion, 
continued to lobby vigorously at all levels 
of government for the authorities to bring 
a peaceful end to the illegal occupation 
of parts of its concession by these illegal 
miners, and restore AngloGold Ashanti 
Ghana’s rights as the lawful and sole permit 
holder of the concession.

There was an increase in illegal ASM activities 
utilising heavy machinery within Siguiri’s 
concession. As part of a country-wide clamp 
down on illegal ASM activities in Guinea by 
the authorities, the heavy machinery on our 
concession was removed in November 2015.

In Mali, four government ministries, (Mining, 
Security, Administration, and Environment) 
issued a decree calling for a suspension of all 
legal and illegal community mining activities 
from 15 June to 30 September each year. 
This suspension aims to encourage citizens to 
participate in agricultural activities during the 
rainy season and to nurture this sector as a 
sustainable alternative livelihood. The decree 
became effective in 2015, but several community 

mining sites remained operational on our Sadiola 
and Yatela concessions. As a result, our Sadiola 
and Yatela operations have, in partnership with 
the national and local government, developed a 
strategic plan to address illegal mining issues. As 
part of the plan, engagements with ASM miners  
will highlight the key risks associated with  
ASM activities. 

Geita continued to experience a high 
number of intrusions by trespassers and 
illegal miners, including several from outside 
local communities. As local authorities and 
traditional leaders have no influence over 
these people, current efforts to curb negative 
impacts have been ineffective. Their presence 
has regrettably led to incidents of community 
fatalities and injuries during illegal mining 
activities which remain at a worrying level. 
Mine security personnel continue to monitor 
the concession, while we engage with the 
community and local and national authorities 
to find a lasting solution.

Human rights

Our human rights due diligence standard 
identifies current and future human rights risks, 
allowing us to address important issues as they 
arise. A localised due diligence assessment 
pilot project, using an internally developed 
assessment tool, was concluded in January 
2016 at Geita. The findings will be assessed in 
the context of our Human Rights Policy.

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

AngloGold Ashanti’s operations in the 
Australasia region are Sunrise Dam and 
Tropicana. Tropicana, one of our newest 
mines, delivered its one millionth ounce 
as it completed its second full year of 
production in 2015.

•   Sunrise Dam, which is wholly-owned, is located 220km 
northeast of Kalgoorlie and 55km south of Laverton in 
Western Australia. Mining of the Crown Pillar at the base 
of the 490m deep pit was completed in early 2014. 
Underground mining, which is conducted by a contract 
mining company, is now the primary source of ore. Ore 
is treated via conventional gravity and a CIL processing 
plant which is owner-managed. 

•   Tropicana, a joint venture between AngloGold Ashanti 

(70% and manager) and Independence Group NL (30%), 
is located 200km east of Sunrise Dam and 330km east-
northeast of Kalgoorlie. First gold was poured ahead of 
schedule and on budget in September 2013, following 
development approval in November 2010. The open 
pit operation features a large-scale, modern processing 
plant which uses conventional CIL technology and 
includes high-pressure grinding rolls for energy-efficient 
comminution. Mining is carried out by a contract mining 
company and the plant is owner-managed.

View map

OVERVIEW

Contribution to group
production – 2015 (%)

•  Australasia 

•  Rest of AngloGold Ashanti 

15

85

Contribution to regional
production – 2015 (%)

•  Sunrise Dam 

•  Tropicana 

39

61

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INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

Key statistics

Operational performance

Tonnes treated/milled

Pay limit

Recovered grade

Gold production (attributable)

Total cash costs

Total production costs

All-in sustaining costs (1)

Capital expenditure (attributable)

Productivity

Safety

Number of fatalities

AIFR

People

Average no. of employees: total

– Permanent employees

– Contractors

Employee turnover

Training and development expenditure

See footnotes overleaf

Production
(000oz)

11
12
13
14
15

246
258

342

620

560

560,000oz

2015 production

Productivity
(oz/TEC)

11
12
13
14
15

40.29
43.46

49.64

62.00

55.84

55.84oz/TEC

2015 productivity

Units

2015

2014

2013

7.8

0.07

2.29

0.078

2.43

620

804

1,070

986

91

62.00

0

10.73

832

194

638

15

1

4.3

0.09

2.82

0.081

2.51

342

1,047

1,333

1,376

285

49.64

0

7.91

925

281

644

22

2

Mt 

oz/t

g/t

oz/t

g/t

000oz

$/oz

$/oz

$/oz

$m

8.2

0.06

1.85

0.068

2.12

560

702

919

875

78

oz/TEC

55.84

0

8.56

836

195

641

13

0.9

per million hours worked

%

$m

84

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

Key statistics (continued)

Environment

Total water consumption (2)

Total water use per tonne treated

Total energy usage

Total energy usage per tonne treated

Total GHG emissions 

Total GHG emissions per tonne treated

Cyanide used

No. of reportable environmental incidents

Total rehabilitation liabilities: 

– restoration

– decommissioning

Community and government

Community expenditure

Payments to government

– Taxation

– Withholding tax (royalties, etc.)

– Employee taxes and other contributions

Units

2015

2014

2013

ML

kL/t

PJ

GJ/t
000t CO2e
t CO2e/t
t

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

6,648

0.662

5.14

0.51

336

0.033

4,130

0

61

32

29

0.3

42

2

16

24

6,749

0.708

5.52

0.58

359

0.037

(3) 4,398

0

66

32

34

0.2

67

8

19

40

3,925

0.834

2.81

0.60

174

0.040

1,658

2

53

22

31

0.5

49

7

16

26

(1)  Excludes stockpile write-offs.
(2)  Water imports at Sunrise Dam for 2011-2014 were corrected to exclude an internal recirculation stream from the tailings facility.
(3)  The increase in cyanide consumption in the Australasia region in 2014 was a consequence of Tropicana’s completing its first year of full production in 2014.

85

AIFR
(per million hours worked)

11
12
13
14
15

18.11

6.33

7.91

10.73

8.56

8.56

2015 AIFR

Total cash costs and all-in 
sustaining costs
(S/oz)

11

12

13

14

15

1,431

1,211

1,680

1,047

1,376

804

986

702

875

Total cash costs

All-in sustaining costs

$702/oz

2015 total cash costs

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Total gold production for the Australasian 
region was lower than the previous year, 
although within guidance. This decline was 
largely due to an 18% decrease in production 
at Sunrise Dam.

At Sunrise Dam, underground ore was the 
primary source of mill feed and underground 
ore mined at 2.7Mt, was 15% higher than 
in 2014. This ore is then blended with 
stockpiled intermediate grade ore (average 
1.45g/t) to meet annual processing plant 
capacity, which was maintained at 3.8Mt 
in 2015, above planned levels and design 
throughput. Improved efficiency and a focus 
on engineering reliability contributed to lower 
processing costs.

Production at Sunrise Dam in 2015 was 
46,000oz lower than in 2014, due primarily 
to lower mined grades. The lower grade of 
this ore was largely due to the nature and 
location of the zones mined, which were on 
the periphery of the main ore bodies and 
generally more variable than those mined in 
2014. The dominant source of ore in 2014 
was the GQ ore body and the mine is now 
transitioning to the Vogue ore body, which will 

become the primary source of ore for several 
years to come. Access to the Vogue ore body 
will require considerable drilling, planning and 
development work to establish.

Tropicana achieved guidance in 2015, 
producing 491,000oz, of which 344,000oz was 
AngloGold Ashanti’s share. The mine reached 
its one millionth ounce on schedule, just over 
two years since pouring first gold. Production 
was 4% lower than in 2014 due to the decrease 
in the average head grade to 2.57 g/t, which 
is consistent with the grade streaming strategy 
that underpins the life-of-mine plan, premised 
on higher grades being treated in the first years 
of production, gradually declining to the life-of-
mine head grade of approximately 2.0 g/t.

The lower grades in 2015 were partially offset 
by an increase in throughput in the processing 
plant to 6.2Mt (2014: 5.7Mt). Metallurgical 
recoveries remained steady at approximately 
90%. Mill-to-mine reconciliation, in terms of 
both tonnes and grade, continues to align well.

During the year, mining was carried out in the 
Tropicana, Havana and Boston Shaker pits. 
Mining productivity improved significantly, 
resulting in better-than-planned volumes of 
material and ore mined.

86

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

Costs

Total cash costs for the Australasian  
region declined to $702/oz compared to 
$804/oz in 2014, helped by favourable 
currency movements and lower oil prices.

Growth and improvement

At Sunrise Dam, work is being carried out to 
assess the viability of an underground crusher 
and conveyor system for haulage via a new 
decline at the northern end of the operation. 
The conveyor decline will also provide 
exploration drilling access to the northern 
parts of the ore body that have been difficult 
and costly to drill from surface due to the 
surface waste dumps and salt lake.

At Tropicana, studies are being carried out 
to assess an alternative, low-cost approach 
to mining the down-dip extensions of the 
Havana and Tropicana pits, along with 
extensions to the north and south.

The mining study is examining at the 
application of mining techniques that are 
used more commonly in mining other 
commodities such as coal. The work is 
based on a starter pit followed by strip 
mining of a large cutback, then backfilling 
the mined-out areas. This approach, which 
is aimed at extending the mine life, would 
reduce stripping costs substantially with  

in-pit dumping of waste and shorter  
haulage distances.

SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE

A substantive Mineral Resource definition 
programme is being carried out as part of 
this study, supported by data generated by 
3D seismic surveys conducted in 2014 and 
2015. This data has enabled the mineralised 
zones down-dip of the Tropicana ore bodies 
to be imaged, generating a structural model 
to help cost-effectively target deep drill 
holes. The first drill testing of these targets 
in 2015 returned encouraging results and 
confirmed the structural interpretation. It is 
expected that approximately 130,000m of 
drilling will be carried out at Tropicana  
in 2016.

Processing plant optimisation work is also 
underway at the site to debottleneck the 
processing plant, maximise usage of the 
larger pieces of equipment, and increase 
throughput from annual nameplate capacity 
of 5.8Mt to between 7.0Mt and 7.5Mt, 
through staged increases.

The increase in throughput will offset the 
production decline that will occur as grades 
decrease over time, as per the mine plan. 
Upgrade work will be conducted during 2016 
with the benefits expected to be realised from 
2017 onwards.

Safety and health

Overall safety performance improved at 
both mines in the region, but particularly 
at Tropicana which recorded its best 
performance to date. There were again 
no fatalities. 

At Sunrise Dam, monitoring during the 
year for diesel particulate matter in the 
underground mine demonstrated all 
samples were below the prescribed 
exposure level, reflecting continual 
improvement in reducing this hazard.

Employees and labour relations

Following board approval and implementation 
of AngloGold Ashanti’s Gender Equity Policy, 
all countries are applying specific initiatives to 
improve gender equity. Good progress has 
been made regarding gender equality at the 
Australasian operations.  

Anti-bullying legislation came into effect in 
2014 in Australia under the Fair Work Act. 
During the same year, AngloGold Ashanti 
conducted a global employee engagement 
survey to better understand and highlight 
employee concerns. In response to this, 
during 2015, the Australasia region developed 
and began the roll out of an employee 

training programme entitled Fairness @ 
AGAA to focus on the importance of the 
company’s values as a guide to leadership 
behaviour. The programme incorporates 
hands-on exercises and real-life case studies 
to help participants understand unlawful 
discrimination, harassment and workplace 
bullying. These concepts are explained both 
in terms of legislation and AngloGold Ashanti 
Australia’s Fairness in Employment Policy and 
Grievance Process. 

In Australia, national and state laws cover 
equal employment opportunity (EEO) and 
anti-discrimination in the workplace. The 
Fairness @ AGAA programme aligns with 
EEO best practice in helping to create a 
workplace that is free of discrimination and 
harassment. Training has been well received 
at Sunrise Dam, Tropicana and our regional 
office in Perth. All employees are expected to 
have been trained by mid-2016. 

Environment 

For the second consecutive year, there were 
no reportable environmental incidents in the 
Australasia region. 

Completion of the Eastern Goldfields Pipeline 
in December 2015 delivered natural gas 
ahead of schedule to the Sunrise Dam and 
Tropicana mines in Western Australia.

87

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Australasia

Constructed by APA Group under long-
term agreements signed with AngloGold 
Ashanti Australia in July 2014, the 293km- 
long pipeline will provide a clean source of 
energy for power generation at the mines, 
reducing exposure to diesel price volatility 
and reducing the number of annual truck 
movements to the remote sites by more 
than half.

Construction of the pipeline began in March 
2015 and delivery of gas was scheduled 
to begin in January 2016, but successful 
completion ahead of time enabled early 
commissioning at both sites.

The switch to natural gas at Sunrise Dam, 
which had been running on a combination of 
liquefied natural gas and diesel, involved the 
installation of two new gas generation sets. 
At Tropicana, 17 new gas generators were 
installed to replace the diesel generators. 
Although both mines will run on 100% 
natural gas, they will retain diesel back-
up capability. The pipeline construction 
exceeded all production and safety targets 
and its fauna management programme won 
an environment award. The pipeline was 
officially opened by the Western Australian 
Minister for Mines and Petroleum, the Hon. 
Bill Marmion, in February 2016.

Water supply constraints at Tropicana 
have been effectively addressed with the 
successful expansion of the process water 
supply borehole field during the first half 
of 2015. This has increased annual water 
abstraction from 7GL to 9GL. To operate, the 
mine requires up to 25ML/day of water over a 
15-year mine life.

The Great Victoria Desert Biodiversity Trust 
(GVDBT) was established by the Tropicana 
joint venture in 2014 as part of its offset 
strategy for the Tropicana mine in Western 
Australia under the federal Environmental 
Protection and Conservation Act 1999.

The independent Trust represents a new 
structure of offset delivery and operates as a 
unique partnership model between industry 
and government.

Offset funds from the Tropicana joint venture will 
be used by the Trust to fund scientific research 
and conservation activities in the remote Great 
Victoria Desert where the mine is located. The 
Trust has been structured to enable funding 
contributions by other organisations.

In 2015, the GVDBT reached agreement 
to fund several projects in the region, 
including the Great Victoria Desert Adaptive 
Management Group – a collaborative 
partnership between traditional owners and 

five key stakeholders. The first stage of this 
work will involve development of a bioregional 
plan for the Great Victoria Desert. Other 
funded projects relate directly to research on 
threatened species in the region.

Tropicana is working actively towards 
International Cyanide Management Code 
certification. Sunrise Dam remains certified in 
terms of this code.

Both Sunrise Dam and Tropicana have achieved 
ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001 certification.

Community

The Tjuntjuntjara Punu Project, initiated by 
the community with support from AngloGold 
Ashanti, focuses on transferring traditional 
woodworking skills from older to younger 
generations within the local indigenous 
community. This award-winning initiative 
fosters strong connections between elders 
and young people and was adopted as 
part of the Tjuntjuntjara community school 
curriculum for 2015 – a clear sign that it 
has a sustainable future. Aside from adding 
important cultural and social aspects to the 
school curriculum, the project also associates 
practical skills training with learning about 
safe work practices, developing literacy and 
numeracy, and promoting skills sharing in the 
broader community.

AngloGold Ashanti’s Australasian 
operations, together with the principal 
mining contractor at Tropicana, Macmahon 
Holdings, are sponsoring and providing 
in-kind support to the Earbus Foundation 
of Western Australia. The Foundation 
operates regular, mobile, ear health and 
hearing screening and treatment clinics 
to playgroups, kindergartens and schools 
in the state of Western Australia’s remote 
Goldfields-Esperance region, which 
includes Laverton and our operations. 

The foundation’s principal aim is to conduct 
outreach programmes into regional and 
remote communities in Western Australia and 
to treat and reduce the incidence of middle 
ear disease among indigenous children 
to below the World Health Organization’s 
benchmark of 4%. 

The mobile clinics, which screen for middle 
ear disease, provide systematic and 
opportunistic screening, treatment and 
surveillance. The region targeted is home to 
around 1,400 indigenous children of seven 
years or younger as well as to another 450 
children under four years of age.

The Earbus Foundation is making a significant 
contribution to the health and educational 
outcomes of children in this region. 

88

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

AngloGold Ashanti has three mining 
operations – open pit and deep level 
mining – in its Americas region. 
In addition, an active greenfields 
exploration programme is underway 
in Colombia.

Argentina

•   Cerro Vanguardia, in which AngloGold 

Ashanti has a 92.5% stake, is the 
company’s sole operation in Argentina. 
Fomicruz, a state company operating 
in the province of Santa Cruz, owns the 
remaining 7.5%. Located to the northwest 
of Puerto San Julián in the province of 
Santa Cruz, Cerro Vanguardia operates 
multiple small open-pits with high 
stripping ratios and multiple narrow-vein 
underground mines. The metallurgical 
plant has a daily capacity of 3,000t and 
includes a cyanide recovery facility. 

Brazil

•   AngloGold Ashanti Córrego do Sítio 

Mineração (AGA Mineração), wholly owned 
by AngloGold Ashanti, comprises two 
operational units (complexes) located in the 
state of Minas Gerais, close to the city of  
Belo Horizonte:  

  •    The Cuiabá complex includes the Cuiabá 

and Lamego mines and the Cuiabá 
and Queiroz plants. Cuiabá has been in 
operation for 30 years, while Lamego is 

a more recently developed underground 
mine in operation for six years. Ore 
from the Cuiabá and Lamego mines is 
processed at the Cuiabá gold plant. The 
concentrate produced is transported 
15km by aerial ropeway to the Queiroz 
plant for processing and refining. 
Total annual capacity of the complete 
Cuiabá circuit is 1.75Mt. The Queiroz 
hydrometallurgical plant also produces 
around 200,000t of sulphuric acid as a 
by-product, which is sold commercially 
in local Brazilian markets. The mining 
method was changed during the year 
from cut-and-fill to sub-level stoping, 
increasing the contribution from narrow-
vein ore bodies from 15% to 40% of the 
mine’s production, and improving rock 
engineering controls.

  •   The Córrego do Sítio complex has been 
in operation since 1989 and consists 
of two operations, one oxide open pit 
mine (treated by heap leach) and two 
sulphide underground mines (treated at 
a pressure leaching plant). The distance 
from the main underground mine, Mina I, 
to the metallurgical plant is around 15km. 
The annual capacity of Córrego do Sítio 
is 1.1Mt. Currently, Córrego do Sítio 
employs the sub-level stoping mining 
method. The gold produced by both 
operations is transported by road to the 
company’s own refinery at Queiroz plant, 
about 140km away. 

•    Serra Grande, wholly owned by AngloGold 
Ashanti, is located in central Brazil in the 
state of Goiás, about 5km from the city 
of Crixás. It comprises three mechanised 
underground mines: Mina III (ore body 
IV), Mina Nova (the Pequizão ore body) 
and Palmeiras. Two open pits, one in the 
final stage of mining the outcrop of the 
Mina III ore body, and another currently 
in production at the open pit ore body V. 
One dedicated metallurgical plant treats all 
ore mined from these operations. Annual 
plant capacity is 1.3Mt, which has grinding, 
leaching, filtration, precipitation and 
smelting facilities. 

United States

•   Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V): On  

3 August 2015, AngloGold Ashanti concluded 
the sale of CC&V, its sole mine in the United 
States, to Newmont Mining Corporation, 
for $819m in cash plus a net smelter 
return royalty. This operation is reported 
as discontinued and group financial and 
operating performance comparatives have 
accordingly been restated.

Colombia

Exploration activities were undertaken  
at three advanced exploration projects in 
Colombia – La Colosa, Gramalote and 
Nuevo Chaquiro. Exploration is also  
being conducted in the region by  
AngloGold Ashanti alone, or in joint  
venture partnerships. 

89

View map

OVERVIEW

Contribution to group
production – 2015 (%)

•  Americas 

•  Rest of AngloGold Ashanti 

22

78

Contribution to regional
production – 2015 (%)

•  Argentina 

•  Brazil 

33

67

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

Key statistics

Operational performance (1)

Tonnes treated/milled

Pay limit

Recovered grade

Gold production (attributable)

– Continuing operations

– Discontinued operations

Silver (attributable)

Total cash costs

Total production costs 

All-in sustaining costs (2)

Capital expenditure (100% basis)

– Attributable (including Colombia)

– Attributable (excluding Colombia)

Productivity

Safety

Number of fatalities

AIFR

People

Average no. of employees: total (3)

– Permanent employees

– Contractors

Employee turnover

Training and development expenditure (excluding Colombia)                

See footnotes overleaf

Production from continuing 
and discontinued operations
(000oz)

11
12
13
14
15

891

953
1,001
996
948

948,000oz

2015 production

Productivity from continuing operations
(oz/TEC)

11
12
13
14
15

16.86

14.72
14.25
14.38
15.05

15.05oz/TEC

2015 productivity

Units

2015

2014

2013

Mt 

oz/t

g/t

oz/t

g/t

000oz

Moz

$/oz

$/oz

$/oz

$m

$m

$m

7.0

0.098

3.351

0.108

3.71

948

831

117

4.4

576

845

792

196

191

184

6.8

0.092

3.152

0.104

3.58

996

785

211

3.1

676

918

974

225

221

219

5.9

0.096

3.294

0.120

4.13

1,001

770

231

3.3

653

892

1,011

253

248

234

oz/TEC

15.05

14.38

14.25

1

5.61

7,679

5,492

2,187

8

1.6

2

3.79

8,588

5,944

2,644

13

2

0

4.74

8,374
5,979

2,395

14

3

per million hours worked

%

$m

90

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

Key statistics (continued)

Environment (excludes Colombia)

Total water consumption

Total water use per tonne treated

Energy usage

Total energy usage per tonne treated

Total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 

Total GHG emissions per tonne treated

Cyanide used

No. of reportable environmental incidents

Total rehabilitation liabilities (includes Colombia): 

– restoration

– decommissioning

Community and government (includes Colombia)

Community expenditure

Payments to government

– Dividends 

– Taxation

– Withholding tax (royalties, etc.)

