CONSOLIDATED GOLDFIELDS OF SOUTH AF RICA, LTD. The Goldfields of South Africa Company, founded by Cecil Rhodes and Charles Rudd, was started largely to exploit a concession obtained by the latter from Lobengula. Together with the South African Gold Trust and Agency Company and other undertakings, it was absorbed in 1892 by the Consolidated Gold fields of South Africa, Ltd., which in 1927 had a share capital of £4,500,000. The central administration is in London, under the chairmanship of Lord Harris. Subordinate companies are the Goldfields Rhodesian Development Company, and the Goldfields American Development Co. formed in 191 i, all the shares in which concern are held by the Consolidated Goldfields and the South African Gold Trust. The American company has hitherto found its greatest scope in the industrial field, being largely interested in the exploitation of potash and borax in California and in the artificial silk industry (Celanese) . Its mining interests are in Colombia (platinum and gold), Venezuela (gold) and Missouri (zinc).
Up to 1919 the Witwatersrand and Rhodesia afforded sufficient scope for the company's mining activities, but as further expan sion of the goldfields became limited the management considered it essential to extend its field and scope of investment to other parts of the world. The objects of the company being limited by its articles of association, it was found expedient to register a company with wider objects. Accordingly in 1919 the "New Consolidated Goldfields" was formed and became the operating company, all its shares being held by the Consolidated Goldfields Company.
The same procedure was adopted in the case of the South African Gold Trust, Ltd., whose assets were transferred to the New Gold Trust, Ltd.
Whilst still devoting its main attention to gold-mining in South Africa, the Consolidated Goldfields through its operating company has extended its gold-mining activity to Venezuela, Canada, West Australia and Colombia and has investments in the following industries: artificial silk (United States), oil (Trinidad and Ru mania), lead (Derbyshire), insulating products (Denmark), plat inum (Colombia and Transvaal), zinc-lead (Italy and France), copper (Mexico and Venezuela), tin (Nigeria). (L. C. M.)