LANXESS’ roots in South Africa date back to 1922 when the local Bayer operation first began.

Milestones

1956: Purchase of Rustenburg Chrome Mines (Pty) Ltd. for the mining of chrome ore.

1968: Purchase of Merebank site by Chrome Chemicals (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., a joint venture between Bayer and Albright and Wilson.

1973: Bayer becomes the 100% owner of Chrome Chemicals
South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

1996: Founding of Chrome International South Africa (CISA) by Bayer (Pty) Ltd. and the South African chemicals group Sentrachem. This joint venture (50% Bayer, 50% Sentrachem) was formed for the production of sodium dichromate and chromic acid. The company’s headquarters are established in Newcastle. Kwazulu-Natal.

2004: LANXESS is spun off from Bayer and as part of the process the 50% interest in CISA, owned by Bayer (Pty) Ltd., is transferred to LANXESS (Pty) Ltd.

2007: LANXESS takes 100% control of CISA and the company is renamed LANXESS CISA (Pty) Ltd