– Other indirect taxes and duties

– Employee taxes and other contributions

– Property tax

– Other 

Units

2015

2014

2013

AIFR
(per million hours worked)

ML

kL/t

PJ

GJ/t
000t CO2e
t CO2e/t
t

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

10,839

0.588

4.86

0.26

376

0.020

5,044

1

138

100

38

4

235

3

57

48

8

82

3

34

12,170

0.462

6.05

0.23

448

0.017

6,428

0

273

222

51

4

261

–

69

38

8

97

2

47

11,732

0.439

6.06

0.23

399

0.013

6,203

0

237

195

42

6

314

8

103

47

8

100

3

45

6.33

5.20

4.74

3.79

5.61

11
12
13
14
15

5.61

2015 AIFR

Total cash costs and all-in 
sustaining costs
(S/oz)

11

12

13

14

15

507

680

653

676

1,099

1,011

974

576

792

Total cash costs

All-in sustaining costs

(1) 

 Operational performance data for the Americas region is for the continuing operations (excludes CC&V which was sold effective 3 August 2015), unless otherwise stated.  
Comparative data for operational performance has been restated.

(2)  Excludes stockpile write-offs.
(3) 

 100% basis and excluding Colombia and Denver regional office.

91

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Production

Increased production in the Americas – up 
more than 5% from the previous year (excluding 
production from CC&V) – was driven principally 
by 13% growth at Cerro Vanguardia and a 4% 
rise in AGA Mineração’s production. These 
increases were partially offset by lower output 
from Serra Grande. The region also produced 
4Moz of silver as a by-product.

Cerro Vanguardia continued to deliver a strong 
performance with record production driven 
by a planned improvement in grade with a 
greater proportion of mill feed coming from 
underground and better recoveries. 

Increased production at AGA Mineração was 
a result of higher tonnage and better feed 
grades from both the Córrego do Sítio and 
Cuiabá complexes. 

Costs

Teams in the region continued to sharpen their 
focus on limiting cost increases in increasingly 
challenging inflationary environments in both 
Argentina and Brazil, by focusing on a range of 
operational improvements. 

Cost control efforts were aided by higher gold 
and silver production levels, the removal of 
the higher-cost CC&V production and also 
local currency depreciation. On average, 
the Brazilian real was 42% weaker and the 
Argentinian peso 14% weaker versus the US 
dollar in 2015. Efficiency initiatives covered 

a range of areas, including labour and 
contractor costs, energy, consumables and 
stay-in-business capital, as well as a drive to 
increase production.

Cerro Vanguardia continued with implementation 
of phase II of the Project 500 efficiency initiative 
with a focus on optimising mill throughput, 
improving silver recovery, delivering more 
underground ore to the mill, and improving the 
overall effectiveness of key administration areas 
such as procurement and warehousing.  

In Brazil, the cost management programme 
begun in 2013, continued into its third 
year, yielding a range of productivity 
improvements including optimisation of 
operational processes, reductions in the 
price of power and materials and lower 
administrative expenses. At Córrego do 
Sítio, higher grades contributed an additional 
20,000oz from the Carvoaria ore body and 
increased development rates further aided 
cost improvements. Other productivity 
improvements were realised in the oxide mine.

In May, Serra Grande began implementing 
our analyse-and-improve project, which 
sees participants from various disciplines 
undergoing rigorous training and then working 
in groups to develop practical projects – 
focusing on sustainable innovation and cost 
efficiency – to further enhance the mine’s 
performance in a low gold price environment. 
The programme has already begun yielding 
significant benefits.

92

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

Capital expenditure

The region’s capital expenditure of $196m 
(including Colombia and excluding 
CC&V), was 13% lower than the previous 
year. While sharp currency devaluations 
had a negative effect on the purchase of 
imported items, it benefited expenditure 
on Ore Reserve development and locally-
produced items. 

Various alternatives were evaluated to 
reduce and/or contain capital expenditure 
during the year including a strategic 
review and a change in the scope of 
primary development work, thus saving 
on additional equipment; contractor 
negotiations on jumbo drill rigs; and 
capitalising on import restrictions in 
Argentina, by postponing or eliminating 
stay-in-business purchases. 

Growth and improvement

At Cerro Vanguardia, the expansion project 
to increase underground production over 
the next five years is underway and remains 
on schedule. During 2015, an initiative 
to accelerate open pit and underground 
operations using an external contractor was 
approved in order to improve the production 
profile. Additional cost reductions are planned 
by further increasing plant throughput and 
recovery as well as by optimising shift 

configuration and backfilling mined-out pits 
with waste material to reduce haul distances. 
Additionally, in February 2016, an exploration 
and option agreement was signed to acquire 
mineral rights adjacent to Cerro Vanguardia, 
where exploration will be focused in the next 
few years.

The focus at Cuiabá remained on ventilation 
and transport projects to support mining at 
increased depth, as well as the overall drive 
to maintain stable production levels in coming 
years. Córrego do Sítio continued initiatives 
to improve production in the medium term 
including development of the underground 
Mina I ore body, which is expected to be the 
main contributor in 2016. Drilling programmes 
aimed at opening a new pit at Mina III and 
new underground sites at Mina II and São 
Bento Deep are underway. 

At Serra Grande, underground diamond 
directional drilling proved the continuity of 
one of the Mina III high-grade gold-bearing 
quartz veins, at depths from 900m to 1,150m. 
Importantly, this vein appears to increase 
in both thickness and length along strike. 
Palmeiras Sul targets were drilled in the 
mine’s tenements confirming the addition of 
a high-grade Mineral Resource. Surface and 
underground drilling continued to define the 
Inga ore body, which is expected to begin 
production in 2016. New open-pit potential 
was also confirmed, creating a pipeline of small 
pits expected to continue producing until 2021 

at least. This is also expected to provide an 
avenue to additional discoveries. 

Colombia remains a key area of focus 
and its exploration programme continues 
to yield encouraging results. The Nuevo 
Chaquiro target is a porphyry-related, 
copper-gold mineralised stockwork system, 
located within the Western Cordillera, 
where long intersections of significant 
copper mineralisation with gold credits were 
intersected during 2013 and 2014. Diamond 
drilling was undertaken in 2015 to delineate 
the limits of the higher-grade core and increase 
confidence in the highest-grade portion of the 
ore body to support a small, phase I concept 
design. Advanced studies to complete the 
concept study are planned for 2016.

Colombian authorities formally approved 
the environmental impact study submitted 
in February 2015, after verifying it complies 
with Colombian regulation as well as with 
international standards and best practices. 
The study reflects Gramalote’s commitment 
to develop a sustainable and responsible 
commercial, large-scale mining project.

The environmental licence, the first of its kind, 
coming after decades since Colombia last 
licensed a large-scale mining project, was 
granted in full. The licence covers an initial 
approximate three-year period prior to the 
start of construction that will be dedicated 
to resettling physically and/or economically 
the individuals living in the immediate area of 

influence. The resettlement process will be 
conducted in compliance with national and 
international relocation standards, including 
those of the World Bank and the International 
Finance Corporation.

Project planning work will continue, at 
reduced expenditure levels, as we continue 
to evaluate this project against, other projects 
and opportunities for capital deployment, 
with prevailing market conditions in mind. 
Gramalote exploration focused on regional 
exploration drilling as well as drilling to improve 
definition of the low-grade saprolite (oxide 
ore) Mineral Resource. The Mineral Resource 
model was updated for the three Gramalote 
deposits: Gramalote Central, Monjas West 
and Trinidad, incorporating the latest drill-
hole information, reviewed estimation 
parameters and changes in the geo-statistical 
methodology (localised uniform conditioning). 

At the La Colosa project, drilling focused on 
data collection at infrastructure locations. 
No Mineral Resource drilling was conducted. 
The geological model was updated during 
the year and reported an in-pit Mineral 
Resource of 28Moz (the main deposit 
remains open to the north-west and at 
depth). In early 2015, geotechnical and 
hydrogeological drilling was initiated at 
the proposed tailings management facility 
and the waste rock facility. Mine planning 
continues on validating current base-case 
opportunities and a small mine concept, 
with several alternatives under evaluation. 

93

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

Metallurgical test work completed in 
2015 was conducted to validate process 
opportunities, including an increase in 
recovery and plant throughput. A trade-off 
study is in progress and is expected to be 
finalised in early 2016.

SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE
Safety

One fatality was reported in the Americas in 
2015 (2014: 2), when an employee died in a 
fall-of-ground incident at Lamego. The AIFR for 
the region was 5.61 per million hours worked 
in 2015 (2014: 3.79). 

In Brazil, emergency plans for all mines were 
revised with assistance from an external 
specialist, and more intensive use was 
made of the bow-tie analysis risk mitigation 
method. Major hazard control guidelines were 
verified at AGA Mineração and Serra Grande. 
Employee safety performance is being more 
actively monitored and recognised, and 
contractors are more active participants in 
audits, inspections and monthly meetings, 
where work safety issues are raised and 
actions resulting from field inspections are 
followed up.

At Cerro Vanguardia, the bow-tie safety risk 
analysis was employed and work has been 
done to mitigate all identified risks. Also, 
compliance and effectiveness of critical 
controls are being monitored in order to be 
considered in the operation.

Health

Several training sessions were conducted 
at Cerro Vanguardia to reinforce awareness 
of health issues and employee medical 
examinations were performed.

At the Brazilian operations, preventive 
campaigns included hypertension prevention, 
drug abuse prevention and immunisation 
against influenza and H1N1. Awareness 
campaigns covered topics including anti-
smoking and obesity, breast and prostate 
cancer and HIV/ AIDS. Occupation hygiene 
measures remain in place to reduce noise and 
dust pollution. 

South America has experienced an outbreak 
of Zika fever, caused by the Zika virus. 
Awareness campaigns are being conducted 
in addition to those run by governments and 
other organisations. These include close 
monitoring and control measures put in place 
to prevent and/or eliminate mosquitoes, 
including the removal of stagnant water 
sources that can easily become breeding sites.

Employees

Over the last two years our operations in 
Brazil have implemented training for all 
employees on compliance and ethics with a 
particular focus on anti-bribery and anti-
corruption. The training forms one of the key 
elements of the compliance programme and 
incorporates online training, printed materials 
and seminars. Senior managers have also 

been trained with regard to the Clean 
Company Act in Brazil. In 2015, training was 
extended to contractors and government 
intermediaries in particular.

This process is part of our responsible 
management of cyanide during the mining 
process, which helps to limit the environmental 
impact and our long-term closure liability.

As part of the group-wide human rights 
ambassador programme, roll out of human 
rights training is currently underway in Brazil 
and Colombia.

Environment

The one reportable environmental incident 
(2014: 0) in the region was the result of a 
leak of process water from Córrego do Sítio’s 
metallurgical plant into the Conceição River. 
Responsive action was taken immediately. 
Follow-up actions included an environmental 
clean-up and related environmental and 
water-quality monitoring. The region also had 
a few minor unreportable incidents in 2015. 

All the Americas operations remained 
compliant with ISO 14001.

During 2015, Cerro Vanguardia and Queiroz 
and Córrego do Sítio I, both at AGA 
Mineração, were recertified in terms of the 
International Cyanide Management Code 
for an additional three-year period. Serra 
Grande was audited at the end of 2015 
and recommended for full recertification 
while Córrego do Sítio II is actively working 
towards certification. At Cerro Vanguardia, a 
cyanide recovery plant facilitates the removal 
of cyanide from waste products and tailings, 
to prevent it posing an environmental threat. 

Severe drought over the last few years has 
resulted in reduced hydroelectric power 
capacity in Brazil. In response, several 
immediate measures were implemented to 
reduce energy consumption, eliminate the 
need to purchase power from the open market, 
and reduce capacity strain on the national 
power grid. These actions benefitted both the 
company and community while the short-term 
power supply crisis persisted in the region.

The regional launch of our Energy Management 
System standard was coupled with a local 
project to implement the ISO 50001 Energy 
Management System at our Brazilian 
operations. The development of related tools 
and processes was completed during 2015 
and implementation will continue into 2016. 
Energy efficiency measures include ventilation-
on-demand control systems, the installation 
of high-performance motors and expansion of 
energy metering and monitoring systems. 

Communities

In Brazil, our social investment strategy 
prioritises projects relating to job and income 
generation, education, culture and environment. 
AngloGold Ashanti works with local institutions 
to make social projects more sustainable and 
to minimise dependency on mining operations 

94

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REGIONAL REVIEWS continued
Americas

in the long term. Major projects and activities 
implemented in Brazil are:

•   Public Call for Projects: Community 

encourages company employees to be 
involved with and to contribute to social 
causes in local municipalities. 

investment projects are selected following 
public requests for specific initiatives and 
evaluation by a committee comprising 
professionals from AngloGold Ashanti, 
social project specialists and community 
representatives. The Public Call for Projects 
has supported 122 projects over five years 
in the municipalities neighbouring our 
operations, with direct benefit to around 
20,000 people. In 2015, the Public Call for 
Projects added an environmental focus. 

•   Local suppliers programme: Serra 

Grande, together with the Federation of 
Industries of the State of Goiás and other 
mining companies, sponsored a programme 
to develop and certify local suppliers. The 
regional Business Roundtable gathered 45 
local suppliers from five municipalities to 
provide local mining companies with greater 
knowledge of the products and services 
supplied by the participants, in order to 
stimulate increased purchases in the north 
region of Goiás.

•   Volunteer programme: Created by 

AngloGold Ashanti in 2004, the Holding 
Hands Programme has benefitted around 
27,000 people and 66 social institutions 
through the participation of 2,400 volunteers 
over the last 10 years. The programme 

•   The Good Councils project, run by Serra 
Grande supports local municipalities in the 
care of and to promote the rights of elderly 
people through workshops and by assisting 
in providing the necessary qualifications to 
local civil servants. Eighty people have been 
assisted to date. 

•   The Good Neighbourhood Programme 

aims to strengthen our relationship 
with local communities. Regular public 
meetings are held at which community 
members participate and suggest topics for 
discussion. A public newspaper is produced 
specifically to report on topics of community 
interest and concern.

In Argentina, Cerro Vanguardia engages 
with the community of San Julián through 
the local development agency that was 
established in 2004 as a collaboration 
between the mine and local and provincial 
authorities, the local university, the rural 
association and the Chamber of Commerce. 
In 2015, we renewed our corporate social 
responsibility agreement with the agency. 
Current projects include the construction of 
a gymnasium for the Club Atletico and two 
student lodges, one for the Racing Club of 
San Julián and the other for the University 

of Southern Patagonia. The latter involved 
the refurbishment of a historic building. In 
the area of health, we equipped the local 
hospital with a modern video endoscope. 

Community investment in Colombia in 
2015 amounted to $1.2m and was spent 
on social infrastructure, education, small-
medium enterprise support and institutional 
strengthening projects. All projects were 
developed in collaboration with communities, 
and most with the support of government. 
This has helped ensure the sustainability 
of the projects and their ownership by the 
communities. A key component and a major 
achievement in Gramalote is in the area of 
public participation.

In response to community concerns that 
AngloGold Ashanti’s activities would reduce 
community access to land and negatively 
affect their livelihoods, we embarked on a 
community engagement campaign known 
as ‘Mining Wednesdays’ at our Quebradona 
project. Interested parties (community 
members, NGOs and local councillors) are 
invited to participate in public forums, held 
every second Wednesday, during which 
mining-related topics of interest and concern 
to the community are discussed. ‘Mining 
Wednesdays’ allow us to engage openly and 
positively with the community by listening and 
replying to concerns, as well as educating 

community members about our operations, 

shared values and environmental and 

community support mechanisms.

Artisanal and small-scale mining

At our Gramalote project in Colombia, 

we are making progress in the design 

and implementation of a co-existence 

project aimed at formalising a group of 

ASMs. This is a joint initiative with the 

Colombian Ministry of Mines, the Antioquia 

Secretary of Mines, and the artisanal 

miners. This government-led model of 

co-existence is designed to create a 

separate legal operation for the miners, 

subject to environmental compliance and 

other applicable regulations. In addition, 

the miners will be provided with the 

tools and resources to work safely in 

an environmentally responsible manner 

in designated areas with good artisanal 

mining potential. Expert resources have 

been engaged to conduct technical and 

financial feasibility studies to determine the 

viability of the model. Plans to train and 

develop artisanal miners in mining process 

best practices are being formulated. It is 

expected that once the model has  

been validated and approved, construction 

of a small, formal operating mine should  

be initiated.

95

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Production volumes

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (1)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (2)
TauTona (2)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (3)
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (4)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%) (6)
Namibia
Navachab (7)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

Attributable tonnes treated/milled (Mt)

2015

36.8

0.7
0.9

0.8

0.8

33.6
27.2

3.1

4.7
1.0

2014

38.4

0.4
0.8
0.7

1.1

0.9

34.5
29.9

2.5

4.9
2.2

2013

39.2

0.4
1.0
0.7

1.6

1.0

34.5
26.9

0.4

4.8
1.7

2012

22.2

0.5
0.9
0.6

1.3
0.2
0.8

17.9
27.8

4.6
2.1

10.0

10.1

10.2

10.1

1.2
2.1

5.2

1.3
2.1
0.9

0.7

5.2

1.4
2.0
1.0

1.4

4.0

1.8
1.9
1.1

1.4

4.8

2011

16.4

0.5
1.5
0.9

1.6
0.2
1.0

10.7
26.3

4.3
2.0

9.7

1.8
2.0
1.1

1.5

3.9

96

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Production volumes (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (4)
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (8)
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (9)

(1)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.
(2)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit.
(3)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit.
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.
(6)  Yatela mine in closure from 2015.
(7)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(8)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.
(9)  Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015.

Attributable tonnes treated/milled (Mt)

2015

8.2

3.9
4.3
7.0

3.1

2.6
1.3
79.1

11.3
90.4

2014

7.8

3.8
4.0
6.8

3.0

2.5
1.3
82.9

19.3
102.2

2013

4.3

3.4
0.9
5.9

2.3

2.3
1.3
76.3

20.8
97.1

2012

3.4

3.4

4.8

1.7

2.2
0.9
58.2

20.9
79.1

2011

3.6

3.6

3.3

1.0

1.7
0.6
49.6

20.3
69.9

97

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Production volumes (continued)

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (1)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (2)
TauTona (2)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (3)
Technology
Technology
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (4)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%) (6)
Namibia
Navachab (7)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

Average grade recovered (g/t)

Attributable gold production (000oz)

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

5.43
8.50

8.44

8.46

0.18

2.93

1.27
1.47

0.80

1.24
1.04

3.18

6.44
5.55
11.04

8.99

8.21

0.20

2.95

1.13
4.67

0.89

1.06
1.28
0.59

1.44

2.86

6.15
5.23
9.47

7.10

7.34

0.22

3.41

1.43
4.94

0.82

1.23
1.34
0.93

1.39

3.54

5.58
6.47
9.39

9.71
6.69
7.55

0.48

1.44
4.82

0.79

1.70
1.90
1.04

1.46

3.98

5.72
5.40
8.16

9.40
6.09
7.63

0.30

1.22
4.79

0.76

1.41
1.64
1.06

1.59

3.47

98

2015

1,004

2014

1,223

2013

1,302

2012

1,212

2011

1,624

117
254

219

209

193

78
140
234

313

232

223

83
178
212

354

235

240

84
164
162

405
37
189

172

94
307
266

500
49
244

164

12
1,435

3
1,597

1,460

1,521

1,570

289

193
53

255

49
69

237

177
243

290

44
85
11

33

40

221
239

268

57
86
27

63

527

477

459

180
280

247

81
100
29

74

531

199
313

249

99
121
29

66

494

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Production volumes (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (4)
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração 
Serra Grande (8)
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (9)

Average grade recovered (g/t)

Attributable gold production (000oz)

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

1.97
2.48

6.88

5.63
3.27

2.13
2.78

6.08

5.65
3.28

2.46
2.40

6.58

5.70
3.42

2.39

2.16

6.48

6.07
3.36

6.23

7.43
3.59

0.35

0.32

0.34

0.40

0.39

2015

560

216
344
831

278

421
132
3,830

117
3,947

2014

620

262
358
785

246

403
136
4,225

211
4,436

2013

342

276
66
770

241

391
138
3,874

231
4,105

2012

258

258

706

219

388
98
3,697

247
3,944

2011

246

246

624

196

361
67
4,064

267
4,331

(1)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.
(2)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit.
(3)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit.
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.
(6)  Yatela mine in closure from 2015.
(7)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(8)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.
(9)  Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015.

99

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Productivity (oz/TEC)

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (1)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits

Mponeng
Savuka (2)
TauTona (2)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (3)
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (4)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%) (6)
Namibia
Navachab (7)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

2015

3.74

2.41
3.44

3.48

3.70

2014

4.40

2.69
2.68
4.74

4.74

4.17

8.12
20.61

8.95
14.36

2013

4.47

2.51
3.11
4.22

5.33

4.01

9.35
9.97

2012

4.19

2.34
2.61
3.05

6.33
3.98
4.03

2011

5.85

2.72
4.79
5.03

8.38
4.83
5.13

9.86
10.97

21.32
11.41

72.34

68.50

83.56

16.32
5.76

20.14
6.10

18.41
4.10

15.61
5.19

16.97
5.68

14.59

15.64

12.88

12.10

12.03

15.98
13.46

10.13
14.23
10.73

17.88
10.56
10.21

35.72
12.27
8.82

42.00
15.53
8.89

6.97

5.63

6.43

7.00

27.78

19.50

15.55

19.20

18.11

100

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Productivity (oz/TEC) (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (4)
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (8)
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (9)

(1)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.
(2)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit.
(3)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit.
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.
(6)  Yatela mine in closure from 2015.
(7)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(8)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.
(9)  Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015.

