Picture this: it’s 1895, and a fledgling gold mining outfit lists on a bustling Johannesburg Stock Exchange, just eight years old itself. That company? DRD Gold—still ticking today. The oldest companies on the JSE aren’t just relics; they’re survivors, thriving through wars, booms, busts, and seismic economic shifts.
These titans—DRD Gold, SABMiller, PPC Cement, Sappi Limited, and Barloworld—offer a masterclass in resilience. Today, I’m peeling back their stories to reveal what keeps them standing and how you can leverage their lessons for your own business or portfolio. Let’s dive in.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange kicked off on November 8, 1887, thanks to Benjamin Wollan—a visionary who saw gold’s potential and listed his Johannesburg Chambers and Company as its first stock. Over 137 years, hundreds of firms have come and gone. Yet a handful endure, their roots deep in South Africa’s soil. What’s their secret? Adaptability, grit, and a knack for seizing opportunity. Below, I’ll break down their journeys and share tangible takeaways you can use.
Oldest Companies on the JSE
DRD Gold: The Gold Standard of Survival
DRD Gold started as Durban Roodepoort Deep Limited in 1895. Gold fever was raging on the Witwatersrand, and listing on the JSE gave it the cash to dig deeper—literally. By 1998, it snapped up Crown Mines, cementing its place as a last-standing gold miner. Today, it’s a niche player, squeezing value from surface tailings rather than chasing new veins. Its City Deep mine, once a metallurgical hub, now hums as a milling station, feeding gold to extraction plants.
Here’s the kicker: DRD’s market cap sits at R14.62 billion, with R5.12 billion in revenue as of 2022. Not bad for a 129-year-old! Its secret? Reinvention. When traditional mining waned, it pivoted to reclamation. For investors, this screams opportunity—low-risk gold exposure in a volatile sector. For business owners, it’s a lesson: adapt or fade.
SABMiller: Brewing a Global Giant
Charles Glass saw thirsty miners in 1895 and founded Castle Brewery. Two years later, it listed as South African Breweries (SAB) on the JSE. Fast forward a century, and SABMiller was the world’s second-largest brewer—until AB InBev swallowed it for $107 billion in 2016. That deal birthed a beer behemoth controlling half the industry’s profits. Locally, SAB’s brands like Carling Black Label and Castle Lager dominate, supporting over 140,000 jobs through its value chain.
What can you take from this? Scale matters, but so does local roots. SAB sourced 97% of its beer inputs domestically—a move that built loyalty and cut costs. If you’re in business, think about strengthening your supply chain close to home. Investors, note: SABMiller’s story ended with a buyout, not a collapse. Historic brands can still fetches top dollar.
PPC Cement: Building a Nation
In 1892, De Eerste Cement Fabrieken Beperkt rose in Pretoria, morphing into Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) by 1908. It hit the JSE in 1910, raising funds to pour concrete into South Africa’s bones—the Union Buildings, Loftus Versfeld, Cape Town City Stadium. Barlow Rand scooped it up in 1977, only to spin it off in 2007. Today, PPC’s market cap hovers at R4.5 billion—a modest but steady player.
PPC teaches us durability. It tied its fate to infrastructure, a bet that paid off as South Africa grew. For professionals, consider anchoring your business to a foundational need—something timeless. Investors might see PPC as a sleeper stock: not flashy, but reliable when construction rebounds.
Sappi Limited: Paper Trails to Profit
South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited—Sappi—launched in 1936 and listed in 1937. Born to feed local demand for newsprint and packaging, it now churns out 5.5 million tonnes of paper and 2.5 million tonnes of pulp yearly. With 19 plants across three continents, including five in South Africa, Sappi exports nearly all its local output. Its Johannesburg HQ and JSE listing anchor its identity, though it trades on the NYSE too.
Sappi’s edge? Global reach with a local base. It’s a reminder: don’t just serve your backyard—export your strengths. For investors, Sappi’s export-heavy model offers currency diversification. Businesses can mimic this by tapping international markets without losing their core.
Barloworld: From Wool to Wheels
Ernest Barlow’s Thomas Barlow & Sons began in 1902, peddling wool before pivoting to engineering gear. By 1927, it locked in a Caterpillar deal that’s lasted nearly a century. Listing on the JSE in 1941 at seven shillings and six pence, it rode Apartheid-era constraints to diversify—snagging Ford dealerships in 1959 and Rand Mines in 1970. Rebranded as Barloworld in 2000, it’s since streamlined, spinning off Avis as Zeda in 2022.
Barloworld screams flexibility. It jumped sectors when boxed in, then refocused when times changed. The takeaway? Stay nimble—pivot when you must, prune when you can. Investors might eye its leaner focus for growth potential in equipment markets.
Oldest Companies on the JSE: What They Teach Us
These firms aren’t just old—they’re battle-tested. DRD Gold shifted from mining to reclamation. SABMiller scaled globally before cashing out. PPC bet on infrastructure’s permanence. Sappi went international without losing roots. Barloworld reshaped itself repeatedly. Each move offers a playbook: adapt, localize, diversify, endure.
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Actionable Steps for You
So, what can you do with this? Plenty! If you’re a business owner, study these shifts. Could your firm pivot like DRD or localize like SAB? Test one change—say, sourcing 10% more locally—and track the savings. Investors, dig into these stocks. DRD’s gold niche or PPC’s stability might balance your portfolio. Check their latest earnings on the JSE site or Bloomberg—numbers don’t lie. Professionals, pitch these stories to clients. Longevity sells trust.
Oldest Companies on the JSE
| Company | Year Listed |
|---|---|
| DRD Gold | 1895 |
| SABMiller | 1897 |
| PPC Cement | 1910 |
| Sappi | 1937 |
| Barloworld | 1941 |
The oldest companies on the JSE—DRD Gold, SABMiller, PPC, Sappi, and Barloworld—aren’t museum pieces. They’re living proof that resilience pays. Over 100 years, they’ve dodged extinction by evolving. That’s not luck; it’s strategy. Tap into their wisdom, and you might just build something that lasts too.
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