This is a mining giant that South Africa proudly delivered to the world, founded in 1917 by Ernest Oppenheimer a diamond adventurer. The Company which at some point provided employment to over 200 000 workers in South Africa played a pivotal role in the industrialisation and economic development of South Africa, through establishment and expansion of different sectors of the economy, from mining, to finance and media sectors.

Anglo also played an instrumental role in the founding of General Mining Ltd in response to the pressure from the apartheid government to bring about empowerment to Afrikaner entrepreneurs, a Company which later became one of South Africa’s mining giants, Gencor through the 1980 merger with Union Corporation and Finance Corporation. Gencor acquired Billiton in 1994 from Royal Dutch, and later merged with BHP Limited in 2001 to the now BHP Billiton.

Political instability of the 1980s coupled with international boycotts and sanctions in early 90s resulted in the beginning of divestment by Anglo from Africa in the form of Luxembourg-based Minorco, and later through the unbundling of JCI Limited (Consolidated Investment Company) in 1995, as part of its contribution to the BBE programme of the newly formed democratic government.

WattPower Minerals envisages to deliver a similar contribution made by Anglo American in South Africa, of economic development and industrialization of the African continent in the next four decades.

 

Although BHP Billiton has virtually divested completely in South African, however a significant proportion of the company’s capital and equity makeup originates from South Africa in the form of Gencor. Now the largest diversified mineral company, the company is an epic example of the mineral potential offering by Africa to the global economy.

WattPower Minerals believes that valuable lessons on offer from the transformation journey of Gencor to BHP Billiton will catapult another emerging African Mining House into global domination of the mining and minerals sector.

This company is one of the few successful story of the South African government black economic empowerment policy, where the pre conceived vision of BEE was proactively executed into a formidable black owned mining company that is actively participating in the economy. The company was founded from humble beginnings, yet was resourced with a visionary and sterling leadership that transformed what was viewed to be a farfetched concept at the time to one of the largest mining companies in Africa, and Company continues to position itself as global mining player.

The founding chairman’s story about using the boot of his car as his first office brings a lot of inspiration to WattPower Minerals Leadership when it improvise office space in the wilderness of Africa during exploration of mineral resource opportunities.