2015

55.84

45.09
65.69
15.05

2014

62.00

58.29
65.03
14.38

2013

49.64

50.22
47.37
14.25

2012

43.46

2011

40.29

43.46

40.29

14.72

16.86

22.82

21.14

20.89

18.21

17.64

13.58
10.97
8.87

13.03
11.32
9.30

12.97
11.19
7.77

14.22
11.45
7.66

17.41
12.98
8.86

29.63

33.33

37.45

37.46

44.31

101

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Costs

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (2)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (3)
TauTona (3)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (4)
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (5)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (6)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%) (7)
Namibia
Navachab (8)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

2015

881

1,014
798

874

883

912
678

609

995
966

827

698
818

480

Total cash costs  
($/oz produced)

2014

849

1,074
1,023
685

746

882

941
783

578

 2013

850

1,100
918
797

719

920

883
869

471

2012

873

1,226
1,015
1,040

639
1,041
924

943
830

865
1,086

861
1,406

955
1,187

799

918

938

2011

694

1,194
681
689

546
864
818

660
698

800
862

849

767
1,169
1,758

810
816
1,530

1,036

1,012

427

350

717

1,162
1,028
1,438

752

599

773
1,334
1,530

691

515

102

All-in sustaining costs (1)  
($/oz sold)

2014

1,064

1,185
1,256
903

2013

1,120

1,305
1,255
1,223

981

1,016

2015

1,088

1,226
1,018

1,170

1,044

1,059

1,149

1,006
815

1,153
968

969
1,202

642

588

529

2012

1,189

1,530
1,497
1,634

883
1,607
1,316

754
1,235

1,020
1,185

965

815
886

1,020
1,374

1,025
2,214

1,437
2,201

917

1,085

1,105

1,298
1,133
1,795

719

890

1,051
1,510
1,653

781

833

765
1,249
1,888

1,329

816

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Costs (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (5)
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (9)
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (10)

Total cash costs  
($/oz produced)

2014

804

1,105
545
676

692

644
748
785

829

 2013

1,047

1,110
568
653

622

646
719
836

732

2012

1,211

2011

1,431

1,126

1,367

680

576

696
821
842

638

507

368

529
768
712

564

All-in sustaining costs (1)  
($/oz sold)

2014

986

1,214
752
974

2013

1,376

1,321
1,113
1,011

2012

1,680

1,470

1,099

938

912

935

966
1,062
1,020

1,023
970
1,195

1,114
1,168
1,285

2015

875

1,110
671
792

873

712
861
910

1,030

1,147

927

817

2015

702

970
492
576

625

518
635
712

894

(1) 

 All-in sustaining costs are available from 2012 only.                                                                                                                                                   

(2)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.                                                                                                                             
(3)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit.                                                                                                                                                    
(4)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit.                                                     
(5)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.                                                                                                                                               
(6)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.                                                                                                                                                
(7)  Yatela mine in closure from 2015.                                                                                                                                                      
(8)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.                                                                                                                                                
(9)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.                                                                                                                                                
(10) Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015. Numbers have been included to the date of disposal.          

103

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Capital expenditure ($m)

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (1)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (2)
TauTona (2)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (3)
Technology
Technology
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (4)
Mongbwalu (86.22%)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%)
Namibia
Navachab (6)
Tanzania
Geita
Other and non-controlling interests

See footnotes overleaf

2015

206

21
47

85

28

17

8
315

124

15
23

25

6
2

116
4

2014

264

7
26
45

97

35

46

8
454

179

21
82

26

6
6

1

129
4

2013

451

13
52
117

171

59

39

839

341

28
196

25

13
42
3

5

154
32

2012

583

27
94
159

195
20
73

15

925

263
77

95
185

28

1
37
2

15

216
6

2011

532

29
92
147

172
8
79

5

569

73
1

73
132

15

1
14
1

48

206
5

104

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Capital expenditure ($m) (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (4)
Other
Americas
Argentina

Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (7)
Other and non-controlling interests
Other
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (8)
Sub-total 
Equity-accounted investments

(1)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.
(2)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash generating unit.
(3)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash generating unit.
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.
(6)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(7)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.
(8)  Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015.

105

2015

78

29
48
1
196

62

89
33
12
4
799

58
857
(131)
726

2014

91

31
59
1
225

54

127
38
6
6
1,040

169
1,209
(191)
1,018

2013

285

39
241
5
253

64

123
40
26
8
1,836

157
1,993
(411)
1,582

2012

369

49
315
5
309

88

162
33
26
36
2,222

100
2,322
(303)
2,019

2011

102

27
73
2
399

81

261
22
35
17
1,619

67
1,686
(89)
1,597

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Average no. of employees (permanent and contractor employees)

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (1)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (2)
TauTona (2)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (3)
Other
Continental Africa
DRC
Kibali (45%) (4)
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri (85%)
Mali
Morila (40%)
Sadiola (41%)
Yatela (40%) (5)
Namibia
Navachab (7)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

 28,325 

 29,511 

 32,406 

 34,186 

 32,082 

 4,052 
 6,469 

 2,207 
 4,424 
 4,573 

 2,731 
 5,365 
 5,692 

 6,249 

 6,737 

 6,516 

 4,656 

 4,712 

 5,256 

 2,929 
 3,970 
 11,942 

 3,058 
 3,800 
 16,070 

 2,142 
 4,704 
 16,625 

 2,061 

 2,245 

 158 

 3,063 
 6,014 
 6,645 

 6,262 
 1,157 
 4,472 

 1,874 
 4,699 
 16,621 

 2,967 
 5,892 
 6,581 

 5,788 
 815 
 4,507 

 745 
 4,787 
 16,539 

 1,565 
 856 

 1,352 
 3,541 

 1,590 
 5,194 

 1,549 
 5,373 

 1,543 
 5,538 

 3,445 

 3,494 

 3,673 

 3,643 

 3,666 

 389 
 585 

 500 
 654 
 226 

 793 

 390 
 810 
 367 

 938 

 319 
 783 
 407 

 953 

 328 
 756 
 377 

 790 

 3,041 

 3,265 

 3,504 

 3,594 

 3,541 

106

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Average no. of employees (permanent and contractor employees) (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (70%) (4)
Americas
Argentina

Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (8)
Other, including corporate and non-gold producing subsidiaries
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
Discontinued operations
Cripple Creek & Victor (9)

2015

 836 

 400 
 436 
 7,679 

2014

 832 

 374 
 458 
 7,441 

2013

 925 

 457 
 468 
 7,542 

2012

 494 

 494 

2011

 509 

 509 

 7,204 

 6,808 

 1,687 

 1,640 

 1,696 

 1,884 

 1,644 

 4,546 
 1,446 
 2,731 
 51,513 

 753 
 52,266 

 4,398 
 1,403 
 3,056 
 56,910 

 1,147 
 58,057 

 4,377 
 1,469 
 8,104 
 65,602 

 832 
 66,434 

 4,239 
 1,081 
 6,625 
 65,130 

 692 
 65,822 

 3,825 
 1,339 
 4,723 
 60,661 

 581 
 61,242 

(1) 

 Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.  

(2)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit. 
(3)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit. 
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013. The 2014 number for Kibali includes 3,249 employees who were working on projects. 
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014. 
(6)  Yatela mine in closure from 2015. 
(7)  Sold effective 30 June 2014. 
(8)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012. 
(9)  Cripple Creek & Victor was sold on 3 August 2015. Employee numbers have been included to the date of disposal. 

107

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Safety

South Africa
Vaal River
Great Noligwa (2)
Kopanang
Moab Khotsong
West Wits
Mponeng
Savuka (3)
TauTona (3)
Surface Operations
Surface Operations (4)
Other
Continental Africa
DRC
Mongbwalu
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (5)
Guinea
Siguiri
Mali
Sadiola
Yatela
Namibia
Navachab (6)
Tanzania
Geita

See footnotes overleaf

2011

15.57

23.92
23.18
20.48

15.39
8.39
13.36

6.44

3.03

11.04

6.61
2.37

1.27

2.44
1.52

2.00

3.60

Number of fatalities

2015

2014

2013

9

1
2

3

1

1
1
1

0
1

0

0
0

0

4

0
1
0

3

0

0
0
0

0

0
0

0

0
0

0

0

6

0
0
1

3

1

0
1
2

0

1
1

0

0
0

0

0

2012

11

1
0
2

3
2
3

0
0
5

1

1
2

0

0
0

0

1

2011

9

1
4
1

2
0
0

0
1
3

0

0
3

0

0
0

0

0

2015

10.81

17.50
13.54

13.37

11.88

5.14

0.50

0.00
1.28

0.13

0.51
0.95

0.47

All injury frequency rate (1)

2014

11.85

15.44
13.56
18.62

16.33

12.60

5.42

1.56

1.98

1.06
3.01

0.39

0.50
0.00

6.39

0.51

2013

12.63

12.06
17.58
16.35

17.86

14.16

5.08

1.97

6.15

1.98
2.39

0.64

1.28
0.00

5.58

0.98

2012

13.24

17.72
19.92
17.14

14.49
21.23
10.63

6.71

2.26

4.47

3.08
2.13

1.09

2.21
0.36

8.22

1.62

108

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Safety (continued)

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (7)
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande (8)
Colombia
United States
Cripple Creek & Victor
Greenfield exploration
AngloGold Ashanti

All injury frequency rate (1)

Number of fatalities

2015

8.56

11.59
6.80
5.61

1.63

5.51
9.49
1.64

19.47
7.96
7.18

2014

10.73

12.54
9.96
3.79

1.40

4.22
4.53
0.32

9.54
3.57
(9) 7.36

2013

7.91

11.19
8.60
4.74

0.58

5.94
6.10
2.51

9.89
4.20
7.48

2012

6.33

5.46
15.75
5.20

1.72

5.82
5.15
4.43

12.75
6.76
7.83

2011

18.11

19.40
27.72
6.33

1.59

4.05
3.48
16.84

19.80
19.83
9.76

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

0

0
0
1

0

1
0
0

0
0
11

0

0
0
2

0

2
0
0

0
0
6

0

0
0
0

0

0
0
0

0
0
8

0

0
0
1

1

0
0
0

0
1
18

0

0

2

0

1
0
1

0
1
15

(1)  Per million hours worked.                                                                                                                                                    
(2)  Great Noligwa and Moab Khotsong are treated as one cash-generating unit from 1 January 2015.                                                                                                                             
(3)  In 2013, Savuka and TauTona were combined under TauTona as one cash-generating unit.                                                                                                                                                    
(4)  For the purposes of this report, Surface Operations includes MWS, which is operated and managed as a separate cash-generating unit.                                                     
(5)  Obuasi was placed on limited operations at the end of 2014.                                                                                                                                                
(6)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.                                                                                                                                                
(7)  Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.                                                                                                                                                    
(8)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.                                                                                                                                                
(9)  All injury frequency rate for the group adjusted for earthquake impact is 7.15.              

109

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Environmental performance (1)

Energy usage (PJ)

Water usage (ML)

2011

11.68
6.09
5.59

11.51

0.98
1.52

2.43

2.00
0.62

0.59

3.37
2.15

2.15

2015

25,182
13,259
3,949
7,974
16,931

750
3,129

2014

27,219
13,402
2,626
11,191
17,582

342
3,696

2013

27,228
14,331
3,160
9,737
21,031

795
3,685

2012

23,813
14,748
4,501
4,564
19,132

582
3,820

2011

18,821
13,572
5,249

20,203

408
4,047

5,145

5,375

6,478

4,650

6,097

4,625
33

4,051
17

3,249
6,648

1,771
4,877

4,101
6,749

1,866
4,883

4,330
254

1,005

4,484
3,925

1,829
(5) 2,097

3,837
1,578

3,602
1,036

990

1,043

3,675
1,700

3,970
1,572

1,700

1,572

South Africa
Vaal River (2)
West Wits (2)
Mine Waste Solutions
Continental Africa
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (3)
Guinea
Siguiri
Mali
Sadiola (3)
Yatela
Namibia
Navachab (4)
Tanzania
Geita
Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam (5)
Tropicana (6,7)

See footnotes overleaf

2015

11.42
5.66
5.03
0.73
7.99

0.89
0.56

2.09

1.40
0.12

2.93
5.14

1.97
3.17

2014

11.31
5.31
5.24
0.76
8.95

0.62
1.46

1.97

1.59
0.24

3.21
5.52

2.29
3.23

2013

11.80
5.63
5.55
0.62
12.01

1.25
1.77

2.31

2.10
0.52

0.74

3.32
2.81

2.07
0.74

2012

11.65
5.87
5.57
0.21
12.13

1.00
1.74

2.34

2.17
0.70

0.75

3.43
2.08

2.08

110

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Environmental performance (1) (continued)

Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande
United States
Cripple Creek & Victor
AngloGold Ashanti

Energy usage (PJ)

Water usage (ML)

2015

4.86

1.69

1.53
0.48

2014

6.04

1.71

1.48
0.48

2013

6.06

1.72

1.41
0.51

2012

5.88

1.59

1.35
0.48

2011

5.25

1.48

1.18
0.45

1.16
29.41

2.37
31.95

2.42
32.68

2.46
31.74

2.14
30.59

2015

2014

2013

10,839

12,170

11,732

2012

7,456

2011

6,749

1,121

1,079

964

923

939

5,959
1,506

2,252
59,601

6,233
1,921

2,937
63,720

6,346
1,380

3,042
63,916

4,213
459

1,860
52,101

3,174
429

2,207
47,346

(1)  Refer to the  for definitions of these environmental indicators.
(2)  These include consumption by Surface Operations’ facilities located in these areas.
(3) 

 Water usage data for Obuasi and Sadiola for the years 2009-2012 have been adjusted to exclude domestic water consumption from the calculation.

(4)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(5)  Water imports at Sunrise Dam for 2011-2014 were corrected to exclude an internal recirculation stream from the tailings facility.
(6)  Excludes pre-production water use at Tropicana.
(7)  Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.

111

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Environmental performance (1) (continued)

GHG emissions (000t CO2e)

No. of reportable environmental incidents

South Africa

Vaal River (3)
West Wits (3)
Mine Waste Solutions
Continental Africa
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi
Guinea
Siguiri
Mali
Sadiola
Yatela
Namibia
Navachab (4)
Tanzania
Geita
Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana (5)

See footnotes overleaf

2015

2014

2013

1

1
0
0
2

0
2

0

0
0

0
0

0
0

1

0
0
1
4

0
1

0

0
0

0

3
0

0
0

3

0
0
3
5

1
3

0

0
0

0

1
2

0
2

2012

10

3
0
7
5

2
1

0

1
0

0

1
1

1

2011

12

10
2
0
14

0
14

0

0
0

0

0
1

1

2015

2,960

1,436
1,331
193
663

95
79

158

104
9

218
336

116
220

2014

2,981

1,360
1,420
201
796

74
198

150

118
18

238
359

135
224

2013

(2) 3,025

1,415
1,445
165
969

2012

(2) 3,009

(2) 1,482
(2) 1,473
(2) 54
978

2011

(2) 2,930

(2) 1,498
(2) 1,432
–
938

89
187

184

148
46

31

253
130

130

113
199

175

156
38

42

246
174

123
51

94
197

177

161
52

43

254
125

125

112

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Environmental performance (1) (continued)

Americas
Argentina

Cerro Vanguardia
Brazil
AGA Mineração
Serra Grande
United States
Cripple Creek & Victor
AngloGold Ashanti

GHG emissions (000t CO2e)

No. of reportable environmental incidents

2015

375

115

41
15

2014

449

118

36
14

2013

399

119

32
15

2012

389

111

29
14

2011

348

103

25
13

204
4,334

281
4,584

233
4,567

235
4,501

207
4,343

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

1

0

1
0

0
4

0

0

0
0

0
5

0

0

0
0

0
10

0

0

0
0

0
16

0

0

0
0

0
27

(1)  Refer to the  for definitions of these environmental indicators.
(2) 

 In South Africa, the Eskom grid emission factor was revised by the National Business Initiative in consultation with Eskom, leading to a change in the electricity-related emissions reported for 2012 and 2013. The figure reported 
for 2012 included Nufcor.

(3)  These include consumption by Surface Operations’ facilities located in these areas.
(4)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(5)  Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.

113

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Social performance (1)

Community investment ($000)

South Africa (2)

Continental Africa

Ghana

Iduapriem

Obuasi

Corporate office

Guinea

Siguiri (85%)

Mali

Morila (40%)

Sadiola (41%) and Yatela (40%)

Namibia

Navachab (3)

Tanzania

Geita

DRC

Kibali (45%) (4)

Mongbwalu (86.22%)

Australasia

Australia

Sunrise Dam

Tropicana (4)

See footnotes overleaf

114

2015

6,288

6,008

134

204

–

501

42

241

2014

8,073

3,933

2013

8,391

2012

7,700

2011

3,670

13,279

13,341

13,502

148

208

–

220

81

175

44

302

1,197

–

465

2,007

70

1,326

1,083

56

126

59

198

572

201

513

2,704

47

772

48

429

54

3,757

1,973

5,489

4,834

4,302

1,129

344

344

–

654

430

247

247

–

4,140

584

463

301

125

976

2,935

464

1,299

3,335

276

464

276

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FIVE-YEAR STATISTICS: BY OPERATION continued
Operational, financial and sustainability statistics

Social performance (1) (continued)

Community investment ($000)

Americas

Argentina

Cerro Vanguardia (92.5%)

Brazil

AGA Mineração

Serra Grande (5)

Colombia

United States

Cripple Creek & Victor

Sub-total

Equity-accounted investments

AngloGold Ashanti

2015

4,159

2014

3,659

2013

5,761

2012

5,148

2011

4,939

712

1,223

1,096

1,520

2,067

1,574

142

1,154

577

16,799

(1,571)

15,228

712

153

993

578

15,912

(1,113)

14,799

1,297

472

1,905

991

27,894

(5,358)

22,536

813

719

1,188

908

26,653

(1,746)

24,907

791

268

1,210

603

22,387

(1,775)

20,612

(1)  Refer to the  for the definition of this social indicator.
(2)  Community investment at the South African operations is aggregated and is overseen via the corporate entity and includes corporate community investment.
(3)  Sold effective 30 June 2014.
(4)  Kibali and Tropicana began production in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(5)  AngloGold Ashanti’s holding increased to 100% (from 50%) from 1 July 2012.

115

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY

The AngloGold Ashanti Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve are reported in 
accordance with the minimum standards described by the Australasian 
Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore 
Reserves (JORC Code, 2012 Edition), and also conform to the standards 
set out in the South African Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, 
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (The SAMREC Code, 2007 
edition and amended July 2009). 

The Mineral Resource is inclusive of the Ore 
Reserve component unless otherwise stated. 
In complying with revisions to the JORC 
code the changes to AngloGold Ashanti’s 
Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve have been 
reviewed and it was concluded that, excluding 
the disposal of CC&V, none of the changes 
are material to the overall valuation of the 
company. AngloGold Ashanti has therefore 
once again resolved not to provide the detailed 
reporting as defined in Table 1 of the code. 
The company will however continue to provide 
the high level of detail it has in previous years 
in order to comply with the transparency 
requirements of the code.

AngloGold Ashanti strives to actively create 
value by growing its major asset – the Mineral 
Resource and Ore Reserve. This drive is 
based on active, well-defined brownfields 
and greenfields exploration programmes, 
innovation in both geological modelling and 
mine planning and continual optimisation of 
the asset portfolio.

“ AngloGold Ashanti strives 
to actively create value by 
growing its major asset – 
the Mineral Resource and 
Ore Reserve.”

GOLD PRICE
The following local prices of gold were used as a basis for estimation in the December 2015 declaration:

 Gold price

 as at 31 December 2015

 2015 Ore Reserve

 2015 Mineral Resource

Local prices of gold

South Africa

Australia

US$/oz

ZAR/kg

AUD/oz

            1,100 

            1,400 

431,000

450,000

1,436

1,704

Brazil

BRL/oz

3,360

3,501

Argentina

ARS/oz

10,143

10,788

The JORC and SAMREC Codes require the use of reasonable economic assumptions. These include long-range commodity price forecasts which 
are prepared in-house. 

116

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

MINERAL RESOURCE
The total Mineral Resource decreased 
from 232.0Moz as at 31 December 2014 
to 207.8Moz as at 31 December 2015. 
A gross annual decrease of 7.2Moz 
occurred before depletion and disposals, 
while the net decrease after allowing 
for depletion and disposals is 24.2Moz. 
Changes in economic assumptions 
from December 2014 to December 
2015 resulted in 13.4Moz decrease to 
the Mineral Resource, while exploration 
and modelling resulted in an increase 
of 6.6Moz. Depletion from the Mineral 
Resource for the year totalled 4.9Moz 
and the sales of CC&V and Mongbwalu 
totalled 12.3Moz. The Mineral Resource 
has been estimated at a gold price of 
US$1,400/oz (2014: US$1,600/oz).

207.8Moz

Mineral Resource (as at 31 December 2015)

Mineral Resource

Mineral Resource as at 31 December 2014

Disposal 

Depletion

Additions

Obuasi

Sunrise Dam

CC&V

Mongbwalu

Sub-total

Sub-total

Historic data recapture and re-estimation of the Mineral Resource in critical areas.

Increased gold price on the back of a weakening Australian dollar and additions from underground 
reverse circulation grade-control drilling

Other

Additions less than 0.5Moz

Sub-total 

Reductions

Kopanang

Cost increases and some economic write-off of Mineral Resource

Moab Khotsong

Cost increases and some economic write-off of Mineral Resource

Iduapriem

Geita

La Colosa

Other

The gold price reductions were partially countered by new Mineral Resource additions

Increased costs and a reduced price

The reduced gold price and the introduction of a revised Mineral Resource classification system

Reductions less than 0.5Moz

Mineral Resource as at 31 December 2015

Rounding of numbers may result in computational discrepancies.

Moz

232.0

(9.8)

(2.5)

219.7

(4.9)

214.8

0.7

0.6

1.5

217.6

(0.5)

(0.8)

(0.8)

(1.8)

(4.7)

(1.2)

207.8

117

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

ORE RESERVE
The AngloGold Ashanti Ore Reserve 
reduced from 57.5Moz as at 31 December 
2014 to 51.7Moz as at 31 December 
2015. This gross annual decrease of 
5.8Moz includes depletion of 4.3Moz and 
the sale of CC&V 3.7Moz. The balance of 
2.2Moz additions in Ore Reserve, results 
from changes in economic assumptions 
between 2014 and 2015 which resulted in 
additions of 0.1Moz to the Ore Reserve, 
while exploration and modelling changes 
resulted in further additions of 1.6Moz. 
Other factors resulted in a further 0.5Moz 
increase. The Ore Reserve has been 
estimated using a gold price of  
US$1,100/oz (2014: US$1,100/oz).

