Gold mining in south africa pdf

The south african mining landscape 6 improving value to stakeholders 18 the regulatory landscape in africa 20 south africa mining charter 21 south africa diesel refund scheme 22 tanzania the impact of regulatory changes 26 drc new mining code upsetting miners 27 financial performance 28 glossary 44 companies included in the analysis 46. Pdf the history of gold mining and gold trade in southern africa goes back nearly years. Anglo gold ashanti, sibayane gold ltd, harmony gold mining co. The south african war of 18991901 saw a temporary downturn in johannesburgs population, partly due to the exodus of the uitlander foreigner community who fled the reef, and partly to the departure of dutch residents on commando duty. Gold mining in south africa taung gold international limited. Until 2006, south africa was the leading gold producer in the world. Investors in aggregate saw a decrease in dividends and market capitalisation after a cautiously optimistic view on a recovery last. Environmental, health, and human rights consequences of gold mining in south africas west and central rand summary and recommendations international human rights clinic harvard law school cover illustration the poor community of soul city extension 2 sits near a gold mine waste dump in the west rand. Despite the economic potential of the mining industry in ghana, mining output had decreased. No commercially exploitable deposits of petroleum have been found, but there are moderate quantities of natural gas located off the. At such depths, the heat is unbearable for humans, and air conditioning is required for the safety of the workers. Challenges facing the south african gold mining industry lbma.

In fact, its the top producer of gold, platinum, and chromium, among other metals. By 1932 south africa and its highly costsensitive gold mining industry were enjoying a windfall. People came from all over the world to stake their claims in the diamond fields. Many studies into the mining sector have described how masculine the industry is. South africa has the worlds deepest hard rock gold mine up to 3,900 metres 12,800 ft underground. Grade 8 topic 2 the mineral revolution in south africa. In this paper we examine whether this perception of the role ofmining in the south african economy remains justied. Although gold, diamonds, platinum and coal are the most wellknown among the minerals and metals mined, south africa also hosts chrome, vanadium, titanium and a number of other lesser minerals. The near shore and shelf environments of the west coast hold rich reserves of minerals, particularly diamonds and in south africa there is an increasing emphasis on offshore diamond mining operations. The majority of the gcr falls into the gauteng province, the most densely populated province of south africa, supporting an estimated 12. Over 50% of all gold reserves are found in south africa, with the witwatersrand basin remaining the largest gold resource in the world in 1975, south africa was responsible for producing 40% of the gold ever mined. Gold mining in south africa typically involves methods such as panning, sluicing, dredging, hard rock mining, and byproduct mining. South africa began to slow down in the 1880s, as the new deposits being found tended to be pyritic ore and gold could not be extracted from this compound with any of the then available technologies. The decline in gold production has masked significant growth in other mining sectors in south africa.

As the evidence that follows will demonstrate, the role of mining in the. Transforming gold mining in south africa synergyit. In africa, the asm workforce comprises no less than 4050%. China was the largest gold producer in the world in 2016, accounting for around 14% of total annual production. Far more than diamonds, it changed south africa from an agricultural society to become the largest gold producer in the world. In 1975, south africa was responsible for producing 40% of the gold ever mined. The development of the south african goldmining industry. Recently china, russia, canada, the united states, peru and australia have recorded higher outputs than south africa leger.

Other gold mines use underground mining, where the ore is extracted through tunnels or shafts. These windfalls gave industry 66 march 2004 the journal of the south african institute of mining and metallurgy. The south african gold mining sector is currently locked into existing mine designs and methods, which are producing at near full capacity. Discovery of the gold in 1884 south african history online.

Prospectors established in 1886 the existence of a belt of gold bearing reefs 40 miles 60 km wide centred on presentday johannesburg. Brief history of gold mining in south africa mining for. During this period, mining other than gold grew faster than. The first mine to be constructed in what is now south africa began operations in 1852, a copper project that would go on to form the cornerstone of the town of springbokfontein, today springbok, in the northern cape province. Smallscale mining and sustainable development within the sadc region 7 gold panning, just as they would have to do as well in smallscale agriculture, to fulltime slavelike employment. At the current gold price more than half of the south african gold mining industry is marginal. Initiatives introduced by the south african mining industry to improve safety in the countrys mines, have resulted in a more than 50% reduction in fatalities. The gold discovered ran for miles and miles underground, an endless treasure of gold. Pdf the recent underground mass death of more than 80 illegal miners or zamazamas chancetakers highlights the parlous state of south. Precolonial mining in southern africa article pdf available in journal south african institute of mining and metallurgy 1001.

By the time that gold was discovered, african kingdoms had lost their independence. Important diamond deposits were discovered at kimberley in 1869. Gold mining in south africa south africa s gold industry rising again after more than a century of gold mining in south africa, the us geological surveys latest estimate still ranks south africa as the custodian of the worlds second largest gold resources at 6,000 tonnes second only to australia. The scale and importance of mining on the rand for the south african economy is considerable, and as such, mining capital has had a direct hand in influencing urban development and growth in other parts of south africa. It is a followon from the state of mining in south africa. Trends in productivity in the south african gold mining industry. With the discovery of gold and diamonds in south africa, industrialization in the country started in earnest, changing the course of the its history dramatically. The presence of dravidian gold miners is shown in great detail by dr cyril hromnik in his astonishing book indo africa 1981 showing in great detail the exploits of the makomati people hindu dravidians who were here in southern africa mining gold as far.

