Acquisition

Anglo American PLC
23 May 2002



News Release
23 May 2002


               Anglo Ferrous Metals subsidiary acquires Moly Cop


Anglo American plc announces that Scaw Metals, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Anglo Ferrous Metals, has acquired the Moly-Cop grinding media businesses of GS
Industries for US$105 million.

The annual turnover of the Moly-Cop operations is in excess of US$240 million
(400,000 tonnes per annum) with activities located in the large and growing
mining markets of Chile and Peru, where newly installed capacity will cater for
significant projected growth, as well as operations in Mexico, the Philippines,
Australia, Canada and Italy.

The production of grinding media, which is used in the mining industry for
crushing material to small particle sizes, has long been a core activity of Scaw
Metals in South Africa. One of Scaw Metals' strategic objectives has been to
expand into grinding media markets in other areas of the world and this
acquisition represents a major step in this regard and will also offer
synergistic benefits with existing operations.



For further information:


Anglo American - London

Investor Relations                    Media Relations

Nick von Schirnding                   Kate Aindow

Tel: [phone]                 Tel: [phone]


Anglo American - Johannesburg

Investor Relations                    Media Relations

Anne Dunn                             Marion Dixon

Tel: [phone]                  Tel: [phone]



Notes to Editors:

Anglo American plc is one of the world's largest mining and natural resource
groups. With its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, it is a global
leader in gold, platinum group metals and diamonds, with significant interests
in coal, base and ferrous metals, industrial minerals and forest products. The
group is geographically diverse, with operations in Africa, Europe, South and
North America and Australia. (www.angloamerican.co.uk)

Scaw Metals is one of Africa's largest diversified iron steel and engineering
businesses. The group comprises four principal divisions, namely rolled
products, cast products, grinding media and steel wire products. The grinding
media division manufactures forged, cast steel and high chromium grinding media
for the gold, platinum, copper, coal mining and sand regrind industries. Scaw
Metals also holds a 50% interest in a grinding media plant, Productos Chilenos
De Acero Limitada (Proacer) near Santiago in Chile.

In 2001, Scaw Metals achieved an operating profit of US$31 million.



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