51.7Moz

Ore Reserve (as at 31 December 2015)

Ore Reserve

Ore Reserve as at 31 December 2014 

Disposal

Depletion

Additions

Iduapriem

Obuasi

Other

Reductions

Kopanang

Other

CC&V

Sub-total

Sub-total

Exploration success and mine optimisation as well as the addition of new areas such as the spent 
heap leach and Block 5 

Updated feasibility study and introduction of a revised mining method for narrow lodes and inclusion 
of Cote D’or

Additions less than 0.3Moz

Sub-total

Revised mining strategy in order to maximise the cash flow.

Reductions less than 0.3Moz

Ore Reserve as at 31 December 2015

Rounding of numbers may result in computational discrepancies.

Moz

57.5

(3.7)

53.8

(4.3)

49.5

0.8

0.5

1.4

52.2

(0.4)

(0.1)

51.7

118

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

BY-PRODUCTS
Several by-products will be recovered as 
a result of the exploitation of our gold Ore 
Reserve. The by-product Ore Reserve 
includes 53,700t of uranium oxide from 
the South African operations, 0.29Mt of 
sulphur from Brazil and 26.0Moz of silver 
from Argentina. 

COMPETENT PERSONS
The information in this report relating to 
exploration results, Mineral Resources 
and Ore Reserves is based on information 
compiled by or under the supervision of the 
Competent Persons as defined in the JORC or 
SAMREC Codes. All Competent Persons are 
employed by AngloGold Ashanti, unless stated 
otherwise, and have sufficient experience 
relevant to the style of mineralisation and 
type of deposit under consideration and to 
the activity which they are undertaking. The 
Competent Persons consent to the inclusion 
of exploration results, Mineral Resource and 
Ore Reserve information in this report, in the 
form and context in which it appears. The 
legal tenure of each operation and project 
has been verified to the satisfaction of the 
accountable Competent Person and is 
detailed in the .

Over more than a decade, the company has 
developed and implemented a rigorous system 
of internal and external reviews aimed at 
providing assurance in respect of Ore Reserve 
and Mineral Resource estimates. The following 
operations were subject to an external review 
in line with the policy that each operation 
project will be reviewed by an independent 
third party on average once every three years:

•   Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve  

at Tropicana

•   Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve at  
AGA Mineração: Cuiabá and Lamego

•  Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve at Geita

•  Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve at Siguiri

The external reviews were conducted by 
the following companies: Golder Associates 
(Tropicana), Optiro (AGA Mineração: Cuiabá 
and Lamego; Geita and Siguiri). Certificates of 
sign-off have been received from all companies 
conducting the external reviews to state that 
the Mineral Resource and/or Ore Reserve 
comply with the JORC Code and the  
SAMREC Code. 

Numerous internal Mineral Resource and Ore 
Reserve process reviews were completed by 
suitably qualified Competent Persons from 
within AngloGold Ashanti. A documented 

chain of responsibility exists from the 
Competent Persons at the operations to the 
company’s Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve 
Steering Committee. 

Accordingly, the Chairman of the Mineral 
Resource and Ore Reserve Steering 
Committee, VA Chamberlain, MSc (Mining 
Engineering), BSc (Hons) (Geology), MGSSA, 
FAusIMM, assumes responsibility for the 
Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve processes 
for AngloGold Ashanti and is satisfied that 
the Competent Persons have fulfilled their 
responsibilities. VA Chamberlain has 28 years’ 
experience in exploration and mining and is 
employed full-time by AngloGold Ashanti and 
can be contacted at the following address: 
76 Rahima Moosa Street, Newtown, 2001, 
South Africa.

A detailed breakdown of the  
Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve  
and backup detail is provided on  
the AngloGold Ashanti website  
(www.anglogoldashanti.com) and 
 in , available at  
www.aga-reports.com.

119

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

Mineral Resource by region inclusive of Ore Reserve (attributable) 

Gold

 as at 31 December 2015

 South Africa

Continental Africa

Australasia

Americas

AngloGold Ashanti total

Rounding of figures may result in computational discrepancies.

Category

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Tonnes

million

 135.26

 924.28

 45.98

1,105.52

 35.85

 436.26

 166.29

 638.40

 32.96

 90.04

 23.09

 146.09

 47.31

1,044.65

 904.38

1,996.35

 251.39

2,495.24

1,139.74

3,886.37

120

 2.32

 0.85

 2.97

 2.93

 2.84

 1.23

 2.11

 2.46

 1.97

 3.17

 0.95

 0.72

 0.90

 2.07

 1.71

 1.47

 1.66

Grade

g/t

 2.21

 1.93

Contained gold

Tonnes

 299.25

1,787.99

 10.45

 480.50

Inclusive Mineral Resource by region 
as at 31 December 2015 
(attributable) (%)

•  South Africa  

•  Continental Africa  

•  Australasia  

•  Americas  

40

28

4

28

Moz

 9.62

 57.49

 15.45

 82.55

 0.98

 41.65

 15.69

 58.32

 1.31

 6.12

 1.82

 9.25

 4.82

 31.94

 20.86

 57.63

 16.73

2,567.74

 30.56

1,295.50

 488.04

1,814.10

 40.66

 190.41

 56.76

 287.83

 149.96

 993.47

 648.91

1,792.34

 520.43

4,267.37

 137.20

1,674.21

 53.83

6,462.01

 207.76

207.8Moz

Total Mineral Resource (inclusive)

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

Mineral Resource by region exclusive of Ore Reserve (attributable) 

Gold

 as at 31 December 2015

 South Africa

Continental Africa

Australasia

Americas

AngloGold Ashanti total

Rounding of figures may result in computational discrepancies.

Grade

g/t

 14.81

 3.26

 16.44

 4.52

 3.15

 3.29

 2.98

 3.16

 0.77

 2.04

 2.46

 2.05

 3.15

 0.89

 0.70

 0.84

 5.77

 1.65

 1.29

 1.59

Contained gold

Tonnes

 202.48

 831.77

 251.16

1,285.41

 6.80

 712.48

 483.58

1,202.86

 5.40

 129.72

 56.76

 191.88

 99.20

 917.06

 632.91

1,649.16

 313.88

2,591.03

1,424.41

Moz

 6.51

 26.74

 8.08

 41.33

 0.22

 22.91

 15.55

 38.67

 0.17

 4.17

 1.82

 6.17

 3.19

 29.48

 20.35

 53.02

 10.09

 83.30

 45.80

4,329.31

 139.19

Category

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Tonnes

million

 13.67

 255.20

 15.28

 284.15

 2.16

 216.40

 162.41

 380.97

 7.01

 63.61

 23.09

 93.71

 31.52

1,031.00

 900.97

1,963.49

 54.37

1,566.21

1,101.74

2,722.32

121

Exclusive Mineral Resource by region 
as at 31 December 2015 
(attributable) (%)

•  South Africa  

•  Continental Africa  

•  Australasia  

•  Americas  

30

28

4

38

139.2Moz

Total Mineral Resource (exclusive)

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE – SUMMARY continued

Ore Reserve by region exclusive of Ore Reserve (attributable)

Gold

 as at 31 December 2015

South Africa

Continental Africa

Australasia

Americas

AngloGold Ashanti total

Rounding of figures may result in computational discrepancies.

Category

Proved

Probable

Total

Proved

Probable

Total

Proved

Probable

Total

Proved

Probable

Total

Proved

Probable

Total

Tonnes

million

 123.91

 698.29

 822.20

 32.36

 218.92

 251.27

 25.95

 26.43

 52.38

 12.22

 16.04

 28.26

 194.45

 959.67

1,154.12

122

Grade

g/t

 0.62

 1.05

 0.99

 0.70

 2.63

 2.38

 1.36

 2.30

 1.83

 2.32

 4.45

 3.53

 0.84

 1.51

 1.39

Contained gold

Tonnes

 76.85

 736.09

 812.93

 22.52

 576.65

 599.17

 35.27

 60.69

 95.96

 28.42

 71.28

 99.70

 163.05

1,444.71

1,607.76

Moz

 2.47

 23.67

 26.14

 0.72

 18.54

 19.26

 1.13

 1.95

 3.09

 0.91

 2.29

 3.21

 5.24

 46.45

 51.69

Ore Reserve by region
as at 31 December 2015 
(attributable) (%)

•  South Africa  

•  Continental Africa  

•  Australasia  

•  Americas  

51

37

6

6

51.7Moz

Total Ore Reserve

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Our planning for the future 
encompasses the following:

Exploration  

This is aimed at ensuring that we have 
available a pipeline of Mineral Resources 
and Ore Reserves, both at our existing 
operations and at new projects, with 
the potential to be developed into future 
mining operations to ensure the long-term 
sustainability of our business.

Technology and innovation  

We invest in the skills and technology 
necessary to enable us to access and 
exploit, safely and cost efficiently, the 
extensive deep-level Mineral Resources 
which will ensure the long-term future of 
our South African operations.

Closure and rehabilitation  

Given that mining operations exploit a 
non-renewable resource, we include 
planning for mine closure right from 
the start of a mining project. Our 
closure planning takes into account 
our environmental remediation and 
our estimate of social obligations that 
follow on from the cessation of mining 
operations and closure. All our mining 
operations and projects have closure 
plans in place. 

EXPLORATION
Our exploration programme covers greenfields 
and brownfields projects. In 2015, exploration 
and evaluation costs totalled $140m, including 
equity-accounted joint ventures. Our exploration 
is focused on creating significant value by 
providing long-term optionality and improving 
the portfolio quality. The objectives are met by:

•   Greenfields exploration, which aims to 

discover large, high-value Mineral Resources 
that will eventually lead to the development of 
new gold mines. Our greenfields exploration 
team is recognised as the industry’s most 
successful in Mineral Resource discovery 
(by SNL*, a leading industry research group). 
The team has a proven track record that 
includes the discovery of world-class ore 
bodies at La Colosa, Gramalote, Tropicana, 
and Nuevo Chaquiro. These discoveries are 
attributed to our committed and professional 
team of geoscientists working on a portfolio 
of highly prospective and rigorously prioritised 
greenfields ground holdings.

•   Brownfields exploration, which focuses 
on delivering value through incremental 
additions to our Ore Reserve in existing 
mines as well as new discoveries in 
defined areas around existing operations. 
Brownfields exploration actively drives 
the creation of value by growing our 
Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve, our 
major assets. Our brownfields exploration 
programme is based on innovative 
geological modelling and mine planning, and 
continual optimisation of our asset portfolio.

123

*   SNL 2014 Strategies for Gold Reserves Replacement, best for the period studied from 1999-2013, page 247 

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

1  Americas regional review

Greenfields exploration

Our greenfields exploration programme has 
over 12,000km2 of highly-prospective ground 
in two countries – Australia and Colombia – 
and also maintains small ground positions in 
Argentina and Brazil. Expenditure was $22.4m 
in 2015, including over 50,000m of diamond, 
reverse circulation and aircore drilling.  
This programme also included focused 
generative activities in countries with 
operational synergies. 

In Western Australia, exploration activities 
at the Tropicana project, in joint venture 
with Independence Group NL (AngloGold 
Ashanti 70%), progressed well through the 
year with more than 33,000m of aircore 
drilling, 8,500m of reverse circulation drilling 
and 2,200m of diamond drilling completed. 
Excellent initial results were returned from the 
Madras prospect approximately 25km south 
of Tropicana. Significant drill intersections in 
shallow oxide material included 15m @ 5.08g/t 
Au from 45m, 25m @ 2.47g/t Au from 35m, 
and 17m @ 4.22g/t Au from 64m#. To date, 
the Madras mineralisation has been found to 
be restricted in size and only well developed in 
the weathered (saprolite) zone. 

Airborne geophysical surveys were completed 
over several new projects wholly owned by 
AngloGold Ashanti including Strawbridge, 
Pindabunna, and Neds Creek in Western 
Australia. Target generation and first phase 
field work is continuing on these projects. 
In New South Wales at the Mullion Project 
(wholly-owned), 2,500m of diamond drilling 
were completed to follow up bedrock targets 
identified from geophysical surveys conducted 
in 2014. Although significant favourable 
alteration was intersected, only low tenor 
results were returned.

In Colombia, the Quebradona project was 
transferred to the projects team early in the 
year. Greenfields exploration then focused on 
the Guintar project west of Medellin where 
mapping outlined an extensive alteration 
system in sediments overlying a dioritic 
porphyry intrusion with associated copper-
gold and epithermal gold occurrences. An 
eight-hole drilling programme commenced 
in the third quarter, with 3,000m completed 
by year end. Drilling intersected hornfelsed 
sedimentary rocks and breccia zones with 
significant pyrrhotite and pyrite in fractures, 
stringers and fine stockworks returning 
anomalous geochemical values.

In Brazil, exploration was undertaken early in 
the year on the Graben project, in joint venture 
with Graben Mineração (AngloGold Ashanti 
earning 80%). A programme of 1,800m of 
diamond drilling was completed. Results did 
not meet expectations and the joint venture was 
terminated. Project generation work in other 
areas in Brazil progressed for the rest of the year.

Brownfields exploration

Brownfields exploration was carried out in  
10 countries, in and around AngloGold Ashanti 
operations. Expenditure in 2015 totalled $63m, 
including equity-accounted joint ventures. A total 
of 469,818m of diamond and reverse circulation 
drilling was completed during the year. 

South Africa: Four surface holes were 
drilled during the year – three are ongoing  
at Mponeng’s Western Ultra Deep Levels 
(WUDLs) and one was completed at the Vaal 
River operations – achieving a total drilled 
depth of 4,966m.

Argentina: At Cerro Vanguardia, drilling 
programmes for Mineral Resource expansion 
and exploration continued during the year. 
The focus was on delineating vein extensions 
along strike and at depth. Mapping, trenching 
and channel sampling continued as part of the 

reconnaissance programme to identify new 
drilling targets.

Brazil: In the Iron Quadrangle, the underground 
drilling programmes for Mineral Resource 
development continued at both the Cuiabá and 
Lamego mines. At Cuiabá, additional drilling 
was directed at satellite mineralisation that 
may be accessible from existing infrastructure. 
Surface drilling programmes at Córrego do Sítio 
continued to infill and expand the oxide Mineral 
Resource while the underground programme 
added extensions to several ore bodies, 
including the Inga ore body. See the Americas 
regional review1.

Colombia: Exploration in the Gramalote area 
continued, with programmes in and around 
the Gramalote Central deposit. Limited drilling 
programmes were also conducted within the 
joint venture area.

At La Colosa, the emphasis on other 
project-related drilling continued, supporting 
geotechnical, hydrological and site 
infrastructure studies.

The Quebradona project development drilling 
programme continued during the year. The 
programme focus was directed at infill drilling 
in the higher grade, upper part of the deposit.

#   See the first quarter 2015 report on exploration activities at www.anglogoldashanti.com for full compliant details.

124

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

Tanzania: Drilling focused on Mineral 
Resource delineation, testing both strike 
and dip extent of current deposits as well as 
confirming underground potential (Matandani 
North, Geita Hill East and Star & Comet). 
Mineral Resource conversion infill-drilling 
programmes took place at Nyankanga Cut 
7, Nyankanga Cut 8 and Star & Comet Cut 
3. Pre-resource drilling programmes were 
undertaken to test targets at Star & Comet 
Deeps, Matandani North and Geita Hill 
East Deeps. Vertical seismic profiling and 
metallurgical test work drilling was conducted 
at Nyankanga, Geita Hill and Matandani 
respectively. In all, 50 holes (15,273m) were 
completed. A 2D ground seismic survey was 
conducted along two sectional lines across 
Nyankanga and Geita Hill to confirm the 
suitability of the geology and mineralisation in 
these deposits for 3D seismic modelling.

Guinea: A total of 46,007m was drilled at 
Siguiri during the year across a range of 
programmes including fresh rock projects 
at several pits and oxide reconnaissance 
drilling. In all, reverse circulation drilling totalled 
35,080m plus limited (1,077m) aircore drilling, 
with the remainder being diamond drilling or 
RCDD drilling. The reverse circulation drilling 
included 4,416m of advanced grade control 
drilling in a test block within the Kami pit.

Ghana: No exploration was conducted 
at Obuasi. Exploration at Iduapriem 
during the first half of the year focused on 

Mineral Resource infill drilling at Block 5 to 
upgrade the Inferred Mineral Resource to 
Indicated. Reconnaissance exploration (soil 
geochemistry, mapping and limited trenching) 
was also completed over the Bankyem, Mile 5 
and Ajopa northwest targets. In the latter half 
of the year, drilling was initiated at Bankyem, 
Block 4S and Mile 5. A total of 6,924m drilling 
was completed in 2015.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Total 
diamond drilling for near-mine exploration at 
Kibali during 2015 totalled 15,883m, with an 
additional 1,760m drilled on regional projects. 
The exploration aims to fulfil three main 
objectives: Mineral Resource – Ore Reserve 
replacement, the discovery of potential oxide 
displacement ounces, and identification and 
development of new targets.

Mali: A total of 13,110m of exploration reverse 
circulation drilling focused on the Sadiola North 
area and Tabakoto in 2015.

Australia: Exploration activities in 2015 
were primarily on the Mineral Resource 
expansion programme at Tropicana with 
a drilling campaign comprising more than 
23,000m of aircore, 27,000m of reverse 
circulation and 38,000m of diamond drilling 
completed. Drilling was focused on testing for 
extensions to mineralisation in the Tropicana, 
Swizzler, Havana and Havana South areas. 
An additional block of 3D seismic data was 
acquired at the southern end of the mine area 
to aid further exploration. 

125

At Sunrise Dam, underground Mineral 
Resource development drilling continued 
throughout the year.  Exploration diamond 
drilling focused primarily on extending the 
Inferred Mineral Resource as per the mine 
plan and underground grade control reverse 
circulation drilling continued to focus on 
converting the Indicated Mineral Resource into 
a mineable grade control block model for use 
in stope development designs. A start was 
made on the development of key diamond 
drilling platforms, which will be used over the 
life of mine to drill test exploration targets along 
the strike length of the deposit.

A lake aircore drilling programme of just over 
9,000m of drilling was completed at the 
Kraken Project, situated over the western 
extents of the Lake Carey playa salt lake 
system, approximately 10km east of Sunrise 
Dam. Several target areas were drill tested for 
gold mineralisation. All targets are beneath lake 
cover sequences.

More detail on the company’s exploration 
work for the year is included under the 
Exploration updates on the website at  
www.anglogoldashanti.com.

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Towards a new mining method for 
ultra-deep South African mines

The AngloGold Ashanti Technology Innovation 
Consortium continued to make headway, 
specifically in the development of key 
technologies and the methodology employed 
in achieving the project’s core objective to 
“Safely Mine, All the Gold, Only the Gold,  
All the Time” from our deep-level underground 
mines in South Africa.

The latest generation reef-boring machine, the 
MK IV was successfully deployed at TauTona’s 
lower Carbon Leader Reef (CLR) shaft pillar. 
During 2015, reef-boring cycle times improved 
from 159 hours per hole to 82 hours per hole, 
which compares favourably to the 72 hours 
per hole targeted. 

The ultra-high-strength backfill product has 
also been successfully developed to the 
stage where it can be pumped over the 
required distance of 1,000m, a prerequisite 
for a full mining cycle. This demonstrates 
progress on the work done that seeks to 
establish the basis for a safe, automated, 
deep-level underground mining method at 
AngloGold Ashanti.

Reef boring

Test site

Since deployment and commissioning of the 
MK II machine in 2013, a total of 56 holes 
has been drilled to date. Having completed 
drilling of the available block of ground, this 
machine was decommissioned in the third 
quarter of 2015. The MK IV reef-boring 
machine was successfully installed and 
commissioned in September 2015 at the 
extended test site at TauTona, and had 
drilled seven holes by year-end.

Commissioning began later in the year, having 
been delayed by constraints resulting from 
the use of a contained transport system. This 
system consists of a collector bin, pipe and 
the material carrying car. The collector bin has 
since been redesigned, modified and returned 
underground for further trials, which are 
expected to begin in the first half of 2016. 

Prototype site: medium-range machines

Three MK III machines were commissioned 
at the prototype sites at TauTona and 
a total of 81 holes were drilled in 2015. 
However, technical, work management and 
operational functionalities posed challenges 
which affected the machines’ performance, 
as a result of which industrial engineers 

126

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

conducted time and motion studies to identify 
shortcomings and ways to improve the 
performance of these machines. 

Drilling at Moab Khotsong’s prototype site, 
where five holes were drilled within that 
specific block of ground, was suspended 
owing to the machine’s incompatibility with 
that block – the geological complexity of 
the block of ground, where drilling took 
place, hampered progress with only a low 
percentage extraction rate achieved. The 
machine was relocated to TauTona for drilling 
in the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) plane. 
Geological drilling continued to determine 
the best way forward for either mechanical or 
conventional extraction at the sites identified 
at Moab Khotsong.

In the last quarter of 2015, the MK III 
machines only managed to drill 13 holes 
and were stopped as, owing to ground 
conditions, rock engineering recommended 
that drilling be suspended for safety reasons. 
This resulted in an unplanned machine move 
and it was necessary to convert the machine 
to raise-bore mode. The opportunity was 
taken to install a new mechanical anchoring 
system to speed up the set-up times. 

In addition, to further improve the machine’s 
performance, a rod handling system has 

been fitted to the machine to assist with 
the installation and removal of drill rods, 
scheduled for drilling at the VCR site for the 
first quarter of 2016. Other MK III machines 
are expected to be similarly equipped, in line 
with the refurbishment programme.

Prototype site: small-range machines 

The geotechnical complexity of the block 
of ground hampered drilling and only a low 
percentage extraction was achieved due to the 
undulating reef plane. Once it was established 
that the stage gate of 80% extraction could 
not be achieved, drilling was discontinued. 

The HPE machine was first deployed at Great 
Noligwa’s C-reef in 2014. A soft footwall 
composition associated with this reef plane 
caused the reamer to continuously fall out 
of the hole. This led to a decision to test the 
technology on the Vaal Reef where footwall 
conditions are more uniform. The machine was 
moved to Kopanang at the beginning of 2015.  
Unfortunately, due to an undulation of the Vaal 
Reef plane in the block drilled, it was found to 
be uneconomical to ream the holes as the set 
target could not be achieved, as stated above.

The Sandvik machine modifications were 
completed and it was delivered to Savuka. 
Drilling is expected to begin in the first half  
of 2016.  