A century of migrant labour in the gold mines of south africa. The mineral revolution was largely driven by the need to create a permanent workforce to work in the mining industry, and saw south africa transformed from a patchwork of agrarian states to a unified, industrial nation. Transforming gold mining in south africa 2016 in 1873 the first payable gold field was discovered in south africas eastern goldfields in the sabie area, some 300kms from the witwatersrand wits which, at the time, had no identity. It provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of people in the mining industry alone. The list of gold mines in south africa is quite long with some smaller mines available all over.

It brought south africa success and wealth, but also heartbreak and lost hopes. South africa is home to some of the worlds most lucrative mining assets. Prospectors established in 1886 the existence of a belt of goldbearing reefs 40 miles 60 km wide centred on presentday johannesburg. The mineral revolution was largely driven by the need to create a permanent workforce to work in the mining industry, and saw south africa transformed from a patchwork of. The first such mine to receive air conditioning was robinson deep, at that time the deepest mine in the world for any mineral.

The discovery of gold was a turning point in south african history, and south africa s total gold reserves remain some of the worlds most valuable. John stewart macarthur and the dingus brothers overcame this by suspending the crushed ore in a cyanide solution. M m ining in south africa has been a contentious issue since 15yearold erasmus stephanus jacobs discovered south africa s first diamond, the eureka, in hopetown in 1867. It is the second largest gold producer in africa after south africa, the thirdlargest african producer of aluminium metal and manganese ore and a significant producer of bauxite and diamond coakley, 1999. Producer 1980 1985 witwatersrand mines 1750 6896 nonwitwatersrand mines 3759 3754. The gold economy in south africa has been mainly an extracting enterprise since the british government took over the rule of south africa after the angloboer war and this is still the case today. This paper presents two case studies of mining in south africa to reflect on the history and legacy of mining both through observation and through the voices of. As news of the gold find spread throughout southern africa, various mining towns develped along the. Mining capital has also undoubtedly played a radical role in shaping society along racial lines in the citys early years. Heres why south african gold mining stocks are down big. Although some mining had taken place in what is now south africa centuries before europeans arrived, 1 the modern mining industry emerged as the major shaper of south africa s economy and race relations in the latter half of the 19 th century. With a vast supply of highly soughtafter raw materials and a relatively low population density considering the space, south africa has a thriving mining industry. Brief history of gold mining in south africa mining for schools. A perspective on the south african mining industry in the.

Key considerations for possible optimisation of the legislation 18. Classification of smallscale mining activities in south africa 3 table 3. We have taken a snapshot view of several mining regions across africa and share some of what is happening with regard to policy, infrastructure and funding. Mg international provides no client services and is a wiss entity with which the independent member frms of the mg network are affliated. The mining industry in south africa is one of the largest in the world. South africa history, capital, flag, map, population. Gold mining in south africa south africas gold industry rising again after more than a century of gold mining in south africa, the us geological surveys latest estimate still ranks south africa as the custodian of the worlds second largest gold resources at 6,000 tonnes second only to australia. Pdf south africas gold production and reserves researchgate. By 2010, however, china affirmed its status as the worlds largest gold producer with production of 324 tonnes of gold, followed by australia 222. Offshore mining in south africa is also relatively productive. Over 50% of all gold reserves are found in south africa, with the witwatersrand basin remaining the largest gold resource in the world. Goldinsouthafrica the southern african institute of mining.

With it having lost 66 965 jobs since 2010, while the non gold mining sector actually added 38 417 jobs over the same time period. Goldinsouthafrica the southern african institute of. During the gold mining revolution, patterns of land and labour were. The mining industry also indirectly provides jobs for about 400 000 with the goods and services that the mines require to run successfully.

The impact of gold mining on mercury pollution in the witwatersrand basin, south africa e. Mining is a source of extraordinary wealth, but its benefits often do not accrue to the workers and communities most involved. The rapid growth of the gold mining industry intensified processes started by the diamond boom. Davis discovered the first gold in the witwatersrand, leading to the south african gold rush and the discovery of much more gold deposits within the basin. The mineral revolution is a term used by historians to refer to the rapid industrialisation and economic changes which occurred in south africa from the 1870s onwards. The rapid growth of the goldmining industry intensified processes started by the diamond boom. South africa is also a major producer of coal, manganese and chrome. Criteria used to define artisanal and smallscale mining in africa 3 table 2. Cornish miners and the witwatersrand gold mines in south africa, c. South africas mining industry south african market insights. Preliminary study on artisanal and smallscale mining in. Few landscapes have seen mining activity on the scale at which it occurs in south africas gauteng cityregion gcr.

