Hard rock mining, by-product mining, dredging, panning, sluicing, and other techniques are frequently used in South Africa while mining for gold. Hard rock mining is the most efficient technique since reserves are frequently trapped in deeply beneath rock.
40% of all gold ever mined was produced in South Africa in 1975. With 324 tonnes of gold produced in 2010, China cemented its position as the world’s top gold producer, ahead of Australia (222.8 tonnes) and South Africa (219.8 tonnes). Only 4.2% of the gold produced worldwide today comes from South Africa.
Due to improper mining methods or unappealing gold prices in the past, the nation has untapped resources that can now be utilized. Technology has advanced, and expertise and methods for extracting these gold reefs have been developed.
Hard rock mining is the process of removing gold from the rock utilizing open pit or underground mining tunnels. The majority of the gold supply in the world is recovered using this type of gold mining.
By using open pit or underground mining tunnels, byproduct mining is similar to hard rock mining. Gold is a byproduct find in byproduct mining. Although recovering Copper, sand, gravel, or other goods is the primary goal of the mining operation, there are enough gold deposits to make byproduct mining a lucrative business. The Grasberg mine in Papua, Indonesia, which was constructed to extract copper from the ground, is an illustration of this type of mining. This mine produces more gold than any other mine in the world, despite the fact that it is not the main product.
In what parts of South Africa is gold found?
The Witwatersrand Basin, one of the greatest gold placer deposits in the world, is where the majority of the nation’s gold resources are found.
An underground geological structure that may be seen in the Witwatersrand is a 56-kilometer-long, east-to-west escarpment that faces north. It starts at Bedfordview, in the East Rand of the Gauteng Province, travels through Johannesburg and Roodepoort, both in the West Rand of the province, and ends in Krugersdorp.
The North West Provinces and the Free State both contain gold.
Mine types in SA
There are 86 gold mines in the country:
41 underground mines
10 surface mines
5 surface/underground combination mines
30 undefined mines
