Transaction in Own Shares

Anglo American PLC
05 October 2006



                       Anglo American plc (the "Company")
                  Purchases of Ordinary Shares in the Company

Following the increase in the buyback programme of US$4 billion announced in the
interim results announcement of Friday 4 August 2006, the Company announces that
on 4 October 2006 an independent company purchased 550,000 ordinary shares of
the Company at prices between £21.66 and £22.24 per share. This purchase was
made by an independent company to be funded by a wholly owned overseas
subsidiary of the Company, which wholly owned subsidiary will have the right to
nominate a transferee for such shares, and otherwise in accordance with
arrangements substantially the same as those announced by the Company on 23
March 2006.

In addition to the above, and pursuant to the authority granted by shareholders
at the Annual General Meeting held on 25 April 2006, Anglo American plc
purchased 685,145 of its ordinary shares on 4 October 2006 at prices between
£21.60 and £22.09 per share. The purchased shares will all be held as treasury
shares.

Anglo American plc currently holds 25,253,160 ordinary shares in treasury, and
has 1,516,400,447 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) and the
independent companies referred to above and in the announcement of 23 March 2006
together hold 26,696,030 ordinary shares, representing 1.76 per cent of Anglo
American plc's ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares).

Andy Hodges
Deputy Secretary
Anglo American plc
5 October 2006





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