REG-Anglogold Ld: Statement re JV in Marine Exploration & Mining

AngloGold Ashanti Limited \ (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)
(Reg. No.1944/017354/06) \ ISIN Number: ZAE000043485 \ NYSE symbol: AU \ JSE
share code: ANG

Corporate Affairs Department: \ 3rd Floor \ 76 Jeppe Street \ Johannesburg \
2001 \ South Africa
Tel +27 (0)11 637 6317 \ Fax +27 (0)11 637 6399/6400 \ www.AngloGoldAshanti.com

News release

5 October 2009

ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI AND DE BEERS FORM JOINT VENTURE IN MARINE EXPLORATION AND
MINING

AngloGold Ashanti Limited and the De Beers Group of Companies are pleased to
announce the formation of a joint venture with the purpose of initially
exploring for, and ultimately mining, gold and other minerals and metals, but
excluding diamonds, unless these occur together with other target minerals and
metals. The joint venture's activities will be focussed on marine deposits
located in, or adjacent to, the area between the high water mark and the edge
of the continental shelf on a worldwide basis. This area of interest for the
purpose of the joint venture is defined as the continental shelf.

De Beers, together with its wholly owned subsidiary De Beers Marine and other
companies and associates within the De Beers Group of Companies, have, through
their marine diamond exploration and mining activities, developed certain
skills, expertise and proprietary technology in relation to the exploration and
mining of marine deposits on the continental shelf. The establishment of this
joint venture will allow AngloGold Ashanti to take first-mover advantage of the
opportunity of partnering with a world leader in the field of marine
exploration and mining with a view to target the exploration for, and mining
of, the target minerals from mineral deposits located on the continental shelf.
This complements AngloGold Ashanti's existing terrestrial exploration and
mining activities and its mineral resource, ore reserve and production bases.

AngloGold Ashanti will hold its offshore interests in the joint venture through
its wholly owned offshore subsidiary, AngloGold Ashanti Marine Exploration
Limited (AGAME) and its South African and Southern African Development
Community interests in the joint venture either directly or via a South African
nominee. De Beers will hold its interests in the joint venture via its wholly
owned subsidiary, De Beers Group Exploration Holdings Limited (DBGEX).
AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers, through AGAME and DBGEX, will pursue their
activities in the joint venture via appropriate sub-joint venture structures in
the relevant jurisdictions targeted by the participants.

The joint venture will establish a technical services company (Techco) to be
jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers. The participants intend to
develop Techco into a fully-functional marine exploration and mining services
company, including all the skills, expertise and further proprietary technology
that it may develop or acquire, within the joint venture. Techco and DBM will
provide the necessary, skills, expertise, technology and facilities related to
marine exploration and mining activities on the continental shelf, under
various service agreements to be entered into with the various sub-joint
venture opportunities pursued by the participants.

AngloGold Ashanti's funding commitment (via AGAME) under the joint venture,
subject to regulatory approval (including that of the South African Reserve
Bank) and AngloGold Ashanti's ongoing approval of budgets and work programmes,
is to sole fund the joint venture and Techco until the completion of an initial
exploration period of at least three consecutive sampling seasons as approved
and budgeted for prior to 31 December 2012, or the date upon which AngloGold
Ashanti has sole funded a total amount of US$40 million, whichever milestone is
achieved first. Upon the conclusion of this period, AngloGold Ashanti will have
earned-in to equivalent interests to De Beers in all the sub-joint venture
opportunities pursued under the joint venture. Following this initial
exploration period, AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers will be equal partners in
the joint venture and will therefore equally fund and share in the benefits
arising from all existing and future opportunities pursued under the joint
venture. AngloGold Ashanti and De Beers will seek to secure majority interests
for the joint venture in any sub-joint venture that involves a third party.

"By combining one of the world's most successful gold exploration teams with
the foremost authority in ocean mining and exploration, we're creating a
powerful base to tackle this new frontier,'' AngloGold Ashanti Chief Executive
Officer Mark Cutifani said. "By building on our current terrestrial
exploration, development and mining activities globally we'll work to expand
our resource base from an exciting array of shallow marine prospects.''

ENDS

Contacts

Tel: Mobile: E-mail:

Alan Fine (Media) +27 (0) 11 637 + 27 (0) 83 325 afine@anglogoldAshanti.com
6383 0757

Joanne Jones +27 (0) 11 637 +27 (0) 82 896 jjones@AngloGoldAshanti.com
(Media) 6813 0306

Sicelo Ntuli +27 (0) 11 +27 (0) 71 608 sntuli@anglogoldashanti.com
(Investors) 637-6339 0991

Stewart Bailey +1 212 836 4303 +1 646 338 4337 sbailey@anglogoldashanti.com
(Investors)

Certain statements made in this communication, including, without limitation,
those concerning AngloGold Ashanti's strategy to reduce its gold hedging
position including the extent and effects of the reduction, the economic
outlook for the gold mining industry, expectations regarding gold prices,
production, cash costs and other operating results, growth prospects and
outlook of AngloGold Ashanti's operations, individually or in the aggregate,
including the completion and commencement of commercial operations of certain
of AngloGold Ashanti's exploration and production projects and completion of
acquisitions and dispositions, AngloGold Ashanti's liquidity and capital
resources, and expenditure and the outcome and consequences of any pending
litigation proceedings, contain certain forward-looking statements regarding
AngloGold Ashanti's operations, economic performance and financial condition.
Although AngloGold Ashanti believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such
expectations will prove to have been correct. Accordingly, results could differ
materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements as a result of,
among other factors, changes in economic and market conditions, success of
business and operating initiatives, changes in the regulatory environment and
other government actions, fluctuations in gold prices and exchange rates, and
business and operational risk management. For a discussion of such factors,
refer to AngloGold Ashanti's annual report for the year ended 31 December 2008,
which was distributed to shareholders on 27 March 2009 and the company's annual
report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the
United States on May 5, 2009 as amended on May 6, 2009. AngloGold Ashanti
undertakes no obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after today's
date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. All subsequent
written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to AngloGold Ashanti or
any person acting on its behalf are qualified by the cautionary statements
herein.

AngloGold Ashanti posts information that is important to investors on the main
page of its website at www.anglogoldashanti.com and under the "Investors" tab
on the main page. This information is updated regularly. Investors should visit
this website to obtain important information about AngloGold Ashanti.

END