Mining conditions in south africa mining in africa. Angloboer south african war, brought about to some extent by the struggle for control of the goldfields, caused extreme disruptions in the mining industry, and at some stage, mines were closed 1901 the witwatersrand native labour association wenela set up by gold miners as. Measured in terms of production, three sectors coal, platinum group metals pgm and chrome have doubled in size since 1980, while iron ore production has increased by more than half. For the first quarter of 2019 the gold mining industry accounts for 20.

The mineral revolution in south africa started with the discovery of diamonds in kimberley in 1867, and intensified with the discovery of deeplevel gold on the witwatersrand in 1886. By 1899 the gold industry attracted investment worth. South africas remotenessit lies thousands of miles distant from major african cities such as lagos and cairo and more than 6,000 miles 10,000 km away from most of europe, north america, and eastern asia, where its major trading partners are locatedhelped reinforce the official system of apartheid for a large part of the 20th century. Sometimes openpit mining is used, such as at the fort knox mine in central alaska. The gold mining industry in south africa essay 1011. Barrick gold corporation has one of the largest openpit gold mines in north america located on its goldstrike mine property in northeastern nevada. The existing mining methods are cyclic, noncontinuous, and rely on equipment, such as scraper winches, that has limited capacity and efficiency. The impact of gold mining on the witwatersrand on the rivers. Mostly children are not directly involved in mining digging itself, but in activities like transport of water, minerals processing and gold panning.

Pdf cornish miners and the witwatersrand gold mines in. Discovery of gold in south africa physical attributes. However, this special report highlights the significant, yet chronically underreported major role african women play in the sector, more so in artisanal and small scale mining asm. Botswana tn \, republic cape province 0 0 locality plan scalel0000 0 100 200km 0galaoccurrences fig. South africa, one of the leading countries in gold production, and the number one producer in africa, produced 8 tons of gold in 2018. Gold mining exploits and the legacies of johannesburgs. Informationforinvestorsreporttosociety06filessafetyhealth. Though uranium production in south africa showed a decrease from 711t in 2000 to 579t in 2010, in 2011 930t were produced with a forecast of 2,000t by 2020. South africa in particular has a massive mining industry it is a major source of diamonds, gold, platinum and coal, and is home to most of the deepest mines in the world.

The first gold mines in africa were in south africa. The reason why gold mining is important in south africa is that the gold mining industry is a big pillar of the south african economy. In addition to diamonds and gold, the country also contains reserves of iron ore, platinum, manganese, chromium, copper, uranium, silver, beryllium, and titanium. Mining in south africa continues to transform the country to this day. For most effective gold mining in south africa, the method used is hard rock mining, since reserves are typically fully encased in rock deep underground. With your download, get the 37 best papers relevant to this one, including 20 top related papers. Currently, the industry is mostly run by white executives overseeing a huge, lowskilled and cheap black workforce but industry and government are trying to change that by increasing black ownership. A century of migrant labour in the gold mines of south africa article in journal south african institute of mining and metallurgy 1042. In that year the country departed from the gold standard, new gold bearing formations were found, and the gold price rose. Environmental, health, and human rights consequences of gold mining in south africa s west and central rand summary and recommendations international human rights clinic harvard law school cover illustration the poor community of soul city extension 2 sits near a gold mine waste dump in the west rand. Arguably, productivity in the south african gold sector may.

It kickstarted what historians call the mineral revolution, which made few european opportunists wealthy beyond measure, and saw hundreds of thousands of men leaving their homes to become fulltime mineworkers. In 2009, the countrys diamond industry was the fourth largest in the world. The gcr is composed of a cluster of cities, towns, and urban. Mines and gold mining operations have become increasingly geographically diverse, far removed from the concentrated supply of four decades or so ago when the vast majority of the worlds gold came from south africa. The mining industry has adopted a zero harm policy and wellness of employees as a top priority.

According to death in south african mines, an undated study published in the early 1960s by hj simons, professor of native law and administration at the university of cape town uct, 36 000 men had been killed in accidents on south africa s gold mines since the beginning of the century. Evidence from ghana, mali, and tanzania 91 introduction 91 gold mining in ghana, mali, and tanzania 93 empirical methodology 96 evolution of trends in mining and nonmining areas 103 livelihoods and occupations 105 household accumulation of assets 118 child health 121. Smallscale mining and sustainable development within the. Arguably, productivity in the south african gold sector may be. Back in the mid1970s when this writer first came to south africa to work, one of the things that seemed mandatory to do was to visit some of.

A sharp decline in the relative importance of the gold mining sector in south africa. Aug 16, 2012 with south africas economy built on gold and diamond mining, the sector is an important foreign exchange earner, with gold accounting for more than onethird of exports. The closure of all mining activity in october 1899 brought to a sudden end to virtually all economic. Mining costs are kept artificially low by the mines by deflecting responsibility for their environmental and health impacts to the state and third. Decoding the hidden ruins of southern africa discovering. K chimuka 15 advances in mitigation and rehabilitation technology in major and abandoned mines in subsaharan africa. Opportunity lost or light at the end of the tunnel report released in february 20. Furthermore, some companies own and manage more than one gold mine in the country. By 2010, however, china affirmed its status as the worlds largest gold producer with production of 324 tonnes of gold, followed.