Valterra Platinum
{{Short description|South African mining company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Valterra Platinum
| logo = Valterra Platinum logo.jpg
| type = Public limited company
| traded_as = {{LSE|VALT}}
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|ZAE000013181}}
| genre =
| foundation = {{start date and age|1995}}
| founder =
| location_city = Johannesburg
| location_country = South Africa
| location =
| locations =
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Norman Mbazima (Chairman)
Craig Miller (CEO)
| industry = Mining
| products = Platinum
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| caption =
| homepage = {{url|https://www.valterraplatinum.com}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
Valterra Platinum Limited (formerly Anglo American Platinum Limited) is a South African mining company, and the world's largest primary producer of platinum; accounting for about 38% of the world's annual supply. It was demerged from Anglo American on 31 May 2025.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mining-technology.com/news/anglo-american-demerger-majority-stake-valterra-platinum/|title=Anglo American completes demerger of majority stake in Valterra Platinum|date=3 June 2025|newspaper=Mining Technology|access-date=5 June 2025}}
Based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, most of the group's operations lie to the northwest and northeast of the city. A majority of the company's operations take place in the Bushveld Igneous Complex, a large region that contains a range of mineral commodities including chromium, vanadium, titaniferous magnetite and platinum group metals.
History
The company was formed when Johannesburg Consolidated Investments unbundled in 1995. Its platinum interests became Amplats, later renamed Anglo American Platinum. Anglo American was the company's majority shareholder.{{cite news|url=
https://mg.co.za/article/1995-03-03-jcis-unbundling-gets-lacklustre-response/|title=
JCI’s unbundling gets lacklustre response|date=3 March 1995|newspaper=Mail and Guardian|access-date=5 June 2025}}
On 5 October 2012, Anglo American Platinum made 12,967 striking South African miners redundant.{{cite news|title=Amplats fires 12,000 South African platinum miners|work=BBC News |date=5 October 2012 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19848915|access-date=5 October 2012}} In July 2014, Amplats announced it would sell many of its South African mines following the negative effect of five months' worth of strikes on the firm's hopes of becoming profitable.{{cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-anglo-platinum-results-idUSKBN0FQ0WT20140721|title=Amplats to sell strike-hit South African mines|year=2014|work=Reuters}}
The company was demerged from Anglo American, as Valterra Platinum, on 31 May 2025.
Controversies
= Treatment of indigenous people =
Anglo American Platinum filed SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) against a South African public interest lawyer Richard Spoor, who represented indigenous communities affected by platinum mining on tribal land. The actions include an application in the High Court for a so-called gagging order, ostensibly to prevent him further injuring the good name and reputation of the corporation, the lodging of complaints with the Law Society of unprofessional behaviour and the lodging of a civil action for damages for some $500,000. Anglo American Platinum also obtained an ex parte (without notice) order interdicting two tribal chiefs from interfering with their mining operations and had them arrested on charges of intimidation and trespass. Subsequently, followers of the two tribal chiefs were shot, beaten and arrested for protesting the mine's presence on tribal land.{{Cite web |date=2006-07-14 |title=Business Report - Platinum firms threaten to gag Richard Spoor |url=http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3329978 |access-date=2022-03-21 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060714065017/http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3329978 |archive-date=14 July 2006 |url-status=dead}}
In August 2007, British charity War on Want published a report accusing Anglo American Platinum's parent company Anglo American of profiting from the abuse of people in the developing countries in which the company operates. In the report, Anglo American Platinum is accused of displacing communities in South Africa, including forcing the entire Magobading community off its land and into the Mecklenberg township.{{cite web|url=https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Anglo%20American%20-%20The%20Alternative%20Report.pdf|title=Anglo-American: the Alternative Report|publisher=The War on Want|access-date=21 March 2022}}
Carbon footprint
Anglo American Platinum reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 3,943 Kt (-493 /-11.1% y-o-y).{{Cite web |title=Anglo American Platinum's Sustainability Report for 2020Q4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106144320/https://www.angloamericanplatinum.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/Platinum/investors/annual-reporting/2021/aap-integrated-annual-report-2020.pdf |url=https://www.angloamericanplatinum.com/~/media/Files/A/Anglo-American-Group/Platinum/investors/annual-reporting/2021/aap-integrated-annual-report-2020.pdf|archive-date=January 6, 2022 }} [https://analytics.exerica.com/App/Name/Anglo%20American%20Platinum/Total%20CO2e%20Emissions%20-%20Location-Based%20Scope%201%20%2b%20Scope%202/2020Q4/12 Alt URL] Emissions have been on a declining trend since 2015.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.valterraplatinum.com/ Official site]
{{Anglo American plc}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1955
Category:Mining companies of South Africa
Category:Palladium mining companies
Category:Platinum mining companies