Anglo Gold Ashanti

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold producer with a long South African history. The company formed in 2004, when AngloGold merged with Ghana's Ashanti Goldfields Corporation. For many years it was one of the largest employers on the Witwatersrand and in the Free State goldfields. Mines such as Mponeng, TauTona and Moab Khotsong carried its name.

The company has changed a great deal since then. It sold its last South African mine, Mponeng, to Harmony Gold in 2020. In 2023 it moved its primary listing to the New York Stock Exchange and set up its main office in the United Kingdom. Today it mines in Africa, the Americas and Australia, and it keeps a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

How AngloGold Ashanti supported students

While it operated shafts in South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti ran a well-known bursary programme. It targeted young people from the mining communities around Matlosana and Merafong, plus labour-sending areas of the Eastern Cape. Children of company employees also qualified. The programme sat inside a wider skills strategy that aimed to supply the mines with engineers, geologists and artisans. Training centres in the Matlosana and Merafong areas supported applicants in person.

Earlier calls covered full-time degrees and diplomas in fields such as mining, mechanical, electrical, chemical and environmental engineering. Metallurgy, geology and mine surveying also appeared, along with safety, instrumentation and support areas like finance, human resources and supply chain. Past awards reportedly covered tuition and residence fees, with a book and cash allowance. They also carried a work-back period, reported as one year of service for each year of funding.

What to know before applying

Because AngloGold Ashanti no longer operates mines in South Africa, you should treat older bursary listings with care. Many websites still repeat 2017 and 2021 details that no longer apply. The company has not publicly confirmed that it still accepts South African bursary applications. The safest step is to read the careers and sustainability pages on the official AngloGold Ashanti website.

If you want a mining career in South Africa, other options exist. Harmony Gold, which took over the former AngloGold shafts, runs its own bursary programme for mining communities. Several other mining houses also fund engineering and geology students. Compare them side by side and note each closing date.

Whatever you choose, prepare early. Gather your certified identity document, your matric or university results and proof of residence. Mining companies also value practical interest, so mention any science club, technical hobby or community project in your motivation. Keep your marks high in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, because most mining funders ask for strong results in both subjects. Finally, read any contract fully, particularly the sections on service obligations and repayment.