Mechanical development

This development opens and equips the 
tunnels in which the reef-boring machines 
drill. However, the methodology for the 
opening up of mining grids for continuous 
reef boring remained a significant technical 
challenge in 2015. As a result, mechanical 
development was put on hold while 
alternative development options are 
investigated. There have been encouraging 
results on the technical viability of creating 
development ends using non-explosive 
rock-breaking techniques. A product called 
NONEX has been applied to development 
at TauTona and to date 135m have been 
developed with an average daily advance 
of 1.1m. In addition, the Brokk drilling rig 
was commissioned successfully for the 
development of flat reef drives.

Ultra high-strength backfill

Surface trials to reach a pumping distance of 
up to 1,000m were successful at a product 
temperature ranging between 30°C and 
35°C. This temperature range simulated the 
underground product temperature range. 

A tailings drying plant was successfully 
constructed and commissioned on 
surface at TauTona and a VCR plant 
was successfully constructed on 68 
level. Commissioning has begun and the 

“ Surface trials to reach a 
pumping distance of up to 
1,000m were successful 
at a product temperature 
ranging between 30°C 
and 35°C.”

automation process will be completed in the 
first quarter of 2016. 

The Savuka plant was successfully trialled 
by RULA, the company assisting with design 
and manufacturing. Construction will begin 
underground in the first quarter of 2016. 

Geological drilling

Despite delays experienced during the year, 
drilling was conducted in the last quarter 
of the year aimed at resolving the accuracy 
and deflection constraints by testing different 
stabiliser configurations. A total of five wet 
holes were drilled and plotted, and final 
analysis is expected to be reported on at the 
end of the first quarter 2016. 

The new fit-for-purpose Bohrmeister drill rig 
is due to be delivered and commissioned for 
drilling in the first quarter of 2016. 

127

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

clearly identified in closure plans, as these guide 
the definition of applicable options.

liabilities is undertaken annually and these 
liabilities are presented in the table overleaf.

Though site-specific requirements vary, our 
approach to rehabilitation is governed by 
our land use and biodiversity management 
standards. These standards include legal 
compliance as a minimum. Concurrent 
rehabilitation is undertaken where feasible, 
balanced against the need to avoid limiting 
access to resources in the future. We 
also undertake research into rehabilitation 
techniques, in conjunction with universities 
in several of the countries in which we 
operate. Where possible, knowledge of 
local plant species accumulated in the 
course of rehabilitation work is shared 
with local communities and academic 
institutions. This sharing of knowledge helps 
to build relationships with local scientists, 
demonstrates our positive contribution to 
local development and scientific knowledge, 
and assists governments which are then 
able to base their biodiversity regulations and 
management on the latest scientific data. 

Remediation obligations  
and provisions

The company’s long-term environmental 
remediation obligations include 
decommissioning and restoration liabilities 
relating to past operations. These obligations 
are based on an operation’s Environmental 
Management Plan and the relevant regulatory 
requirements. An assessment of closure 

Provisions for remediation costs are made 
when there is a present obligation, when it 
is probable that expenditure on remediation 
work will be required and when the cost 
can be estimated within a reasonable range 
of possible outcomes. These costs are 
based on information currently available, 
the technology expected to be available 
at the time of the clean-up, the expected 
time-frame for remediation, laws and 
regulations presently or virtually certain to 
be enacted, and previous experience of 
remediation. Provision for restoration and 
decommissioning costs is made at the 
present value of the expenditures expected 
to settle the obligation using estimated 
cash flows based on current prices and 
discounted at a pre-tax rate that reflects 
current market assessments of the time 
value of money.

The decline in the discounted total group 
rehabilitation obligation to $683m at the 
end of 2015, from $851m at the end of 
2014, was a consequence of a number of 
factors. These included most notably an 
increase in the group discount rate used in 
the calculation of the obligation, changes 
in the timing of the future cash outflows 
relating to the obligation, as well as the sale 
of CC&V. The group discount rate increased 
as a result of increases in longer-term 
government yield rates.

REHABILITATION AND CLOSURE
All mines eventually exhaust their economically 
viable resources and mining operations 
cease. At AngloGold Ashanti, planning for 
mine closure is included from the inception 
of a project at exploration stage. Responsible 
closure planning follows a holistic approach, 
taking into account all aspects of pre-
operational planning, operational activities and 
post-closure activity.

The approach for many of our older mines is to 
incorporate closure considerations into existing 
operational plans as far as possible, to reduce 
operating and final closure costs and to mitigate 
the socio-economic impacts of closure. To 
support this goal, we apply a comprehensive 
closure planning management standard and 

guidelines that offer practical assistance to 
operations on how to apply the standard. The 
purpose of the closure management standard 
is to facilitate the design and implementation of 
closure plans to the extent possible during the 
life of a mine. 

In the case of new operations, planning for 
closure begins at mine conception and is 
incorporated in mine design – in essence, 
new mines are designed with closure in mind. 
Social considerations are also addressed, as 
communities close to the mine may be affected 
by closure. The closure planning standard 
provides for continuing community engagement 
and the development, where possible, of 
alternative livelihoods to mitigate the impact 
of closure. The objectives for overall closure, 
including social and workforce aspects, are 

128

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE continued

Rehabilitation liabilities per operation ($m)

Operation

Restoration Decommissioning

2015

South Africa 
Great Noligwa 
Moab Khotsong (1)
Kopanang
TauTona (2)
Mponeng
Legacy projects
– Vaal River

– West Wits
– Other
Mine Waste Solutions
Nufcor SA
Continental Africa
Ghana
Iduapriem
Obuasi (3)
Mpasatia (Bibiani pit)
Guinea
Siguiri
Mali (4)
Morila
Sadiola
Yatela
DRC
Mongbwalu
Kibali (4)
Tanzania
Geita

 17.9 
–
 7.3 
 1.2 
 4.0 
 2.0 

–

–
 0.3 
 3.1 
 -   
 260.8 

 33.0 
 151.0 
–

 31.8 

 2.4 
 14.1 
 4.1 

–
–

 77.4 
–
 30.2 
 12.4 
 10.0 
 3.9 

 4.7 

 0.3 
–
 15.1 
 0.8 
 164.3 

 8.5 
 58.8 
–

 29.4 

 6.2 
 12.5 
 10.1 

–
 7.0 

Total

 95.3 
–
 37.5 
 13.6 
 14.0 
 5.9 

 4.7 

 0.3 
 0.3 
 18.2 
 0.8 
 425.1 

 41.5 
 209.8 
–

 61.2 

 8.6 
 26.6 
 14.2 

–
 7.0 

2014

Total

 83.5 
 2.5 
 23.2 
 12.1 
 13.0 
 2.8 

 7.4 

 3.5 
 0.4 
 17.9 
 0.7 
 463.2 

 43.1 
 217.3 
 10.0 

 75.2 

 5.0 
 26.1 
 16.2 

 4.6 
 6.9 

Australasia
Australia
Sunrise Dam
Tropicana
Americas
Argentina
Cerro Vanguardia
Brazil
AngloGold Ashanti 
Mineração 
Serra Grande
United States of 
America
Cripple Creek & Victor 
and other
Colombia
La Colosa
Other

Less equity-accounted 
investments included 
above (4)
Total discounted estimate

 24.4 

 31.8 

 56.2 

 58.8 

129

Operation

Restoration Decommissioning

2015

 32.7 

 20.1 
 12.6 
 99.9 

 43.1 

 42.6 

 9.1 

 28.7 

 10.2 
 18.5 
 37.6 

 17.2 

 15.4 

 5.0 

Total

 61.4 

 30.3 
 31.1 
 137.5 

 60.3 

 58.0 

 14.1 

2014

Total

 65.5 

 32.4 
 33.1 
 272.8 

 57.5 

 75.4 

 21.4 

 0.5 

–

 0.5 

 112.8 

 4.6 
 6.0 
 417.3 
 (6.4)

–
–
 308.0 
 (35.8)

 4.6 
 6.0 
 725.3 
 (42.2)

 5.7 
 4.0 
 889.0 
 (38.0)

 410.9 

 272.2 

 683.1 

 851.0 

(1)  Includes Great Noligwa for 2015.
(2)  Includes Savuka.
(3)  Includes Mpasatia (Bibiani pit) for 2015.
(4)  The equity-accounted investments refer to the Mali assets and Kibali in the DRC.

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015ONE-YEAR OUTLOOK

The forecast provided for 2016 takes into account current market 
conditions, the outlook for commodity prices and the outlook for global 
economic changes (1)

Production

Total cash costs 

All-in sustaining costs (2)

Capital expenditure 

Non-sustaining capital 

Sustaining capital  

For the year ended 
31 Dec 2016

000oz

 3,600 – 3,800 

$/oz

$/oz

$m

$m

$m

 680 – 720  

 900 – 960

 790 – 850  

120 – 140

670 – 710  

Based on the following assumptions: R15.0/$, A$0.70/$, BRL4.0/$; AP14.90/$; Brent crude at 
$35 per barrel.

(1) 

 Production and cost estimates do not take into account the impacts of any unforeseen operational disruptions, 
changes to projects or changes to the asset portfolio and/or operating mines.

(2)  Group level all-in sustaining cost guidance includes corporate costs.

Other illustrative estimates

$m

Depreciation and amortisation

Corporate and marketing costs

Expensed exploration and evaluation costs  
(including equity-accounted investments)

Interest and finance costs (income statement)

Interest and finance costs (cash flow)

Outlook 2016

 820 

 75 – 90 

 130 – 150 

 190 

175

130

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015ACCOUNTABILITY

ACCOUNTABILITY

ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY
to all our stakeholders

In this section, we review our performance and philosophy 
regarding corporate governance, remuneration and 
assurance of the information presented.

131

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Good corporate governance is 
an integral part of the group’s 
sustainability. Adherence to the 
standards and recommendations 
set out in the King III Report 
and other relevant laws and 
regulations is vital to achieving 
our strategic priorities. 

Corporate governance forms an overarching 
framework in which the business operates and 
AngloGold Ashanti is committed to promoting 
good governance and ethics within all areas 
of the business. To achieve this, the group 
continues to enhance and align its governance 
structures, policies and procedures to support 
its operating environment and strategy.

Application of King III principles

Application of and adherence to the King 
III principles continues to be a key focus. 
AngloGold Ashanti reviewed its application of 
the King III principles against the JSE Listings 
Requirements through the Governance 
Assessment Instrument tool of the Institute of 
Directors in Southern Africa and is satisfied that 
it has applied the King III principles. A detailed 
analysis of the company’s compliance with the 
King Code of Governance for South Africa, 
dated March 2016, is available on the company’s 
website, www.anglogoldashanti.com.

GOVERNANCE REVIEW
The company is governed by a unitary 
board of directors, the composition of 
which promotes the balance of power 
and of authority and precludes any one 
director from dominating decision-making. 
The board is supported by its committees 
and has delegated certain functions to 
these committees without abdicating any 
of its own responsibilities. This process of 
formal delegation involves approved and 
documented terms of reference, which are 
reviewed when required, or at least annually. 

It is the responsibility of the board to exercise 
oversight of governance throughout the 
organisation. We acknowledge that sound 
governance principles and practices underpin 
the creation of value and the sustainability 
of the business, and are thus crucial to the 
achievement of the business objectives. 
AngloGold Ashanti also recognises that 
strategy, performance, sustainability and risk 
are inseparable. Our values-driven culture and 
code of ethics underpins AngloGold Ashanti’s 
governance structures and processes, 
committing the company to high standards of 
business integrity and ethics in all its activities.

The governance of the company is guided 
by internal policies and external laws, rules, 
regulations and best practice guidelines, 
details of which are available on the 
company’s website at www.anglogoldashanti.
com/sustainability. Governance structures 

and processes are reviewed regularly 
and adapted to accommodate internal 
developments and to reflect national and 
international best practices.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Role of the board

The overriding role of the board is to ensure 
the long-term sustainability and success 
of the business, for the mutual benefit of 
all stakeholders. Its overall role is one of 
strategic leadership. This includes the setting, 
monitoring and review of strategic targets and 
objectives, the approval of capital expenditure, 
acquisitions and disposals, and oversight 
of governance, internal controls and risk 
management. The duties, responsibilities 
and powers of the board, the delegation of 
authority and matters reserved for the board’s 
authority are all set out in the board charter, 
which is available on the company’s website, 
www.anglogoldashanti.com.

Composition of the board  
of directors

Board membership at year-end comprised 
of eleven directors, nine independent non-
executive directors and two executive 
directors. The independence of non-executive 
directors is contingent upon an evaluation as 
prescribed by King III. 

The board appointed Wiseman Nkuhlu as 
Deputy Chairman in March 2014. The principal 
role of the Deputy Chairman is to act when the 

“ We acknowledge that sound 
governance principles and 
practices underpin the creation 
of value and the sustainability 
of the business, and are thus 
crucial to the achievement of  
the business objectives.”

board Chairman is not present or is unable to 
perform his duties for any other reason, and 
to serve as liaison between the non-executive 
directors and the board Chairman.

The group’s Chief Executive Officer, Srinivasan 
Venkatakrishnan, is responsible for the 
execution of the company’s strategy and 
reports to the board. He chairs the Executive 
Committee that comprises nine members, and 
is responsible for the day-to-day management 
of the group’s affairs. The committee’s 
work is supported by country and regional 
management teams as well as by group 
corporate functions.

The group has a Chief Financial Officer. This 
position is held by Christine Ramon. As 
required by the JSE Listings Requirements, 
the Audit and Risk Committee, annually 
considers and expresses its satisfaction at 
the level of expertise and experience of the 
Chief Financial Officer.

132

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE continued

1   The Board

2  Executive Management

The Audit and Risk Committee concluded that 
Christine Ramon, together with other members 
of the financial management team, had 
effectively and efficiently managed the group’s 
financial affairs during the period under review 
as detailed in the Chief Financial Officer’s 
report, which is included in the .

Appointment and rotation  
of directors 

Several factors including the requirements 
of relevant legislation, best practice 
recommendations, qualifications and skills 
of prospective board members and the 
requirements of the Directors’ Fit and Proper 
Standards of the company, as well as regional 
demographics are considered in appointing 
board members. New directors are appointed 
pursuant to the recommendations of the 
Nominations Committee, which conducts 
a rigorous assessment of the credentials of 
each candidate. All director appointments are 
subject to shareholder approval at the annual 
general meeting immediately following the date 
of their appointment.   

In terms of the company’s Memorandum of 
Incorporation (MOI), one third of the directors 
are required to retire at each annual general 
meeting and, if they are eligible and available 
for re-election, will be put forward for re-

election by shareholders. Those directors 
eligible for re-election at the forthcoming 
annual general meeting are: Rhidwaan Gasant, 
Michael Kirkwood, Srinivisan Venkatakrishnan 
and Dave Hodgson. See the .

Directors’ interests

Directors are required to declare their interests 
annually and to disclose any conflicts of 
interest, if and when they arise, to determine 
whether there are any that conflict with their 
duties at AngloGold Ashanti. Once a conflict 
has been disclosed, it is managed appropriately 
by the board. A Declaration of Interest Register 
is updated by the Company Secretary and 
circulated at each board meeting. 

Directors’ dealings in shares  
and closed periods 

The Company Secretary informs the board and 
AngloGold Ashanti employees of its closed 
periods, during which trade in AngloGold 
Ashanti shares by directors, senior divisional 
management and by restricted participants 
in the company’s various share incentive 
schemes is prohibited.  

All directors’ dealings require the prior 
approval of the Chairman and the Company 
Secretary who retains a record of all such 
share dealings. 

Independence of directors

Company secretary

Determination of director independence 
is guided by King III, the Companies Act, 
the requirements of the JSE and the NYSE 
independence test, the company’s internal policy 
on independence, as well as best practice. All 
directors were found to be independent in terms 
of character and judgement.

Board and committee evaluations

The performance of the board is evaluated 
annually and includes:

•   an assessment of the performance and 

effectiveness of the board as a whole and 
that of individual directors

•   an evaluation of each committee by 

members of the committee as well as  
an evaluation of the chairperson of  
the committee

•  the Company Secretary

An external board evaluation is conducted 
every third year and for the other two years, 
the Company Secretary facilitates the process.

The results were discussed by the 
Nominations Committee and the board 
in February 2016 and an action plan was 
developed for areas of refinement.

The Company Secretary, Maria Sanz Perez, 
is responsible for developing, implementing 
and maintaining effective processes and 
procedures to support the board and its 
committees in the discharge of their duties and 
responsibilities. She advises the board and 
individual directors on their fiduciary duties and 
on corporate governance requirements and 
best practices.

In line with the JSE Listings Requirements, 
the board evaluated the qualifications, 
competence and experience of the 
Company Secretary in December 2015 
and was satisfied that Maria Sanz Perez is 
qualified to serve as Company Secretary. 
The board also confirmed the Company 
Secretary’s independence and that the 
Company Secretary maintains an arms-length 
relationship with the board when carrying out 
her duties. The Company Secretary is not a 
director of the company and has no personal 
associations with any of the directors. Maria 
Sanz Perez’s qualifications and experience 
can be viewed in the sections entitled The 
Board  (1) and Executive Management (2) in  
this report and on the website,  
www.anglogoldashanti.com. 

133

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE continued

1   Remuneration Report

BOARD COMMITTEES
Audit and Risk Committee

Social, Ethics and Sustainability 
Committee

Remuneration and Human 
Resources Committee

Nominations Committee

Brief summary of responsibilities:

Brief summary of responsibilities:

Brief summary of responsibilities:

Brief summary of responsibilities:

The Audit and Risk Committee oversees the 
integrity of financial reporting, the existence 
of proper internal controls, the integrity of 
the  and risk management processes 
and assesses the company’s continuing 
ability to operate as a going concern. 
The committee assists the board with the 
oversight of IT governance, risk management 
and the implementation of a group ethics and 
regulatory compliance programme. It ensures 
the company has qualified external auditors 
and internal auditors. 

More detailed information on the 
committee’s achievements is available in the 
committee chairman’s report in the .

The latest approved Audit and Risk 
Committee Terms of Reference, containing 
detailed information regarding the 
committee’s responsibilities and mandate, 
are available on the company’s website, 
www.anglogoldashanti.com/en/About-Us/
corporategovernance/Pages/default.aspx

The key responsibility of the Social, Ethics 
and Sustainability Committee is to assist 
the board in monitoring matters relating to 
safety, health,  the environment and ethical 
conduct and to ensure that the company 
develops and behaves as a responsible 
corporate citizen. The committee ensures 
that the sustainability strategy positions 
the company as a leader in mining and 
that sustainability objectives are effectively 
integrated into the business. 

More information on the committee’s 
achievements is available in a podcast 
interview with this committee’s chairman, 
which can be accessed in the , 
which is available at www.aga-reports.
com/14/sdr /#messages/chairperson.

The latest approved Social, Ethics and 
Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference, 
containing detailed information regarding the 
committee’s responsibilities and mandate, are 
available on the company’s website,  
www.anglogoldashanti.com/en/sustainability/
policies/Pages/default.aspx.

This Remuneration and Human Resources 
Committee assists the board in ensuring 
that AngloGold Ashanti’s remuneration 
policies are in its long-term interests. 
The committee ensures that in terms 
of the decisions made, non-executive 
directors, executive directors, senior 
management and all other employees are 
fairly and responsibly remunerated and that 
shareholder value is delivered. It assists the 
board in the development of the company’s 
human resources environment. 

More information on the achievements 
of the committee is available in the 
Remuneration Report 1.

The latest approved Remuneration and Human 
Resources Committee Terms of Reference, 
containing detailed information regarding the 
committee’s responsibilities and mandate, are 
available on the company’s website,  
www.anglogoldashanti.com/en/About-Us/
corporate governance/Pages/default.aspx

The Nominations Committee consists of 
three independent non-executive directors 
and is chaired by the Chairman of the 
board. The committee develops processes 
to identify, assess and recommend board 
candidates for appointment as executive 
and non-executive directors, including 
the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Chief 
Executive Officer and the Company 
Secretary, and at the same time gives 
full consideration to succession planning 
and leadership in the group. It reviews 
board composition, including the balance 
of skills, experience and independence. 
The committee develops and implements 
the annual evaluation processes, whether 
internal or external.

The latest approved Nominations Committee 
Terms of Reference, containing detailed 
information regarding the committee’s 
responsibilities, mandate and policy on 
appointments to the board are available on the 
company’s website, www.anglogoldashanti.
com/en/About-Us/corporategovernance/
Pages/default.aspx

134

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE continued

Investment Committee

Brief summary of responsibilities:

The Investment Committee assesses 
individual capital projects and investment 
and divestment opportunities to ensure 
that investments, divestments and 
financing proposals are in accordance with 
AngloGold Ashanti’s primary objective of 
creating shareholder value on a sustainable 
long-term basis.

The latest approved Investment Committee 
Terms of Reference, containing detailed 
information regarding the committee’s 
responsibilities and mandate, are available  
on the company’s website,  
www.anglogoldashanti.com/en/sustainability/
policies/Pages/default.aspx.

BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETING ATTENDANCE
The board meets at least six times a year, with additional meetings arranged when necessary. AngloGold Ashanti’s corporate strategies are 
discussed and agreed with executive management in an annual strategy session.

The directors’ attendance at the board and committee meetings during 2015 is disclosed in the table below:

Audit and Risk 
Committee

Investment 
Committee

Board

Remuneration 
and Human 
Resources 
Committee

Social, 
Ethics and 
Sustainability 
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

6

n/a

6

6

n/a

n/a

6

6

6

6

n/a

n/a

5

n/a

4

5

5

n/a

n/a

5

5

n/a

n/a

5

4

4

4

n/a

n/a

4

4

n/a

n/a

4

n/a

n/a

5

5

n/a

n/a

5

5

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

5

n/a

4

4

4

n/a

n/a

n/a

4

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Number of meetings in 2015

SM Pityana 

LW Nkuhlu

R Gasant 

DL Hodgson 

NP January-Bardill 

MJ Kirkwood 

A Garner

RJ Ruston 

M Richter

S Venkatakrishnan 

KC Ramon 

135

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE continued

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND 
RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE 
CITIZEN
The board ensures at all times that the 
company is, and is seen to be, a responsible 
corporate citizen. The board not only 
considers the financial performance of the 
company, but also strives to enhance and 
invest in the economic life of the communities 
in which it operates, society in general and 
the environment. The Executive Committee 
is responsible for ensuring these values 
are adhered to. The board’s Social, Ethics 
and Sustainability Committee ensures the 
application of these principles.

