In this article, we will not only talk about the big companies in Gauteng but also about the top 10 biggest companies in South Africa.
Before all of that, you might want a little insight into what it will take to establish a company in South Africa.
Private companies are simple and cheap to establish. They can be established with only one director. The director needs to be a resident in South Africa.
Private companies have fewer corporate governance requirements than public companies. For instance, it might not be necessary for a private company to appoint a company secretary or to hold an annual general meeting.
Also, it is not a requirement that a private company appoints an auditor unless it passes a public interest test in terms of the companies Act.
But that’s not why we are here, before we look at the big companies in Gauteng, let us look at the top biggest companies in South Africa.
The top 10 biggest companies in South Africa by market capitalisation
- Anheuser Busch Inbev (R2117 bn)
- Naspers Limited (R1519 bn)
- British American Tobacco Plc (R1245 bn)
- The BHP Group Plc (R730 bn)
- Glencore Plc (R676 bn)
- Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (R610 bn)
- Anglo American Plc (R530 bn)
- FirstRand Limited (R367 bn)
- Standard Bank Group Ltd (R306 bn)
- Vodacom Group Ltd (R213 bn)
Anheuser Busch Inbev (R2117 bn)
This is the world’s largest beer producer and distributor. The company’s portfolio consists of well over 500 beer brands which icnludes:
- Budweiser
- Corona
- Stella Artois
- Castle
This company has over $100bn of debt on its balance sheet which has been a deterring factor for some investors at the time being.
Just recently, a proposed Hong Kong listing for its Budweiser assets has been cancelled recently due to the unfavourable market conditions.
The proceeds of the listing were to be used in helping reduce group dept. However, the company has to reassess hot it plans to do so in the future.
Naspers Limited (R1519 bn)
Naspers is a global internet group and they are also one of the largest technology investors in the world.
They invest in some of the world’s leading internet platforms. This company also has sizeable investments in associates such as Tencent, Mail.ru, MakeMyTrip Ltd., and Delivery.
They are currently set to list their international assets in Amsterdam under the name Prosus.
Naspers will retain a 75% holding in Prosus which is expected to have a secondary inward listing on the JSE.
British American Tobacco Plc (R1245 bn)
British American Tobacco is the second largest tobacco manufacturer in the world and they also one the world’s leading consumer goods companies. Its brands are sold in over 180 countries.
From 2005 to 2018 this company has managed to return an average earning per share growth of 11% per year, whilst also returning a dividend at a compound average rate(CAGR) of 12% over the same period.
The BHP Group Plc (R730 bn)
This is a world-leading diversified resurce business, extracting, processing and selling minerals, oil and gas. BHP unbundled its non-core assets into the company South32 in 2015.
The unbundling see’s BHP operations mostly removed from south Africa and mostly realized in Australia and South America.
The primary products the produce now are iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and petroleum.
The BHP Group trade on a P/E multiple of 15.8, with aa historical dividend yield offering of 4.85%.
Glencore Plc (R676 bn)
This is a leading integrated producer and marketer of commodities, operating around the world.
This is one of the big companies in Gauteng whose commodities comprise of metals and minerals, agricultural products and energy products.
The groups key industrial commodities produced that of coal, zinc, copper and nickel.
These resources account for 33%, 30%, 15% and 5% of group EBITDA repectively. The marketing side of the business accounts for around 16% of Group EBITDA.
Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (R610 bn)
This is one of the world’d leading luxury goods groups with some of the most pretigious names in the luxury industry including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Baume & Mercier, Montblanc & Alfred Dunhill to name but a few.
A breakdown of the revenue see’s 38% thereof derived from the Asia Pacific region, 29% from Europe, 18% from North and South America, 8% from Japan and 7% from the Middle East and Africa.
Anglo American Plc (R530 bn)
This is a globally diversified mining company with a portfolio of worldclass competitive mining operations and undeveloped resources.
Anglo American Plc mines copper, diamonds, platinum group metals, as well as iron ore coal, nickel and manganese.
This company is the largest producer in the world through its subsidiary Anglo-American Platinum.
Other major company holdings for Anglo include De Beers (diamond mines) and Kumba Iron Ore.
FirstRand Limited (R367 bn)
FirstRand Limited is the holding company of FirstRand Bank, one of the largest financial services provider in terms of market capitalization in South Africa.
FirstRand is looking to organicall grow its presence into the rest of Africa. They are considered the domestic leader when it comes to digital and data platforms and capabilities.
Standard Bank Group Ltd (R306 bn)
Standard Bank Group Ltd is a leading African financial services group that originated in South Africa.
Standard Bank is South Africa’s largest banking group by assets and they operate in 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Vodacom Group Ltd (R213 bn)
Vodacom is the largest South African telecommunications provider and a leading African provider, specializing in communication services which include mobile voice, messaging and data.
This company is still largely dependent on the South African Consumer with 69.9% of Earnings Before Interest Tax and Depreciation(EBITDA) derived from domestic operations.
The List of Some Big Companies in Gauteng
- The Beverage Company
- Big Box Containers
- SAP
The Beverage Company
The Beverage Company is one of the nig companies in Gauteng that across its range of brands, flavors, and colors manufacture high-quality, high-value carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, mixers, and still beverages for the South African market.
They have a proud history in their journey to becoming the South African Champion when it comes to the local beverage sector.
Their past is one of rich heritage, but their future is one of being a significant and leading local beverage producer that is deeply connected to South African’s everyday lives.
Big Box Containers
Big Box Containers is a leading provider of high-quality new and used shipping containers and refrigerated containers.
They have had over two decades of experience. Big Box offers expert conversion of containers, customizing them for different uses.
Its mission is to create and use space in innovative ways, and to enable all and sundry to achieve their business objectives through the space they provide.
Today, Big Box Containers is one of the biggest privately owned container rental sales and conversion companies in Africa.
SAP
SAP started in the year 1972 as a team of five colleagues who had the desire to do something new.
Their Cloud ERP solutions, powered by technologies like the Internet of Things, Big Data, and more, make a real impact on the world.
SAP helps companies revolutionize everything from cancer treatments to flood prevention. They invest in research that can save lives and they are passionate about sustainability and social responsibility.
With its global network of customers, partners, and employees, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. Visit their website.
