Profile: DRDGOLD Limited (DROOY.O)

DRDGOLD Limited, incorporated on February 16, 1895, is a South Africa-based gold mining company engaged in underground and surface gold mining, including exploration, extraction, processing and smelting. The Company has a 74% interest in DRDGOLD South African Operations (Pty) Limited (DRDGOLD SA). Of the remaining 26%, 20% is held by its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partner Khumo Gold SPV (Pty) Limited (Khumo Gold) and 6% is held by an employee trust known as DRDSA Empowerment Trust. DRDGOLD SA wholly owns and operates Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining Company Limited (Blyvoor), East Rand Proprietary Mines Limited (ERPM) and Crown Gold Recoveries (Pty) Limited (Crown). DRDGOLD SA is also in a 50:50 joint venture known as Ergo Mining (Pty) Limited (Ergo Joint Venture) with Mintails SA (Pty) Limited (Mintails SA), a subsidiary of Mintails Limited of Australia. Phase 1 of the Ergo Joint Venture, was subsequently established under the Elsburg Gold Mining Joint Venture (ErgoGold). On March 31, 2009, DRDGOLD obtained control over ErgoGold, formerly a 50:50 joint venture with Mintails SA.

On March 31, 2009, the Company acquired 35% interest from Mogale Gold (Pty) Limited. On February 28, 2009, DRDGOLD, through its subsidiary, Argonaut Financial Services (Pty) Limited acquired a 50% interest in Witfontein Mining (Pty) Limited. In January 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of 28.33% of the shares in West Wits SA (Pty) Limited, a subsidiary of West Wits Mining Limited.

The Company owns 74% of the Blyvoor, (through its 74% holding in DRDGOLD SA), which in turn owns 100% of the Doornfontein Gold Mining Company Limited. The consolidated mining operation, referred to as Blyvoor, consists of the adjacent mines of Blyvooruitzicht and Doornfontein, which are located within the Far West Rand Goldfield on the northwestern edge of the Witwatersrand Basin. Together, these two operations have produced over 37 million ounces of gold since inception. Blyvoor is located on the West Wits line within the Far West Rand Goldfield on the northwestern rim of the Witwatersrand Basin, near the town of Carletonville, Gauteng Province, about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) south-west of Johannesburg. Blyvoor consists of one mining license, ML46/99, in respect of statutory mining rights and mineral rights held by Blyvoor.

The Company owns 74% of DRDGOLD SA, which in turn owns 100% of Crown. Crown has a surface retreatment operation consisting of the Crown Central, City Deep and Knights business units, collectively referred to as Crown. Crown is situated on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa and consists of three separate locations. It has mining rights to 5,787 acres (2,342 hectares) and has the right to occupy 1,490 acres (603 hectares) of freehold property. The Crown Central operation is located on the West Wits line within the Central Goldfield of the Witwatersrand Basin, approximately 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the Johannesburg central business district in the province of Gauteng. The City Deep operation is located on the West Wits line within the Central Goldfields of the Witwatersrand Basin, approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) south-east of the Johannesburg central business district in the province of Gauteng. The Knights operation is located at Stanley and Knights Road Germiston off the R29 Main Reef Road.

The Company owns 74% of ERPM, which is consolidated as a subsidiary, through its 74% holding in DRDGOLD SA. ERPM consists of an underground section and the Cason Dump surface retreatment operation. Underground mining at ERPM was halted in October 2008. The Cason Dump surface retreatment operation will continue to operate until 2014 under the management of Crown. ERPM is situated on the Central Rand Goldfield located within and near the northern margin of the Witwatersrand Basin in the town of Boksburg, 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Johannesburg. Access.