Our Code has been translated into four 
languages and is available on the corporate 
website, www.anglogoldashanti.com, the 
intranet and DVD.

AngloGold Ashanti holds all employees, 
directors and officers accountable for 
complying with Our Code and policies, in 
addition to applicable laws, regulations, 
standards and contractual obligations in the 
countries in which AngloGold Ashanti does 
business. Failure to live up to Our Code may 
result in disciplinary action being taken, up to 
and including dismissal. No employee, director 
or officer will be disciplined or otherwise 
victimised for raising a concern in good faith.

The Code of Business Principles and Ethics 
(Our Code), launched in 2010, is the defining 
document on AngloGold Ashanti’s values and 
ethics. The board and management recognise 
the importance of ethical behaviour by all 
employees, directors and related parties at 
all times as we strive to generate competitive 
shareholder returns and create value for all 
stakeholders. The principles of King III facilitate 
the monitoring of the company’s performance 
from an ethical perspective.

We have promoted our whistle-blowing 
communication channels that include hotlines, 
text messaging, email and web facilities, which 
are administered by a third party. Use of these 
facilities is promoted by means of posters at 
all locations. Employees, directors, officers 
and external parties may use the hotlines, 
anonymously if they wish, to report concerns. 
All concerns are carefully investigated and, 
wherever possible, feedback is provided to the 
person raising the concern upon request.

Our Code provides a framework and sets 
requirements for the implementation of key 
corporate policies and guidelines. Among other 
areas, it addresses fraud, bribery and corruption, 
conflict of interests, gifts, hospitality and 
sponsorships, use of company assets, privacy 
and confidentiality, disclosures and insider trading.

Sustainability is an integral part of how 
AngloGold Ashanti does business. Our 
commitment to achieving operational excellence 
in a safe and responsible way benefits all 
our stakeholders, including our employees, 
government and the communities in which we 
operate. Our efficient use of resources, together 

with the provision of a safe and healthy working 
environment, contributes to the sustainability of 
our business and the environment. 

•   investigations into high-risk issues, 

including certain whistleblowing and related 
investigations

LEGAL, ETHICAL AND 
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE 
The group’s geographical spread makes its 
legal and regulatory environment diverse 
and complex. Given the critical importance 
of compliance in building a sustainable 
business, group compliance plays an essential 
role in co-ordinating compliance with laws 
and regulations, standards and contractual 
obligations and in assisting and advising the 
board and management on designing and 
implementing appropriate compliance policies 
and procedures.

During 2015, group compliance activities 
aimed at enhancing the company’s 
governance. Key among these activities were:

•   the continued global roll-out of awareness 
training on Our Code and anti-bribery and 
anti-corruption measures by means of 
both online training, DVD training for those 
without computer access, and “in person” 
training on key risk areas

•   continued development of a compliance 
programme aligned with “best practice” 
principles identified by, among others, bodies 
responsible for the prosecution of violations of 
key extra-territorial legislation such as the US 
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and that are 
adaptable at an operational level to enhance 
the effectiveness of the compliance framework

•   continued implementation of a risk-based 
third party due-diligence process for both 
suppliers and agents/intermediaries

•   development and utilisation of a 

methodology for continuous improvement 
in compliance and a review of compliance 
policies as well as the use of compliance 
metrics as part of our combined assurance 
audit programme

•   specific training on various anti-bribery  
and anti-corruption issues, including 
conflicts of interest and payments to 
government officials

•   revision and issuance of new policies, 
procedures and guidance, including a 
revised anti-bribery and anti-corruption 
policy, related guidance and a revised 
conflicts of interest policy

•   regular assessment of the automated 

registers for group gifts, hospitality and 
sponsorship and conflicts of interest

•   enhanced communication on compliance 

initiatives across the group through, among 
other channels, bi-monthly newsletters and 
other corporate communications

•   additional efforts to provide automated 

access to track and monitor compliance 
with laws and regulations, including self-
certification processes and legal registers,  
by country.

136

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015CORPORATE GOVERNANCE continued

External and internal standards and voluntary codes

AngloGold Ashanti adheres strictly to legislative and regulatory compliance, including several 
external and voluntary standards which are listed below.

The company is a member of and a signatory to the:

•   International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)

•   Principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

•   Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

•   United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

•   Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)

•   World Gold Council’s Conflict-Free Gold Standard (WGC CFGS)

The company is committed to complying with the following standards:

•   Universal Declaration on Human Rights

•   International Bill of Human Rights

•   International Labour Organization (ILO) standards

In addition, we have group policies and charters to which we adhere. Increasingly, customers 
and consumers want assurance that the gold they are purchasing has not contributed to 
conflict or human rights abuse. This has resulted in a number of measures being introduced 
by industry-related organisations to prevent gold and other commodities from being used to 
fund conflict and other violations of human rights. 

AngloGold Ashanti’s shares are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(SEC) in the United States and therefore the company is subject to the various laws 
regarding securities that are applicable in that country.  

South African Employment Equity 
Act 55 of 1998

In compliance with Section 21 of the 
Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, the 
company is obliged to file with the Department 
of Labour, the employment equity statistics 
for its South African workforce. A report was 
filed with the Department of Labour on 10 
December 2015, covering the period 1 August 
2013 to 31 July 2015. A copy of the report is 
available on the AngloGold Ashanti website, 
www.anglogoldashanti.com/sustainability, in the 
section entitled “Employment Equity Reports”.

Governance – supply  
chain management and 
procurement policies

Supply chain management is about more 
than just procuring the right product, at the 
right time and in the right quantities. Effective 
supply chain management, undertaken 
with integrity and in line with our values and 
governance principles, can add value to our 
business by improving efficiency, relationships 
and reputation and, ultimately, can affect our 
long-term sustainability. As a global company 
operating on most of the world’s continents, 
responsible management of the supply chain 

is an increasingly important ethical and human 
rights consideration for our business. External 
ratings agencies and customers are ever more 
aware of the implications and importance of 
ethical conduct in the supply chain. 

Responsible supply chain management has 
the potential to add value to communities, 
local governments and society as a whole, 
and particularly so in developing countries. 
We have adopted a cross-functional 
approach to supply chain management 
to ensure best practice while complying 
with international human rights and labour 
standards and ensuring the economic 
participation of local stakeholders. 

137

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE 
Chairman’s Letter

DEAR SHAREHOLDERS
In the opinion of the Remuneration 
and Human Resources Committee 
(Remco), AngloGold Ashanti’s 
leadership team acquitted itself 
well in one of the most challenging 
years for the industry in memory, 
one in which the gold price ground 
lower for the third consecutive year. 

Gold averaged $1,160/oz in 2015, down 8% 
from the previous year and a full 30% lower 
than the average recorded in 2012, the peak 
of the cycle. You will be aware that at the 
end of 2014 the team set an ambitious target 
of achieving a raft of ‘self-help’ measures 
during the course of 2015. The principal aim 
of these was to deleverage the balance sheet 
using internally generated cash, to continue 
driving down operating and corporate costs, 
as well as to optimise the portfolio of assets. 
The deleveraging was imperative given the 
very high cost of equity financing, continued 
uncertainty in the gold price, and our own view 
that we needed urgently to strengthen our 
balance sheet, without diluting shareholders, 
and – crucially – to reduce the annual interest 
burden of around $250m.

These challenging goals were met with 
understandable scepticism, but I am very 
gratified to report delivery on almost all of the 

objectives set. Looking at the fundamental 
operating performance, total cash costs in 
2015 at $712/oz were 9% lower than the 
previous year, while corporate costs fell by an 
impressive 15%, taking us back, in nominal 
terms no less, to levels last seen in 2006. 
Exploration costs were 8% down year-on-
year to $132m as we continued to focus our 
expenditure on higher-potential areas, and 
sharper capital allocation pulled our capital 
expenditure figure down 29% to $857m. All of 
this together left the important all-in sustaining 
cost figure at $910/oz, down 11% from the 
previous year. We also met market guidance, 
(adjusted to take account of discontinued 
operations), on all metrics.

In June, we concluded the sale of CC&V to 
Newmont Mining Corp. for $819m plus a 
net smelter royalty on future underground 
production. While selling a core asset is 
never easy, we were pleased that – despite a 
depressed market for gold mining equities – 
we received full value for this transaction. Only 
days after receiving the proceeds, we applied 
them to buy back the rump of our highest 
cost bond, reducing by $779m the seven-
year, 8.5% notes with a principal of $1.25bn. 
This decisive act reduces our annual interest 
burden by around $60m. Prevailing market 
conditions hampered the search for joint 
venture partners for certain of our Colombian 
assets, but that process will resume when the 
macroeconomic environment improves.

Despite the operational successes achieved, 
safety remains a key area that we must improve 
on. While there were improvements in the all-
injury frequency rate, the broadest measure of 
safety performance, we recorded 11 fatalities 
during the year, reversing the positive trend 
seen in 2013 and 2014. All but two of these 
were in South Africa. Safety is our highest 
value and a cornerstone of our operational 
performance. To highlight this, the bonuses 
of both the CEO and the COO: South Africa 
region were penalised for the poor safety 
performance. We are investing significant time 
and resources in returning to an improving trend 
across this most crucial metric. 

The beginning of the 2015 year also saw 
Obuasi transition fully to ‘limited operations’ 
mode, following the retrenchment of the 
full workforce. Had we not done this when 
we did, and kept this loss-making asset 
operating, it would have bled more than 
$300m from our balance sheet at current 
prices. The intention is to redevelop this 
operation together with a joint venture 
partner, but for the moment this century-old 
mine with a world-class, untapped ore body, 
will remain idled at a lower cost than seen in 
prior years.

Aside from ensuring the alignment of our 
remuneration and human resource practices 
with the strategic direction of the company, 
Remco was involved in the following 
additional activities:

138

Michael Kirkwood
Chairman: Remuneration and  
Human Resources Committee

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE continued
Chairman’s Letter

•   A strong focus was placed on governance 
and reporting, our remuneration policy, 
remuneration and integrated reports were 
all reviewed and benchmarked by an 
independent external governance body, to 
further improve the quality and disclosure 
requirements.

•   A review of the current shortage of shares 

available under the company share schemes 
and self-help measures to re-design 
incentives to better fit the business was a 
core part of the year’s focus.

•   The CEO was reluctant to take an annual 
increase (having not taken an increase for 
two consecutive years).  However given his 
cumulative declining market positioning in 
base pay (and therefore total remuneration) 
as a result of not taking these increases 
for 2014 and 2015, he has indicated that 
he will accept the CPI increase offered for 
2016 and donate it in full to his personal 
scholarship programme at the University 
of Witwatersrand, the purpose of which 
is to support deserving, financially 
underprivileged students registered for 
a B.Acc or B.Comm degree. Given that 
the CEO waived his cash bonus for 2013, 
deferred it to shares in 2014, he was 
persuaded to take his cash bonus for 2015.

•   Two new non-executive directors were 

appointed during the year: 

  •   Ms Maria Richter, who is a lawyer, 

investment banker and accomplished, 
experienced FTSE 100 non-executive 
director who has served on a diverse 
range of UK and international boards, and 

  •   Mr Albert Garner who has extensive 

experience in capital markets, corporate 
finance and mergers and acquisitions 
having worked with Lazard Frère & Co., 
LLC for 35 years in various leadership 
positions.

•   During the year Mike O’Hare the COO of 

South Africa region retired after 38 years of 
loyal service. Mike was replaced by Chris 
Sheppard, a 30-year veteran of South 
Africa’s deep underground mining sector, 
who joined us in June 2015.  

With the ongoing focus on our strategic 
priorities, Remco is addressing a concern 
that share incentives for our senior leadership 
cannot be fully realised as the required share 
pool is insufficient to meet share allocation 
requirements. The structure of our share 
incentive schemes along with the declining 
share price in recent years has accelerated the 
erosion of the authorised pool of shares more 
rapidly than anticipated. This unsustainable 
reward structure has led to a substantive 
review of share-based incentive and reward 
structures that currently exist.

A redesign of the incentive structures is 
underway and will include a strong focus on 
transparency, simplicity, accountability, and 
greater focus and further tightening of the 
performance-related measures which we use 
to assess and drive the business. Sustainability 
has been an area where we have focused 
our efforts to create significant measures and 
we will focus on more refinement and greater 
clarity of metrics. Our stakeholders interest in 
sustainability and our environmental focus has 
increased and we will be seeking to include 
further measurable metrics to address these 
focus areas.

We are working with our external consultants on 
both our short- and long-term incentive plans, 
and are investigating the following changes:

•   Short Term Incentive Plan (STIP) – Overall 
simplification by the possible removal 
of the share component and converting 
the scheme to a cash-based bonus 
scheme, payable on achievement of set 
performance conditions. 

•   Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – In 

response to shareholder suggestions 
we are considering extending and 
staggering current three-year vesting 
periods, to periods longer than three 
years, accompanied by clear performance 
conditions. We will also take on board 
shareholder endorsement around our 

planned re-think of the performance metrics, 
so as to not place undue reliance on one 
metric, i.e. total shareholder return (TSR), 
but to consider also including other return 
metrics. The basis for allocations would 
change from a percentage of remuneration 
to a performance-driven award within an 
overall cap of 1.25% of the issued share 
capital approved in 2015.

In driving this change we are conscious that 
balance needs to be applied between both the 
down cycles and the up cycles in an industry 
where cycle duration can be up to 10 years. 
Remco therefore endeavours to take you, 
our stakeholders, with us on this journey of 
change to implement incentive schemes that 
can correctly weather the cycles. 

Your Remco has focused on improving the 
transparency of information in this report, 
recognising that the impending implementation 
of King IV may add further enhancements to 
disclosure guidelines. We trust the reader will 
recognise the enhanced disclosure.

This Remuneration Report covers the period  
1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015.

Michael Kirkwood
Chairman: Remuneration and Human 
Resources Committee
22 March 2016

139

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT

Throughout this report, the term 
‘executive directors’ refers to 
the CEO and the CFO, while the 
Executive Committee (Exco), which 
includes the executive directors and 
prescribed officers, is referred to as 
the ‘executive management team’.

Remco is responsible for the pay 
governance associated with these roles 
and will talk to all three categories or 
separately highlight individual roles where it 
is appropriate. 

Remco met four times in 2015 with all 
members present. Details of committee 
members and meeting attendance can be 
found in the Corporate Governance section. 1

PART 1: REMUNERATION POLICY
At AngloGold Ashanti our remuneration policy 
is robust and aims to align with AngloGold 
Ashanti’s strategic objectives while working 
to deliver on both internal and external 
stakeholder requirements in line with market 
lows and highs. This is accomplished by 
means of a governance and application 
framework that primarily aims to retain and 
where necessary attract employees through 
fair, transparent and competitive remuneration.

Key principles of the 
remuneration policy

In order to continue to support our 
remuneration approach we have a 
remuneration policy that is based on the 
following key principles:

•   Remunerate to drive and reward the 
behaviour and performance of our 
employees and executives which align 
the organisation, shareholder and 
employee strategic goals

•   Ensure that performance metrics are 
demanding, sustainable and cover 
all aspects of the business including 
both the key financial and non-
financial drivers

•   Structure remuneration ensuring 

that our values are maintained and 
the correct governance frameworks 
are applied across our remuneration 
decisions and practices

•   Apply the appropriate remuneration 

benchmarks

•    Provide competitive rewards to 

attract, motivate and retain highly 
skilled executives and staff vital to the 
success of the organisation

1  Corporate governance

Remuneration design and pay mix

When determining appropriate remuneration, Remco considers:

1.   The potential maximum total remuneration that each member of the executive management 

team could earn related to performance

2.  External influences, primarily being: 

•   shareholder views and recommendations associated with executive remuneration

•   economic trends

•   competitive pressure

•   the labour market and the pay-gap between the executive management team and the rest 

of the employee population in the company 

3.   Market benchmarks, choosing appropriate benchmarks in a market with similar attributes 

including, complexity, size and geographic spread 

Pay mix of the executive management team:

The graphs below provide the pay mix for the Executive Management Team at below expected 
performance, threshold, target and maximum performance:

Chief executive officer
(Rm)

Maximum

12

Target

12
Threshold

12
Below threshold 

12

5

5

5

5

10

14

30

5

7

23

2

4

15

Base salary
Benefits

BSP Cash bonus
BSP shares

LTIP 

Note: For below threshold performance there are no performance rewards.

140

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Chief financial officer
(Rm)

Maximum

7

Target

7
Threshold

1

1

5

8

15

3

4

11

7
Below threshold 

1 1 2

7

7

1

Base salary
Benefits

BSP Cash bonus
BSP shares

LTIP 

Note: For below threshold performance there are no performance rewards.

Executive committee
(Rm)

Maximum

Target

Threshold

8

8

8

Below threshold 

8

4

4

4

4

5

7

16

2

4

12

1

2

8

Base salary
Benefits

BSP Cash bonus
BSP shares

LTIP 

Note: For below threshold performance there are no performance rewards.

141

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Components of remuneration and their link to strategic objectives

The table below details the remuneration policy for 2016, which is unchanged from 2015, as it relates to the components of remuneration for the executive management team. The table details each 
component’s link to the company strategy, objectives, performance measurement and the maximum opportunity associated with each component: 

Remuneration element  
and link to strategy 

Base salary

A competitive salary provided 
to executives to ensure that 
their experience, contribution 
and appropriate market 
comparisons are fairly reflected 

Pension

Provides a post retirement 
benefit aligned to the schemes 
in the respective country in 
which he or she operates

Medical insurance

Provides medical aid assistance 
aligned to the schemes in the 
respective country in which he 
or she operates

Benefits

Provided to ensure broad 
competitiveness in the 
respective markets

Operation and objective

Maximum opportunity

Performance measures

•   Base salaries are reviewed annually and are effective 1 January 

each year

•   Executive base salaries are determined by considering their  
performance; market conditions against companies with 
a similar geographic spread, market complexity, size and 
industry; and internal peer comparisons

•   The CEO makes recommendations on the rest of the team but 

does not make recommendations on his own base salary which 
is reviewed by Remco and approved by the board

Executive base salary increases and increases for all 
non-bargaining unit employees are closely aligned 
where practical and this is informed by inflation, 
which has an upward or downward adjustment to 
recognise individual performance or to be matched 
directly to CPI.

Individual performance on a scale of 
1 to 5, measured against specific Key 
Performance Indicators (KPIs) are 
reviewed by Remco. A CPI increase pool 
is approved by Remco annually. In high- 
inflation countries, individual increases 
may be differentiated according to each 
individual’s performance rating. In low- 
inflation countries, a flat CPI is applied to 
all executives and employees. 

•   The funds vary depending on jurisdiction and legislation

•   Defined benefit funds are not available for new employees in 

24.75% of base salary for the CEO and lower 
contributions for others, dependent on their scheme

Not applicable

line with company policy

•   Provided to all executives through either a percentage of fee 

In line with approved policy

Not applicable

contribution, reimbursement or company-provided healthcare 
providers

Benefits are provided based on local market trends and can 
include items such as life assurance, disability and accidental 
death insurance, assistance with tax filing, cash in lieu of untaken 
leave (above legislated minimum leave requirements) and 
occasional spousal travel as per the executive travel guidelines.

In line with approved policy

Not applicable

142

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Remuneration element  
and link to strategy 

Short-term incentive

The short-term incentive is 
known as the Bonus Share 
Plan (BSP) or Short Term 
Incentive Plan (STIP) and is 
designed to focus executives 
on delivering on the key 
priorities for the year by 
achieving the defined company 
objectives

The performance objectives 
are reviewed and selected 
annually based on their short 
to medium term impact on the 
company

The STIP has a deferral 
element granted in equity 
awards to ensure that the 
shareholders and executive 
focus remains aligned

Please note the structure of 
the STIP is under review.

Operation and objective

Maximum opportunity

Performance measures

STIP metrics are defined annually and weightings are applied 
to each of the measures. The metrics are defined against the 
objectives that most strongly drive company performance and 
are shown below. 

Each metric is weighted and has a threshold, target and stretch 
definition based on the company budget and the desired stretch 
targets for the year.

The STIP is delivered as a cash element and a deferred equity 
element which is fully realised after 24 months.

At the end of each financial year, the company and the CEO’s 
performances are assessed by Remco and the board against the 
defined metrics to determine the award granted.

Stratum III employees and above, who are not on production 
bonuses, qualify for participation.

The deferral is intended to be delivered in equity, but Remco 
retains the discretion to deliver in cash should there be a 
requirement, for example, where the shares available for issue are 
below the required amount to satisfy employee allocation needs.

Participation in the STIP is at the discretion of Remco.

CEO:
Maximum award – 200% of base salary
(cash 80% + deferred equity/ cash award 120%)
Target award – 100% 
(cash 40% + deferred equity/ cash award 60%)
Threshold award – 50% 
(cash 20% + deferred equity/cash award 30%)

Below threshold achievement results in a 0% payment  

CFO:
Maximum award – 175%
(cash 70% + deferred equity/cash award 105%)
Target award – 87.5%
(cash 35% + deferred equity/cash award 52.5%)
Threshold award – 43.75%
(cash 17.5% + deferred equity/cash award 26.25%)
Below threshold achievement results in a 0% payment

Exco:
Maximum award – 150%
(cash 60% + deferred equity/cash award 90%)
Target award – 75%
(cash 30% + deferred equity/cash award 45%)
Threshold award – 37.5%
(cash 15% + deferred equity/cash award 22.5%)
Below threshold achievement results in a 0% payment

CEO: 
Performance measures:
70% company objectives
30% individual KPIs (as reviewed by  
the board) 
Both company and individual 
performance are assessed over the 
financial year

CFO and Exco:
Performance measures:
60% company objectives
40% individual KPIs (as reviewed by  
the CEO, Remco and the board)  
Both company and individual 
performance are assessed over the 
financial year.

