The campaign, titled 'Our roots run deep in South Africa', aims to demonstrate how Anglo American is re-imagining mining to help build South Africa's future. The company intends to do so through its major investments into its local operations and a range of socio-economic challenges, including education, job creation, health, land and environment, innovation and technology.

"South Africa's story is our story," says Dr Pranill Ramchander, Anglo American's head of corporate communication in South Africa. "Its future is our future. This campaign doesn't just celebrate the past 25 years, it looks forward to a shared future of prosperity." 

"We've been here for more than 100 years, and we're proud of our deep roots in the country. This campaign uses real-life stories to tell a bigger story of how the people of Anglo American work every day to support the South African economy and make a lasting difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans."

Anglo American says that it has played a role in South Africa's development. The company pioneered black economic empowerment in the 1990s, before BEE entered the lexicon. It also rolled out the largest private sector roll-out of antiretroviral treatment for HIV/Aids in the early 2000s.

Over the past 25 years, Anglo American says that it has helped create some of South Africa's most successful black-owned and managed companies, including Exxaro, Seriti Resources, African Rainbow Minerals, Royal Bafokeng Platinum and Siyanda Resources.

Dr Ramchander says each advertisement in the campaign will focus on a single story that highlights Anglo American's role in helping unlock potential, and build a sustainable future for communities and the entire country.

The company's current initiatives include an education programme in conjunction with the Department of Education, which aims to transform learning outcomes for more than 70 000 learners at schools around its operations in South Africa.

Its enterprise development initiative, Anglo American Zimele, is underway with a plan to help develop 2 500 entrepreneurs, aid 900 suppliers and support a projected 10 000 jobs by the end of 2022.

Lesego Kotane, managing director of King James Johannesburg, concludes, "Anglo American has a rich history in South Africa. To have partnered with them in the telling of their story of current and future commitment to the country was a great privilege and opportunity for us as an agency. We look forward to telling more of these stories as time goes on." 

For more information, visit www.angloamerican.com.  You can also follow Anglo American on Facebook or on Twitter.