Gold Fields is 139 years old and the gold boom has given one of South Africa’s oldest companies fresh momentum. Half-year profit rose by 81%, production climbed by 12% and shareholders received a significantly larger interim dividend.
But uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the Tarkwa mine leases in Ghana is weighing on the company’s future. Gareth Edwards and Aakash Brambeo explore the political forces that have shaped Gold Fields, the reasons gold has become a global safe haven, the mining industry’s uneven safety record and whether today’s businesses could survive for another 139 years.
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Chapter List
(00:00) 139 Years of Gold Fields
(01:05) The Ghana Mine-lease Battle
(03:15) What Is Driving the Gold Boom?
(04:24) Mining Safety’s Uneven Progress
(05:45) Could Today’s Companies Survive 139 Years?