The company metrics measured are:

•  Production

•  All-in sustaining costs

•  Free cash flow

•  Safety, health and environment

•  Ore Reserve pre-depletion

•  Project delivery/capital expenditure

143

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Remuneration element  
and link to strategy 

Co-Investment Plan

The Co-Investment Plan (CIP) 
is a retention plan designed to 
assist executives to achieve 
their minimum shareholding 
requirements. This is 
accomplished by encouraging 
them to invest their cash bonus 
in equity which will be matched 
by the company in the short to 
medium term

Long Term Incentive Plan 

The primary intention of the 
Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) 
is to ensure that the medium- 
to long-term interests of the 
executive and the shareholders 
are aligned, providing reward 
to the executive and wealth 
creation to shareholders when 
the strategic performance 
drivers are achieved.

The strategic drivers are 
used in defining the LTIP 
metrics. These are depicted 
in the strategy diagram on the 
following page.

Please note that the 
structure of the LTIP 
scheme is under review.

Operation and objective

Maximum opportunity

Performance measures

150% of the equity originally invested over a deferred  
24-month period.

Quantum based on STIP achievement

The CIP is offered annually to create shareholdings held by 
executives to meet their minimum shareholding requirements 
(introduced in 2013). These were implemented to achieve the 
alignment of shareholder and executive interests.

The executive invests up to 50% of their net cash bonus in 
company shares, after 12- and 24-month periods, the company 
then offers an equity match of shares purchased on market,  
provided the executive remains in employment and retains the 
original investment.

The LTIP metrics are reviewed and defined annually in accordance 
with the strategy. (It is important to note that any amendment would 
be applied on a go-forward basis to newly allocated awards with no 
retrospective metric changes to existing awards.)

CEO:
Range of award: 160 – 250% of base salary

CFO:
Range of award: 140 – 200% of base salary

Weightings are provided to the metrics which must be achieved over 
a three-year period.

Exco:
Range of award: 140 – 200% of base salary

The TSR is measured against a carefully selected peer group 
of 10 comparators that was recommended by Remco and 
approved by the board. The comparator group is retained for 
measurement for the full three-year review period. 

The score against all relevant measures contributes towards the 
percentage of total awards that will vest at the end of the three-
year period.

Only senior management from Stratum IV and above are eligible to 
participate in the LTIP.

A share under the LTIP is a fully paid ordinary share in the 
capital of the company, subject to performance vesting 
restrictions. The dilution may not exceed 5% of the company’s 
ordinary share capital.

Participation in the LTIP is at the discretion of Remco.

144

The TSR is calculated by the growth in 
capital from purchasing a share in the 
company, assuming that the dividends are 
reinvested each time they are paid. The 
TSR is then used to rank the performance 
of the company against its competitors. 

The remaining 50% performance 
measurements are:

•  Operational performance

•   Future optionality (measured through 
technology innovation and Mineral 
Resource and Ore Reserve) 

•   Development and attraction of people 
(measured by the succession cover 
ratio and talent retention)  

•   A safety multiplier applied to the total 
score which can either enhance or 
detract from the final score by 20%. 
The safety multiplier cannot however 
increase the maximum pay-out above 
the defined caps

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

ALIGNMENT OF STRATEGY, PAY AND PERFORMANCE

BSP metrics:
•  Production
•  All-in sustaining costs
•  Free cash flow
•   Project delivery/capital expenditure

LTIP metrics:
•  Total shareholder return
•  Asset optimisation
•  Safety

BSP metrics:
•  Production
•  All-in sustaining costs
•  Free cash flow
•   Project delivery/capital expenditure

LTIP metrics:
•  Total shareholder return
•  Asset optimisation

E   S
OUR C O R
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c a pital e x p e n diture

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Supporting 
our strategy for 
sustainable 
cash flow 
improvements 
and returns

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Focus on people, safety and sustainability

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BSP metrics:
•  Production
•  Free cash flow
•  Safety
•   Environment, health 

and community

LTIP metrics:
•   Total shareholder  

return
•  People
•  Safety

145

BSP metrics:
•  Production
•  All-in sustaining costs
•  Free cash flow
•  Project delivery/capital expenditure
•   2015 Ore Reserve pre-depletion

LTIP metrics:
•  Total shareholder return
•  Asset optimisation
•  Future optionality

BSP metrics:
•   Project delivery/capital expenditure
•   2015 Ore Reserve pre-depletion

LTIP metrics:
•  Total shareholder return
•  Future optionality

In line with AngloGold Ashanti’s strategic 
objectives, the STIP and LTIP metrics were 
designed to deliver on these key focus areas.

(1)   Maintain a strong foundation – 

 Safety: Improve safety performance and 
reduce fatalities; 

 People: Develop and retain the people 
who are the business; and 

 Sustainability: ensure that the we retain 
our social licences to operate

(2)   Improve financial flexibility – Being 

prudent and proactive in balance sheet 
management by improving earnings; 
returns and free cash flow; ensuring 
liquidity and headroom; and mitigating 
refinancing risks

(3)   Optimise our cost base – Reduce 

direct operating costs, overheads and 
indirect spend and optimise annual total 
capital spend

(4)   Improve portfolio quality – A strong 

focus on selecting only key projects that 
add value to the portfolio.

(5)   Maintain long-term optionality, albeit 
at a reasonable cost – Determining an 
affordable pace of development against 
a project plan that focuses on the 
projects critical to the sustainability of 
AngloGold Ashanti.

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
 
REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Recruitment policy

Termination policy

When recruiting executives, a comparative benchmarking exercise will be done to determine the size, 
nature and complexity of the role and also skills availability in the market prior to making a competitive 
offer. For new appointments, Remco may compensate for remuneration forfeited from the previous 
employer. The intention is to not grant more than the executive would have received in a 12-month 
period. However, Remco does have the discretion to compensate higher values if, through a fair value 
assessment, it can be demonstrated that the amount forfeited exceeds that granted. Remco will 
compensate the amount forfeited through a combination of equity and cash.

The executive management team all have open ended contracts (except where 
prescribed retirement ages apply) with termination periods defined in their contracts. 

In addition, incentive scheme rules clearly specify termination provisions by termination 
category. In the event of a termination, the company has the discretion to allow the 
executive to either work out their notice or to pay the base pay for the stipulated notice 
period in lieu of notice.

Reason for termination

Voluntary resignation

Dismissal/
termination 
for cause

Base salary

Paid over the notice period or as a lump sum No payment

Normal and early retirement, retrenchment and death  Mutual separation

Base pay is paid for a defined period based on 
cause and local policy as executives have different 
employment entities

Paid over the notice period or as a lump 
sum

Pension

Medical provisions

Pension contributions for the notice period 
will be paid; the lump sum would not include 
pension contributions unless contractually 
agreed

Where applicable, medical provision for the 
notice period will be paid; the lump sum would 
not include contributions unless contractually 
agreed

No payment

Pension will be paid until such time that 
employment ceases

No payment/provision

Medical provision/ payment will be provided until 
such time that employment ceases

Benefits

Applicable benefits may continue to be 
provided during the notice period but will not 
be paid on a lump sum basis

No payment

Benefits will fall away at such time that employment 
ceases

Pension contributions for the notice 
period will be paid; the lump sum would 
not include pension contributions unless 
contractually agreed

Where applicable medical provision for the 
notice period will be paid; the lump sum 
would not include contributions unless 
contractually agreed

Applicable benefits may continue to be 
provided during the notice period but will 
not be paid on a lump sum basis

146

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Reason for termination (continued)

STIP share awards

Unvested shares lapse

Voluntary resignation

Dismissal/
termination 
for cause

All shares lapse (both 
vested, un-exercised and 
unvested)

Normal and early retirement, retrenchment and death  Mutual separation

Pro-rata unvested shares based on the length of 
employment from date of offer

Remco determines whether a pro-rata 
portion may be granted

BSP cash bonus

Forfeit, no bonus

No bonus

Discretion to pro-rate for period worked (no 
matching shares awarded)

Discretion to pro-rate for period worked 
(no matching shares awarded)

LTIP

Unvested shares lapse

All shares lapse, (both 
vested, un-exercised and 
unvested)

Pro-rata unvested shares based on the length of 
employment from date of offer by applying the last 
two years’ average performance results (death has 
no performance criteria applied)

Remco determines whether a pro-rata 
portion may be granted (or board in the 
case of the executive directors)

CIP

Unallocated matching portion lapses

Forfeit matching portion 
of shares

Matching shares based on the length of 
employment from date of purchase

Remco determines whether a pro-rata 
portion may be granted (or board in the 
case of the executive directors)

Minimum shareholding requirements

With effect from March 2013, a minimum shareholding requirement (MSR) was introduced for the executive management team. Remco is of the opinion that share ownership by the executive 
management team demonstrates their commitment to the success of the company, and serves to reinforce the alignment between executive and shareholder interests. 

The MSR requirement and current achievement requirements are as per the table below:

Within three years of appointment/  
from introduction of the MSR

CEO and CFO

100% of net annual base salary

Within six years of appointment/  
from introduction of the MSR

200% of net annual base salary

Exco

75% of net annual base salary

150% of net annual base salary

Holding requirement

Indefinite

Indefinite

147

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

For the purpose of the MSR calculation only fully owned and vested awards will count towards 
the determination of the MSR. 

The following count towards an individual’s MSR:

•   JSE shares purchased on the market, either directly or indirectly, for personal reasons including 

shares purchased by an executive under the CIP

•  Vested matching shares purchased by the company under the CIP

•   Vested shares from the company’s share incentive schemes (BSP and LTIP and any historic schemes)

The table below reflects MSR achievements as at 31 December 2015:

Target  
achievement date

MSR holding as at
31 December 2015 
as % of net base pay

MSR target percentage 
as at three-year 
achievement date

Executive

Executive directors

S Venkatakrishnan

March 2016

KC Ramon (1)

March 2018

Prescribed officers

I Boninelli 

CE Carter

GJ Ehm 

March 2016

March 2016

March 2016

RW Largent (2)

March 2016

DC Noko

March 2016

ME Sanz Perez

March 2016

CB Sheppard (3)

March 2019

887%

10%

460%

193%

342%

96%

191%

345%

0%

100%

100%

75%

75%

75%

75%

75%

75%

75%

(1)   The executive director joined the company 1 October 2014 and the three-year MSR achievement is only due 

in March 2018.

(2)  RW Largent required to sell shares in order to pay for tax on vesting in US, resulting in reduced share holding.
 The executive joined the company 1 June 2015 and the three-year MSR achievement is only due in March 2019.
(3) 

Service contracts 

All members of the executive management 
team have permanent employment contracts 
which entitle them to standard group 
benefits as defined by their specific region 
and participation in the company’s BSP 
and LTIP. All recently updated executive 
contracts include details on participation in 
the CIP.

Certain South African executives (excluding 
the CEO and the CFO for 2015) are paid 
offshore  remuneration which is detailed 
under a separate contract. This reflects 
the percentage of their time spent outside 
South Africa focused on offshore business 
requirements. The payment under this 
contract has been extended to 2016 to 
include all South African-based executives, 
including the CEO and the CFO, increased to 
a maximum cap of 20% of base pay following 
a review of the amount of time spent outside 
South Africa on the offshore responsibilities 
of each executive team member. Where 
practical, the offshore remuneration is made 
pensionable.

Change of control and  
notice periods

Executive management team contracts are 
reviewed annually and currently continue to 
include a change of control provision.  

The change of control is subject to the 
following triggers:

•   The acquisition of all or part of AngloGold 

Ashanti, or

•   A number of shareholders holding less 

than 35% of the company’s issued share 
capital consorting to gain a majority of  
the board and make management 
decisions, and

•   Executive management contracts are either 
terminated or their role and employment 
conditions are curtailed

In the event of a change of control becoming 
effective, the executive will in certain 
circumstances be subject to both the notice 
period and the change of control contract 
terms. The notice periods applied per 
category of executive and the change of 
control periods as at 31 December 2015 
were as follows:

Notice 
period 
(months)

Change 
of control 
(months)

12

6

6

12

6

6

Executive Committee 
member

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Other executive 
management team 
members

148

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Non-executive directors 
remuneration policy 

The company’s non-executive directors (NEDs) 
are paid on the basis of their role and there is 
no differentiation by nationality. The policy is 
applied using the following principles:

•   A board fee is paid for the six annual board 
meetings and board committee members 
receive annual committee fees for participation.

•   Fees are reviewed annually and increases 
implemented in July. They are set using a 
global comparator group which is derived 
from companies with similar size, complexity 
and geographic spread

•   NEDs receive a travel allowance for travel 
outside of their home country for site visits 
and board meetings

•   NEDs are not eligible to receive any short- or 

long-term incentives

Remuneration consultants

Where appropriate, Remco obtains advice 
from independent remuneration consultants. 
The consultants are employed directly by 
Remco and engage directly with them to 
ensure independence.

Remco has appointed PwC to provide 
specialist, independent remuneration advice on 
all forms of executive and non-executive pay.

Mercer performs an independent bespoke 
executive survey and their advice is primarily 
around salary benchmarking for both executive 
and non-executive pay.

PART 2 – REMUNERATION 
JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2015
Part 2 of the Remuneration Report explains the 
implementation of our remuneration policies 
by providing detail of the remuneration paid to 
executive and non-executive directors for the 

financial year ended 31 December 2015.

Executive pay

of the executive management team received 
a CPI increase. The CEO has elected to 
donate his increase for 2016 to his personal 
scholarship programme at the University of 
Witwatersrand, the purpose of which is to 
support deserving, financially underprivileged 
students registered for a B.Acc or B.Comm 
degree at the university. This amounts to a 
total donation of R750,000 for 2016.

The year 2015 mirrored 2014 when the gold 

price remained low, cost cutting remained 

a key imperative and the external market 

reflected similar challenges. Each member 

On behalf of AngloGold Ashanti, Mercer 
conducts an annual bespoke survey of 
executive remuneration. For 2015, Remco 
reviewed the comparator group against 

AngloGold Ashanti to ensure that changes 
in the market had not led to variances that 
made the current matches inappropriate. 
The review consisted of a detailed analysis of 
both existing and proposed companies who it 
was felt were appropriate for inclusion in the 
benchmark. The companies included in the 
comparator group were ranked in terms of 
a number of criteria selected in areas which 
were, it was felt, aligned with AngloGold 
Ashanti. The table below summarises the final 
comparator group selected and an overview 
of the more heavily weighted rankings 
considered in their selection:

2014 Comparator benchmark ranking by category (ranked from 1 to 15)

Share 
performance 
over 5 years 
(2009-2014)

Geographic 
spread

2014

Turnover 

Number of 
employees

Market 
capital 

Total 
assets

AngloGold Ashanti Limited
Anglo American Platinum Limited
Barrick Gold Corporation
Gold Fields Limited
Goldcorp Inc.
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited
Kinross Gold Corporation
Lonmin plc
Mondi Limited
Newmont Mining Corporation
Randgold Resources Limited
Sasol Limited
Sibanye Gold Limited
Yamana Inc.

3
14
4
8
6
11
12
5
15
1
7
9
2
13
10

149

9
6
8
11
5
12
10
14
13
1
7
3
2
–
4

6
5
2
10
7
13
9
8
14
3
4
15
1
11
12

1
3
8
14
12
6
2
15
9
7
10
11
5
4
13

9
4
3
12
2
15
8
11
13
6
5
7
1
14
10

7
9
1
11
2
13
10
6
12
8
3
14
4
15
5

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

During 2015 there were three changes to the 
executive management team. These were the 
early retirement of Mike O’Hare, the COO for 
the South African region on 30 September 
2015, the appointment of his replacement Chris 
Sheppard on 1 June 2015 and the relocation of 
the EVP: Strategy and Business Development, 
Charles Carter, from Johannesburg to the 
Denver office in the United States. In terms of 
remuneration in these three cases, the following 
can be noted:

•   Mike O’Hare received no additional payments 

outside of the standard policies currently 
in place and applicable to early retirement. 
He therefore received pro-rata STI and LTI 
shares and cash in lieu of his BSP share 
award. He did not qualify for a 2015 short-
term incentive.

•   Chris Sheppard was given a sign-on bonus in 
lieu of shares forfeited upon his appointment 
by AngloGold Ashanti. The sign-on bonus 
consisted of an up-front cash payment of  
R1 million with a full claw back in the event 
of his leaving in the first 24 months of 
employment and R2 million worth of LTIPs 
with three-year performance conditions 
aligned with those of the 2015 LTIP in place 
for all other executives.

•   In January 2015, Charles Carter was 

relocated to the Denver office and, as a 
consequence, he was moved to a US-
remuneration base. He received a relocation 
allowance to cover all relocation costs at the 
time of the transfer.

150

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

The table below summarises the executive director and prescribed officer remuneration for 2015. It comprises a full overview of all the pay elements 
available to the executive management team in the 12-month period ended December 2015.

Appointed 
with effect 
from

Resigned/ 
retired with 
effect from Salary (1)

Perfor-
mance- 
related 

Other 

benefits and 
encashed 

payments (2) Pension

leave (3) Sub total

Exercised 
BSP share 
award 
value

Exercised 
LTIP share 
award 
value

Total
SA rands

Total

US dollars (4)

Figures in thousand

Executive directors

S Venkatakrishnan (5)

KC Ramon

Prescribed officers

I Boninelli 

CE Carter (6)

GJ Ehm (7)

RW Largent (8)

DC  Noko (9)

MP O’ Hare (10)

ME Sanz Perez

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

Full year

Full year

Full year

1 Oct

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

Full year

CB Sheppard (11)

2015

1 June

2014

12,000

7,635

2,970

1,728

24,333

–

2,970

1,149

16,119

12,000

7,448

1,750

6,092

5,720

8,640

6,891

7,877

8,038

4,634

1,284

3,066

2,870

4,608

3,043

5,639

7,247

931

219

647

608

254

732

335

293

68

14

13,081

3,267

799

99

10,604

9,297

1,046

11,712

2,627

16,478

10,975

26,553

15,166

8,021

2,814

6,439

32,440

12,503

6,097

5,590

6,615

4,213

5,162

211

648

594

5,388

24,717

1,505

12,463

744

12,090

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

24,333

16,119

13,081

3,267

10,604

9,297

–

644

1,002

3,422

968

–

–

864

12,576

806

17,928

–

27,555

837

36,699

–

–

–

25,685

12,463

12,090

5,849

19,351

2,641

2,352

24,344

30 Sept

5,879

–

1,204

5,655

12,738

179

56

12,973

7,367

6,071

5,700

3,500

–

3,475

1,509

3,055

3,999

1,552

–

645

606

438

–

109

743

157

12,460

10,514

10,462

1,028

6,518

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

12,460

10,514

10,462

6,518

–

151

1,905

1,488

1,024

302

830

858

1,906

1,161

1,404

2,544

2,873

2,372

976

1,116

1,016

1,151

823

966

511

–

(1)   Salaries are disclosed only for the period from or 

to which office is held, and include car allowances 
where applicable. 

(2)   The performance-related payments are calculated on 

the year’s financial results.

(3)   Includes health care, cash in lieu of dividends, 2014 
and 2015 vested CIP match awards, secondment/
relocation allowances, group personal accident, 
disability and funeral cover. Surplus leave days 
accrued are automatically encashed unless work 
requirements allow for carry over.

(4)   Values have been converted using the average  
annual exchange rate for 2015: R12.7719:$1  
(2014: R10.8295:$1; 2013 R9.6231:$1).
(5)   Other benefits of S Venkatakrishnan include 

encashment due to untaken leave.

(6)   Other benefits of CE Carter include a relocation 

allowance in lieu of relocation from South Africa to the 
Denver, USA office.

(7)   GJ Ehm’s 2015 increase was delivered as a lump sum 
payment (2.5% adjustment) of R196,927 in January 
2016. He received a project bonus in terms of delivering 
against the Obuasi Project Charter. The bonus was based 
on 60% of pay, of which 40% was paid in 2015 based 
on meeting of performance requirements. Other benefits 
include a secondment allowance for time spent in Ghana.
(8)   Other benefits of RW Largent include the sale of BSP 

shares due to US tax requirements.

(9)   DC Noko received a project bonus in terms of 

delivering against the Obuasi Project Charter. The 
bonus was based on 60% of pay, of which 40% was 
paid in 2015, based on a meeting of performance 
requirements. Other benefits include a secondment 
allowance for time spent in Ghana.

(10)  MP O’Hare retired as at the end of September, pay is 

however disclosed for the full year. Other benefits include 
cash in lieu of BSP shares as a result of Mr O’Hare’s 
retirement. No additional payments were made.
(11)  CB Sheppard commenced employment on  

1 June 2015 and as such his pay reflects seven 
months of the year. A sign-on bonus was paid 
and is reflected under other benefits. The annual 
performance bonus was pro-rated.

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

As per 2015 the emolument table on the previous page, the diagram below reflects 
executive directors’ actual earnings against their earning potential:

The table below summarises AngloGold Ashanti metrics, their weightings and performance 
against these metrics applicable to the BSP during 2015:

Short-term incentive performance outcomes (BSP)

Chief executive officer: actual earnings against target and maximum earnings potential
(Rm)

Maximum

Target

Actual

12

12

12

5

5

5

10

14

30

5

8

7

0

23

Base salary
Benefits

BSP cash bonus
BSP shares

LTIP 

Chief financial officer: actual earnings against target and maximum earnings potential
(Rm)

Maximum

Target

Actual

7

7

7

1

1

1

3

5

5

4

0

8

15

11

Base salary
Benefits

BSP cash bonus
BSP shares

LTIP 

Target 

weighting Achievement

Actual 
achievement 
against 
measures

Threshold 
measures

Target 
measures

Stretch 
measures

18%

15.79%

 3,947

3,654

3,798

4,090

22%

22%

 1,008

 1,204

 1,120

 1,015

10%

10%

263 

 (695)

 (409)

7

15%

9.66%

Measured against a detailed project plan

10%

10%

Plus 2.2 

Plus 0.78 

Plus 1.25 

Plus 1.57 

25%

14.03%

Measured against detailed metrics

100%

81.47%

BSP company 
performance 
measure 2015

Production 
(000oz)

All-in 
sustaining 
costs ($/oz)

Free cash 
flow ($m)

Project 
delivery/
capital 
expenditure

2015 Ore 
Reserve pre- 
depletion 
(Moz)

Safety, 
health and 
environment

Total % for 
company 
performance

152

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Safety was an important challenge for 
AngloGold Ashanti at its South African 
operations in 2015. Of the 25% allocated to 
safety, health and environment, 15% of the 
measure is directly apportioned to safety. 
There was a zero achievement against the all 
injury frequency rate (AIFR) and the fatal injury 
frequency rate (FIFR) which resulted in a low 
score on this metric. Nine of the 11 fatalities 
took place in the South Africa region and 
individual performance scores for the CEO and 
the COO: South Africa region were penalised 
for the safety results.

