south africa gold mining history

Gold

In 2022, the gold sector employed 93,841 people who collectively earned R28.9 billion; Gold production of 84 tonnes; At the current gold price more than half of the South African gold mining industry is marginal

Discovery of the Gold in 1884 | South African History Online

Learn how the first gold reef was discovered on the Witwatersrand in 1884 and how it led to the establishment of Johannesburg and the growth of the early gold mining industry. …

Gold Mine tours

Growth of South African mine worker organizations, including the African mine workers union, the South Africa National Union of Mineworkers and COSATU. Development of a new social class in Johannesburg. …

Topic 6 Contextual Overview

A. The Mineral Revolution ↵. In this section we will briefly discuss the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand and the Gold Rush. We will also discuss how the mining industry developed and how the …

South Africa

The gold mines rapidly established a pattern of labor recruitment, remuneration, and accommodation that left its stamp on subsequent social and economic relations in the country. White immigrant miners, because of their skills, scarcity, and …

Gold and Workers 1886

Title and Dedication - A People's History of South Africa. Contents. Epigraph - Questions of a Worker Reading History. Introduction. Part 1 - The Coming of Gold. Chapter 1 - South Africa before Industrial Times. Chapter 2 - The Gold Rush. Chapter 3 - Deep Level Mining. Chapter 4 - The Randlords. Part 2 - The Workers Their Creation and Control

Gold in South Africa: Lessons from the Apartheid Era

Gold in South Africa had been very much the country's life blood. 14 Given South Africa's abundant gold resources and low labour costs of imported workers15 from all over …

Ten largest gold mines in the world

10. Cortez gold mine, USA. 1. South Deep gold mine – 32.8 million ounces (Moz) South Deep gold mine is the largest gold mine in the world, by reserves. Located 45km south-west of Johannesburg in …

South Africa

South Africa - Economy, Mining, Manufacturing: The economy of South Africa was revolutionized in the late 19th century when diamonds and gold were discovered there. Extensive investment from foreign capital followed. In the years since World War II, the country has established a well-developed manufacturing base, and it …

South Africa's gold production and reserves

Peaking at a production output of 1000 tonnes of gold mined in 1970 [1], South Africa was one of the top gold producers globally but has since battled to remain in the top 10 goldproducing ...

The Haunting Legacy of South Africa's Gold …

Blyvooruitzicht is but one of thousands of abandoned mines scattered across South Africa, many from the gold industry. With recently shuttered mines adding to the massive impact of those left derelict years …

The Gold Trade of Ancient & Medieval West Africa

The Gold Trade of Ancient & Medieval West Africa

History of mining in South Africa

Gold in South Africa: Lessons from the Apartheid Era

Gold in South Africa had been very much the country's life blood. Footnote 14 Given South Africa's abundant gold resources and low labour costs of imported workers Footnote 15 from all over Southern Africa, it could profitably mine to depths of 3 km and more and yet mines still remained profitable. It was the well-known combination …

Mining industry in South Africa

Coal mining in South Africa began around the same time as gold mining and is one of the country's most valuable commodities, accounting for 26 percent of mineral mining revenue in 2023.

Evander gold mine

But Harmony Gold was gradually shifting its focus to new ventures outside South Africa and publicly stated its intention either to sell or joint venture certain of its South African assets. This led to the 2008 joint venture agreement with Taung Gold over the project in terms of which Taung Gold could earn a 52% interest by completing a ...

Exploring the Gold-Mining History and Vibrant Lifestyle of …

Brakpan, located on the East Rand of South Africa, has a rich history as a gold-mining center. In 1905, the Brakpan Mines Company sunk its first two gold mining shafts, marking the beginning of a thriving industry in the area.

History of Diamonds

THE HISTORY OF DIAMOND MINING AND DIAMONDS IN SOUTH AFRICA. The 1867 discovery of diamonds in the Cape Colony, South Africa, radically modified not only the world's supply of diamonds but also the conception of them. ... Discover more about South African diamonds and the history of diamonds when you visit our museum based in …

Digging deep : a history of mining in South Africa, 1852-2002

This book by Jade Davenport traces the history of South Africa's mineral revolution, from copper to gold, diamonds, platinum and coal. It covers the discovery, exploitation and …

CHART: 200 years of global gold production, by country

The state of Nevada alone accounted for 72% of U.S. production, hosting the world's largest gold mining complex (including six mines) owned by Nevada Gold Mines. Meanwhile, South Africa produced ...

