A New Era?

Now that Sibanye-Stillwater’s takeover of Lonmin is complete, what does the future hold?

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Although Lonmin takes its leave after 20 years of trade, its origins are, in fact, much older – and equally colourful.

Founded in 1909 as the London and Rhodesia Mining and Land Company, or Lonrho, the company was rarely out of the news. This was especially the case in the 1970s when – as a sanctions-buster throughout the period of Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence – it drew the criticism of then UK Prime Minister Edward Heath, who labelled Lonrho “the ugly face of capitalism”.