Overview
Anglo American is a global mining company focused on copper, premium iron ore and crop nutrients. Its operations and projects span South America, southern Africa and the United Kingdom. Copper assets in Chile and Peru, iron ore operations in Brazil and South Africa, and the Woodsmith crop-nutrients project in the UK help define its geographic footprint. The company states its purpose as “to re-imagine mining to improve people’s lives.” [1][2][3]
Anglo American is reshaping its portfolio around those three areas: it demerged its platinum business in 2025 and is pursuing the separation of its diamond business, De Beers. Revenue from continuing operations was approximately US$18.5 billion in 2025. As an indication of workforce scale, the company described itself as having around 60,000 employees globally in 2023.[4][5][6] [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Products & services
Anglo American’s principal mineral products are copper and premium iron ore. Its copper output includes copper concentrate and cathode. Its iron ore range includes lump and fines from Kumba in South Africa and high-grade pellet feed from Minas-Rio in Brazil, supplied as inputs for steelmaking. In 2025, copper generated $8.12 billion, or about 42% of revenue from continuing operations; premium iron ore generated $6.65 billion, or about 34%.[7][8][9][10]
Anglo American also produces rough diamonds through De Beers, which sells them through Sightholder sales and auctions. De Beers offers diamond-grading services, while its Element Six business develops synthetic-diamond materials for industrial and technical applications. Diamonds generated $3.49 billion, or about 18% of Anglo American’s 2025 revenue from continuing operations.[11][12][13][10]
Its developing crop-nutrients product, POLY4, is a granulated fertiliser made from polyhalite. The published granule specification lists 14% potassium oxide, 48% sulphur trioxide, 6% magnesium oxide and 17% calcium oxide. Anglo American also reports manganese as a continuing product; steelmaking coal and nickel were classified as discontinued operations in its 2025 results. Its former platinum-group-metals business was demerged in 2025.[14][15][10][16][17] [10][10][10][10][10][16][16][8][9][17][7][11][12][13][14][15]
Geographic presence
Anglo American’s mining and related assets span several regions. Its copper assets are in Chile (Los Bronces, El Soldado and Collahuasi, alongside the Chagres processing facility) and Peru (Quellaveco). Its iron ore assets include Minas-Rio in Brazil and the Sishen and Kolomela mines in South Africa. The Woodsmith crop-nutrients project is in the United Kingdom.[18][19]
The group’s diamond interests include assets in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada. Its asset listings also place a manganese joint venture in South Africa and Australia. Sales-related entities are listed in Botswana, South Africa and Singapore, although those locations do not indicate where customers are based. Anglo American’s registered office is in London.[18][20][21] [18][19][21][22][22][20]
Business segments
Anglo American reports five principal segments within continuing operations. **Copper** covers operations in Chile and Peru, including Quellaveco; **Premium Iron Ore** comprises Kumba Iron Ore in South Africa and Minas-Rio in Brazil; **De Beers** covers diamond operations and related sales and brands; **Manganese** comprises the Samancor joint venture; and **Crop Nutrients** centres on the Woodsmith polyhalite project in the UK.[18][23]
On Anglo American’s 2025 Group revenue measure for continuing operations, Copper contributed approximately **42%**, Premium Iron Ore **34%**, De Beers **18%**, Manganese **2%**, and Crop Nutrients **1%**; corporate and other activities accounted for the remaining **2%**. Copper and Premium Iron Ore contributed approximately **62%** and **45%**, respectively, of continuing-operations underlying EBITDA, while De Beers and Crop Nutrients reported underlying EBITDA losses. These EBITDA percentages do not sum to 100% because some segments made losses.[24]
The 2025 reporting presentation shows **Steelmaking Coal, Nickel and Platinum Group Metals separately as discontinued operations**, rather than including them in the continuing-operations percentages above. Their combined revenue was approximately $3.7 billion, compared with $19.3 billion for continuing operations.[24] [18][23][10][25][24]
Company history
Ernest Oppenheimer founded the Anglo American Corporation in South Africa in 1917 as a gold-mining enterprise. In 1926, Anglo American became the largest single shareholder in diamond producer De Beers, marking an early expansion beyond gold. In 1999, the combination of Anglo American Corporation and Minorco formed Anglo American plc, which established its primary listing in London.[26][27][28]
Anglo American participated in the consortium that took De Beers private in 2001. It demerged its paper and packaging business, Mondi, in 2007, then increased its De Beers holding to 85% by acquiring the Oppenheimer family’s stake in 2012. In 2021, it demerged its South African thermal-coal business as Thungela Resources.[29][30][31][32] [26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
Sources
- ANGLO AMERICAN — Full financial report (2025 Y)
- www.angloamerican.com[6]
- www.angloamerican.com[7]
- www.debeersgroup.com[11]
- institute.debeers.com[12]
- www.debeersgroup.com[13]
- www.poly4.com[14]
- uk.angloamerican.com[15]
- ANGLO AMERICAN — Press release (2025 Y)[17]
- www.angloamerican.com[20]
- ANGLO AMERICAN — Full financial report (2024 Y)[22]
- www.angloamerican.com[24]
- www.angloamerican.com[26]
- www.debeersgroup.com[27]
- publications.parliament.uk[28]
- www.saflii.org[29]
- www.angloamerican.com[30]
- www.angloamerican.com[31]
- www.angloamerican.com[32]
Continue your research
From company context to financial detail.
Explore original sources and worldwide fundamental financial data and intelligence with Finbar.
Explore ANGLO AMERICAN in Finbar ↗