The history of Migrant Labour in South Africa

A brief history of labour control in South Africa: Migrant Labour and the Recruitments, 1890s-1970s. Available: A brief History of Black Labour control in South Africa: Migrant Labour and Recruitments, 1890s-1970s – Ditsong Museums of South Africa Accessed [2022, May 28] Wilson, F., 1972. Labour in the South African gold mines 1911-1969 …

Precolonial Metallurgy and Mining across Africa

As a cultural behavior, mining has on the African continent extends to around 120,000 years ago, when communities living on the southern Cape Coast in South Africa processed iron-rich oxides to make pigments. 36 However, mining performed with the intention of gaining usable metal from ores through the application of heat in an atmosphere ...

Grade 8

Making the refining process more thorough and economically viable, gold mining in South Africa projects, such as the ERGO Mines Joint Venture in Brakpan, will facilitate the re-processing of 1.7 billion tonnes of gold tailings to refine a further 15 million ounces of gold.Over 50% of all gold reserves are found in South Africa, where the ...

A History of Gold Mining in South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania

During the inter-war period, gold was mined mainly by white migrants from the Belgian Congo and Northern Rhodesia, while the country's most consistently …

Digging deep : a history of mining in South Africa, 1852-2002

It was the discovery and exploitation of, first, diamonds in 1870 and then gold in 1886 that proved to be the catalyst to the greatest mineral revolution the world has ever known, which transformed South Africa into the greatest industrialised power on the African continent.

Minerals and Mining in South Africa | SpringerLink

A historical overview of mineral exploitation in South Africa from pre-colonial times to the modern era. Learn about the geology, production and significance of gold, …

Grade 8

This lesson focuses on the changing balance of power in South Africa brought about by gold mining, and the foundations of racial segregation by exploring Britain, diamond mining and increasing labour control and land expansionism as well as Deep-level gold mining on the Witwatersrand 1886 onwards. ... Mining in SA, (2013), …

Introduction to South African Deep-Level Gold and Platinum Mining

With the growth of South Africa's secondary and tertiary industries, the relative contribution of mining to South Africa's GDP has declined over the past 10 years, with the gold and platinum sectors being affected the most. In 2001, gold and platinum accounted for 25.2% and 29%, respectively, of South Africa's total mining sales . More ...

Introduction: Colonial South Africa, Mineral Revolutions and …

The 1886 discovery of significant gold reef deposits on the range of hills known as the Witwatersrand, Footnote 11 would change the course of southern African history. As summarised by John Illife, the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand set South Africa on a different colonial trajectory from the rest of the African continent, …

Mponeng Gold Mine, South Africa

Harmony Gold, South Africa's biggest gold producer, became the owner and operator of the Mponeng underground mine by acquiring AngloGold Ashanti's remaining South African assets in October 2020. ... Mponeng mine history. The Mponeng gold mine was originally known as the Western Deep Levels South Shaft or the No. 1 Shaft. …

Digging Deep : A History of Mining in South Africa, 1852 …

Before the advent of its great mineral revolution in the latter half of the 19th century, South Africa was a sleepy colonial backwater whose unpromising landscape was seemingly devoid of any economic potential. Yet lying just beneath the dusty surface of the land lay the richest treasure trove of gold, diamonds, platinum, coal and a host of other metals and …

History | Our value creation journey

The Group has transformed from a South African gold mining company into a multinational, diversified mining and metals processing Group with a portfolio of operations, projects and investments across five continents and with a market capitalisation of R61.4 billion (US$3.3 billion).

Witwatersrand Gold Rush | The Famous South African Gold Mine

A brief overview of the history and development of Witwatersrand, the famous gold mine of South Africa. With photos, facts, and figures about its impact on the growth of the region, the history of precious metals in the area, and the people that have mined the gold from the ground, even up to today.

South Africa

South Africa - Diamonds, Gold, Imperialism: South Africa experienced a transformation between 1870, when the diamond rush to Kimberley began, and 1902, when the South African War ended. Midway between these dates, in 1886, the world's largest goldfields were discovered on the Witwatersrand. As the predominantly agrarian …

A history of mining in South Africa

Mining in South Africa has been a contentious issue since 15-year-old Erasmus Stephanus Jacobs discovered South Africa's first diamond, the Eureka, in Hopetown in 1867. ... according to South African History Online, ... which was considered well-populated at the time. Within a year of gold findings, the area had some 7 000 people …