Achievement against all-in sustaining costs 
and free cash flow were exceptionally good 
and led to a high overall rating (consistent 
with the 2014 results). This was achieved by 
improving the fundamental cost performance 
of the business, and a very good operating 
performance from our international mines. 

Net debt improved by almost $1bn, from 
the end of 2014, to the $2.19bn achieved 
at the end of 2015. Net debt to adjusted 
EBITDA, a measure closely watched by out 
lenders and shareholders to determine the 
resilience of our balance sheet in prevailing 
market conditions, improved from 1.9 times 
at the end of 2014 to our target of 1.5 times 
at the end of 2015. This was a result of the 
successful sale of CC&V, improved cash flow 
from the business and a partial take out of the 
high-yield bonds.

The calculation below demonstrates how the bonus performance translates into the 2015 cash bonus payment for the CEO and the CFO:

Performance measures

Financial performance targets

Production (000oz)

All-in sustaining costs ($/oz)
Free cash flow ($m)
Project delivery/capital expenditure
2015 Ore Reserve pre-depletion (Moz)
Safety, health and environment
Total % for company performance

Organisational performance weighting

A – Organisational performance weighted outcome

Individual performance results

Actual individual targets and strategic objectives are not disclosed in order to maintain 
commercial confidentiality in competitive markets
Individual performance weighting

Maximum performance rating bonus correlation

B – Maximum bonus opportunity based on individual performance

Total % of maximum bonus pay opportunity (A + B)

Maximum bonus opportunity (as % of base pay)

Final bonus result (as % of base pay)

Base pay during the year

Annual bonus

153

Weighting

S Venkatakrishnan

KC Ramon

Outcome

18%

22%
10%
15%
10%
25%
100%

15.79%

22.00%
10.00%
9.66%
10.00%
14.03%
81.47%
x
70.00%
=
57.03%

30.00%
x
75.00%
=
22.50%

79.53%
x
80.00%
=
63.62%
x

15.79%

22.00%
10.00%
9.66%
10.00%
14.03%
81.47%
x
60.00%
=
48.88%

40.00%
x
100.00%
=
40.00%

88.88%
x
70.00%
=
62.22%
x

12,000,000

7,448,000

=

=

7,634,880

4,633,848

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

The BSP company performance over the past 
five years has been as follows:

BSP percentage achieved
(for the last five years)

80.82%

81.01%

81.47%

46.10%

6.44%

The LTIP reflects ongoing poor TSR 
performance over the three-year period, 
providing results that are aligned with  
those delivered in 2014 but lower than the 
previous year’s: 

LTIP percentage achieved
(for the last five years)

70.00%

Performance against the LTIP metrics for the 2013 LTIP awards that vest on 13 March 2016 (for 
the period 2013 to 2015) is summarised below: 

Performance measure

Performance criteria

Achievement

Total shareholder 
return (TSR)

50% absolute ranking 
and 50% relative ranking 
against seven elected 
comparators and the 
Gold ETF  

Ranked seventh, just 
ahead of Kinross Gold 
Corporation and Harmony  
Gold Mining Company 
Limited

Allocation 2013 - 
% awarded

0.0%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

41.00%

37.20%

37.40%

32.40%

Project delivery

Schedule capital, safety 
and quality performance

Vesting outcomes of the  
2013 LTIP awards

As the LTIP is a three-year scheme, its metrics 
were implemented in 2013, in line with the 
company strategy at the time.

Performance measure

Weighting

Total shareholder return (TSR)

Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource 
ounce generation pre-depletion 

Project delivery 

Free cash flow (cash flow from 
operations less stay-in-business 
and Ore Reserve development 
expenditure)

Total achievement 

50%

15%

20%

15%

100%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

An application for 10 million additional  
shares will be made at the 2016 annual 
general meeting to meet the share  
allocation requirements under both the STI 
and the LTI. The Directors’ Report in the 
 provides details of the total share 
allocations and remaining shares available  
for future allocations.

Generation of 
Mineral Resources

Free cash flow

Between 21Moz and 
27Moz (3 x 7-9Moz) 
Measured/Indicated 
Mineral Resources

Cash flow from operations 
less stay-in-business and 
Ore Reserve development 
expenditure

Total LTIP award percentage 

Two projects, Kibali and 
Tropicana, were initiated. 
Achieved 88% on project 
delivery

17.6%

21.5Moz

0.0%

14.8%

32.4%

154

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015REMUNERATION REPORT continued

Non-executive director fees and allowances

The board elected not to take an increase in 2015, given prevailing market conditions. 

The table below summarises the directors’ fees for the period as well as the comparative totals for 2014 and 2013:

US dollars (1)

SM Pityana

AH Garner

LW Nkuhlu

MJ Kirkwood

NP January-Bardill

R Gasant

R Ruston

MDC Richter

DL Hodgson

Total

Fees

Committee 
fees

Travel 
allowance

2015

332,500

134,000

174,000

130,500

130,500

130,500

134,000

130,500

130,500

72,500

43,500

80,000

75,000

52,500

58,500

56,000

40,000

43,500

6,250

26,250

6,250

36,250

6,250

6,250

36,250

33,750

6,250

Total

411,250

203,750

260,250

241,750

189,250

195,250

226,250

204,250

180,250

Total

2014

Total

2013

430,714

186,767

–

245,074

262,762

187,355

187,635

240,226

–

125,015

–

184,492

266,362

140,538

131,899

251,841

–

–

1,427,000

521,500

163,750

2,112,250

1,678,781

1,161,899

(1)   Directors’ compensation is disclosed in US dollars. The amounts reflected are the values calculated using an exchange rate of R12.77:$1  

(2014: R10.83:$1; 2013: R9.62:$1). 

(2)  Fees are disclosed only for the period for which office is held.

Gini co-efficient

that the AngloGold Ashanti had a slightly 

Shareholder feedback

AngloGold Ashanti tracks the Gini co-efficient 
from a South African perspective to ensure 
that the income dispersion between high and 
low income earners is not outside market 
norms. The analysis is done by PwC as an 
independent third party and, based on the 
January 2016 analysis, PwC concluded 

lower level of income dispersion than that of 

South African companies in general as well 

as a lower Gini co-efficient when compared 

with the South African mining industry. We 

have began an investigation into extending 

the review of income dispersion across our 

international operations.

At the 2015 annual general meeting, 
shareholders indicated that they had no 
significant concerns, however, they did request 
that transparency be shown in terms of the 
calculation of bonus metrics. In 2015, greater 
effort was taken to explain the calculation and 
provide more detail in terms of the metrics to 
assist with understanding of the results.

155

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015APPROVALS AND ASSURANCES

AngloGold Ashanti’s annual  
reports for the 2015 financial  
year have been approved and 
assured as follows:

 INTEGRATED REPORT 2015
The Integrated Report for the year ended  
31 December 2015, which was recommended 
by the Audit and Risk Committee for approval 
by the board, was approved by the board of 
directors on 22 March 2016.

ANNUAL FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS 2015
The Annual Financial Statements for the year 
ended 31 December 2015 were approved 
by the board of directors on 22 March 2016. 
The financial statements were prepared by 
the corporate reporting staff of AngloGold 
Ashanti Limited, headed by John Edwin 
Staples, the group’s Chief Accounting Officer. 
This process was supervised by Christine 
Ramon, the group’s Chief Financial Officer, 
and Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan, the group’s 
Chief Executive Officer.

In accordance with the Companies Act, No. 
71 of 2008, as amended, the Annual Financial 
Statements for AngloGold Ashanti Limited, 
for the year ended 31 December 2015, were 
audited by Ernst & Young Inc., the company’s 
independent external auditors, whose 
unqualified audit report can be found in  
the .

MINERAL RESOURCE AND  
ORE RESERVE REPORT 2015
The Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve 
information as included in the Integrated 
Report was approved by the board of directors 
on 22 March 2016.

The chairman of the Mineral Resource and 
Ore Reserve Steering Committee assumes 
responsibility for AngloGold Ashanti’s Mineral 
Resource and Ore Reserve processes and 
is satisfied that the competent persons have 
fulfilled their responsibilities, as reported in  
the .

 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  
REPORT 2015
The  was approved by the board of 
directors on 22 March 2016. Independent 
combined reasonable and limited assurance of 
this report was provided by Ernst & Young Inc.

156

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015SHAREHOLDER AND CORPORATE INFORMATION

VALUE

TOWARDS VALUE CREATION 
through credible and sustainable business

In this section, we provide information relating to 
our shareholders and useful administrative details.

157

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

AngloGold Ashanti Limited (Registration 
number 1944/017354/06) was incorporated 
in the Republic of South Africa in 1944 and 
operates under the South African Companies 
Act No. 71 of 2008, as amended, with a 
primary listing on the JSE in South Africa. 

New York (NYSE), in the form of American 
Depositary Shares (ADSs), in Australia, in 
the form of Clearing House Electronic Sub-
register System (CHESS) Depositary Interests 
(CDIs) and in Ghana, in the form of Ghanaian 
Depositary Shares (GhDSs). 

COMPANY HISTORY – IN BRIEF
AngloGold Limited was founded in June 1998 
with the consolidation of the gold mining interests 
of Anglo American. The company, AngloGold 
Ashanti in its current form, was formed in April 
2004 following the business combination of 
AngloGold Limited (AngloGold) with Ashanti 
Goldfields Company Limited (Ashanti).

SHAREHOLDER DIARY
Financial year end:   
31 December

Suite of 2015 annual reports published:  
31 March 2016

Annual general meeting: 
4 May 2016

STOCK EXCHANGE LISTINGS
AngloGold Ashanti is an independent 
gold producer with a diverse spread of 
shareholders comprising the world’s largest 
financial institutions. 

At the end of December 2015, AngloGold 
Ashanti had 405,265,315 ordinary shares in 
issue and a market capitalisation of $2.88bn 
(2014: $3.51bn). As at 22 March 2016, the 
date of this report, the market capitalisation 
was $5.54bn.

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 

CHANGE OF DETAILS
Shareholders are reminded that the onus is 
on them to keep the company, through their 
nominated share registrars, apprised of any 
change in their postal address and personal 
particulars. Similarly, where shareholders 
receive dividend payments electronically (EFT), 
they should ensure that the banking details 
which the share registrars and/or CSDPs have 
on file are correct.

ANNUAL REPORTS
The 2015 suite of annual reports is available 
on the corporate reporting website,  
www.aga-reports.com.

SHAREHOLDINGS
The top 10 shareholders together own 49.59% of the shares in issue. There are five shareholders 
with holdings exceeding 5% of the total ordinary issued share capital. A comparison of the top 10 
shareholders and their holdings is as follows:

As at 31 December 2015, the top 10 shareholders in AngloGold Ashanti were: 

Number of
 shares
 held

2015

% of total 
shares in
 issue

2015

Number of
 shares
 held

2014

Investec Asset Mgt

31,185,069

7.69

28,576,916

Van Eck Global

26,941,752

6.65

24,759,780

Public Investment 
Corporation

25,936,314

6.40

31,854,515

Paulson & Co.

25,027,300

6.18

26,205,400

Dimensional Fund Advisors

20,901,571

5.16

13,465,261

BlackRock Investment Mgt

16,979,044

4.19

6 549 138

Franklin Templeton 
Investments

16,136,814

3.98

7 796 643

Vanguard Group

12,681,669

3.13

11,611,514

Deutsche Bank

12,674,444

10 BlackRock Fund Advisors

12,462,526

3.13

3.08

8,526,235

9 792 348

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

% of total 
shares in
 issue

2014

7.07

6.13

7.88

6.49

3.33

1.62

1.93

2.87

2.11

2.42

The Bank of New York Mellon holds 198,617,090 shares, being a holding of 49.01%  
(2014: 194,944,027 shares, a holding of 48.25%), through various custodians in respect of 
AngloGold Ashanti’s American Depositary Share Programme on the NYSE.

158

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015 
 
 
 
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION continued

Shareholder spread as at 31 December 2015:

Class of shareholder

Number of
 shares
 held

% of total 
shares in
 issue

Number of
 shareholders 

% of total 
shares in
 issue

Public shareholders

398,652,822

98.37

8,470

99.89

Non-public

Directors

Strategic holdings  
(Government of Ghana)

238,843

6,373,650

0.06

1.57

8

1

0.10

0.01

Total 

405,265,315

100.00

8,479

100.00

Stock exchange data

High
(R or $/share)

Low
(R or $/share)

Average
(R or $/share)

Volume 
traded
(000)

Ave monthly 
volume traded
(000)

JSE

2015

2014

NYSE

2015

2014

Source: Bloomberg

144.92

209.52

12.99

19.53

73.76

88.36

5.68

7.45

113.12

152.27

384,307

280,288

8.95

13.90

950,850

749,358

32,027

23,357

79,238

62,447

DIVIDEND POLICY
Dividends are proposed by, and approved 
by the board of directors of AngloGold 
Ashanti, based on the company’s financial 
performance. It is to be noted that no 
dividends have been declared since the first 
quarter in 2013. AngloGold Ashanti expects to 
resume paying dividends, although there can 
be no assurance that dividends will be paid in 
the future or as to the particular amounts that 
will be paid from year to year. The payment 
of future dividends will depend on the board’s 
ongoing assessment of AngloGold Ashanti’s 
earnings, after providing for long-term growth, 
cash/debt resources, compliance with the 
solvency and liquidity requirements of the 
Companies Act, the amount of reserves 
available for a dividend based on the going-
concern assessment, and restrictions (if any) 
placed by the conditions of debt facilities, 
protection of the investment grade credit rating 
and other factors.

Withholding tax

On 1 April 2012, the South African 
government imposed a 15% withholding tax 
on dividends and other distributions payable to 
shareholders.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Shareholders on the South African register 
who have dematerialised their shares in the 
company (other than those shareholders whose 
shareholding is recorded in their own names in 
the sub-register maintained by their CSDP) and 
who wish to attend the annual general meeting 
to be held on 4 May 2016 in person, will need 
to request their CSDP or broker to provide them 
with the necessary letter of representation in 
terms of the custody agreement entered into 
between them and the CSDP or broker.

Voting rights

The Companies Act provides that if voting is 
by a show of hands, any person present and 
entitled to exercise voting rights has one vote, 
irrespective of the number of voting rights that 
person would otherwise be entitled to. If voting 
is taken by way of poll, any shareholder who is 
present at the meeting, whether in person or 
by duly appointed proxy, shall have one vote 
for every share held.

There are no limitations on the right of 
non-South African shareholders to hold or 
exercise voting rights attaching to any shares 
of the company. CDI holders are not entitled 
to vote in person at meetings, but may vote 
by way of proxy.

Options granted in terms of the share incentive 
scheme do not carry rights to vote.

159

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this 
document, other than statements of 
historical fact, including, without limitation, 
those concerning the economic outlook 
for the gold mining industry, expectations 
regarding gold prices, production, total cash 
costs, all-in sustaining costs, all-in costs, 
cost savings and other operating results, 
return on equity, productivity improvements, 
growth prospects and outlook of AngloGold 
Ashanti’s operations, individually or in the 
aggregate, including the achievement of 
project milestones, commencement and 
completion of commercial operations of 
certain of AngloGold Ashanti’s exploration 
and production projects and the completion 
of acquisitions, dispositions or joint venture 
transactions, AngloGold Ashanti’s liquidity and 
capital resources and capital expenditures 
and the outcome and consequence of any 
potential or pending litigation or regulatory 
proceedings or environmental health and 
safety issues, are forward-looking statements 

regarding AngloGold Ashanti’s operations, 
economic performance and financial 
condition. These forward-looking statements 
or forecasts involve known and unknown 
risks, uncertainties and other factors that 
may cause AngloGold Ashanti’s actual 
results, performance or achievements to 
differ materially from the anticipated results, 
performance or achievements expressed or 
implied in these forward-looking statements. 
Although AngloGold Ashanti believes that the 
expectations reflected in such forward-looking 
statements and forecasts are reasonable, 
no assurance can be given that such 
expectations will prove to have been correct. 
Accordingly, results could differ materially 
from those set out in the forward-looking 
statements as a result of, among other factors, 
changes in economic, social and political and 
market conditions, the success of business 
and operating initiatives, changes in the 
regulatory environment and other government 
actions, including environmental approvals, 

fluctuations in gold prices and exchange rates, 
the outcome of pending or future litigation 
proceedings, and business and operational 
risk management. For a discussion of such risk 
factors, refer to AngloGold Ashanti’s annual 
reports on Form 20-F filed with the United 
States Securities and Exchange Commission. 
These factors are not necessarily all of the 
important factors that could cause AngloGold 
Ashanti’s actual results to differ materially 
from those expressed in any forward-looking 
statements. Other unknown or unpredictable 
factors could also have material adverse 
effects on future results. Consequently, readers 
are cautioned not to place undue reliance 
on forward-looking statements. AngloGold 
Ashanti undertakes no obligation to update 
publicly or release any revisions to these 
forward-looking statements to reflect events 
or circumstances after the date hereof or to 
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, 
except to the extent required by applicable 
law. All subsequent written or oral forward-

looking statements attributable to AngloGold 
Ashanti or any person acting on its behalf are 
qualified by the cautionary statements herein.

This communication may contain certain ‘Non-
GAAP’ financial measures. AngloGold Ashanti 
utilises certain Non-GAAP performance 
measures and ratios in managing its business. 
Non-GAAP financial measures should be 
viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative 
for, the reported operating results or cash 
flow from operations or any other measures 
of performance prepared in accordance with 
IFRS. In addition, the presentation of these 
measures may not be comparable to similarly 
titled measures other companies may use. 
AngloGold Ashanti posts information that is 
important to investors on the main page of its 
website at www.anglogoldashanti.com and 
under the “Investors” tab on the main page. 
This information is updated regularly. Investors 
should visit this website to obtain important 
information about AngloGold Ashanti.

160

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015ADMINISTRATION

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI LIMITED
Registration No. 1944/017354/06 
Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa 
Share codes:
ISIN: ZAE000043485
JSE: ANG
NYSE: AU
ASX: AGG
GhSE (Shares): AGA
GhSE (GhDS): AAD 
JSE Sponsor: Deutsche Securities (SA) 
Proprietary Limited
Auditors: Ernst & Young Inc. 
Offices:
Registered and Corporate 
76 Rahima Moosa Street, Newtown 2001, 
South Africa
(PO Box 62117, Marshalltown 2107,  
South Africa) 
Telephone: +27 11 637 6000
Fax: +27 11 637 6624 

Australia 
Level 13, 
St Martins Tower 
44 St George’s Terrace 
Perth, WA 6000 
(PO Box Z5046, Perth WA 6831) 
Australia 
Telephone: +61 8 9425 4600 
Fax: +61 8 9425 4650  

Ghana 
Gold House 
1 Patrice Lumumba Road 
(PO Box 2665) 
Accra, Ghana 
Telephone: +233 302 773400
Fax:+233 302 778155

Ghana
NTHC Limited
Martco House
Off Kwame Nkrumah Avenue
PO Box K1A 9563 Airport
Accra
Ghana
Telephone: +233 302 229664
Fax: +233 302 229975

ADR Depositary
BNY Mellon (BoNY)
BNY Shareowner Services
PO Box 358016
Pittsburgh, PA 15252-8016
United States of America
Telephone: +1 800 522 6645 (Toll free in USA) 
or +1 201 680 6578 (outside USA)
E-mail: shrrelations@mellon.com
Website: www.bnymellon.com.com\
shareowner
Global BuyDIRECTSM
BoNY maintains a direct share purchase and 
dividend reinvestment plan for AngloGold Ashanti. 
Telephone: +1-888-BNY-ADRS

DIRECTORS
Executive
S Venkatakrishnan (Chief Executive Officer) §*
KC Ramon (Chief Financial Officer) ^

Non-executive
SM Pityana (Chairman) ^
Prof LW Nkuhlu (Deputy Chairman) ^
AH Garner #
R Gasant ^
DL Hodgson ^
NP January-Bardill ^
MJ Kirkwood *
MDC Richter #
RJ Ruston ~

*  British
~  Australian

§  Indian
^  South African

# American

Officers
Executive Vice President – Legal, Commercial 
and Governance and Company Secretary:
ME Sanz Perez

Investor relations contacts:
Stewart Bailey
Telephone: +27 11 637 6031
Mobile: +27 81 032 2563
E-mail: sbailey@anglogoldashanti.com

Fundisa Mgidi
Telephone: +27 11 637 6763
Mobile: +27 82 821 5322
E-mail: fmgidi@anglogoldashanti.com

Sabrina Brockman
Telephone: +1 212 858 7702
Mobile: +1 646 379 2555
E-mail: sbrockman@anglogoldashanti.com

General e-mail enquiries:
Investors@anglogoldashanti.com

AngloGold Ashanti website:
www.anglogoldashanti.com

Company secretarial e-mail:
Companysecretary@anglogoldashanti.com

AngloGold Ashanti posts information that is 
important to investors on the main page of its 
website at www.anglogoldashanti.com and 
under the “Investors” tab on the main page. 
This information is updated regularly. Investors 
should visit this website to obtain important 
information about AngloGold Ashanti.

SHARE REGISTRARS
South Africa
Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Limited
Ground Floor, 70 Marshall Street
Johannesburg 2001
(PO Box 61051, Marshalltown 2107)
South Africa
Telephone: 0861 100 950 (in SA)
Fax: +27 11 688 5218
Website: queries@computershare.co.za

Australia
Computershare Investor Services Pty Limited
Level 11, 172 St George’s Terrace
Perth, WA 6000
(GPO Box D182 Perth, WA 6840)
Australia
Telephone: +61 8 9323 2000
Telephone: 1300 55 2949 (in Australia)
Fax: +61 8 9323 2033

161

INTEGRATED REPORT 2015