Ashanti Goldfields Shared Dividend Plan - Final Dividend 1997.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 1998--Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited announces that under its Share Dividend Plan, 318,599 new ordinary shares were issued to members who elected to receive shares instead of cash in respect of the final dividend for 1997 of US$.075 per share paid on 27 May 1998.

These shares represent 38.5 per cent of the value of the dividend paid and increase the total issued share capital to 109,338,100 ordinary shares. Dealings in the new shares commenced today.

As a result of a share dividend election by the Government of Ghana, its beneficial interest has increased by 171,233 new ordinary shares to 21,742,638 ordinary shares representing 19.9 per cent of the Company's issued share capital.

The following directors also elected to receive new ordinary shares instead of cash resulting in their total beneficial interests being as shown below: -0-

Name           Dividend Shares Value Per Share       Total Beneficial
                        Issued(US$)     Interest Following
                                                             Election

K. Ansah                     1            9.34                    103
M. E. Beckett               10            9.34                  1,344
S. E. Jonah                156            9.34                 30,791
M. B. Keatley               16            9.34                  3,046
H. K. A. Otoo                4            9.34                    562
T. S. Schultz               20            9.34                  8,875


    CONTACT:  Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited
               John Grice, Company Secretary, Tel: [phone]
               James K. Anaman, Corporate Affairs Manager,
               Tel: [phone]
                            or
               John Goold, Shandwick Consultants - London
               Tel: (171)  329-0096
               Allan Jordan, Golin/Harris - New York
               Tel: [phone]