perception that the Witwatersrand Basin is
now depleted, and that there is hardly any
gold left. Improved technology, and better
government legislation, will make the country
more attractive for junior mining companies.
“Unfortunately,” says Swart, “the regulatory
uncertainty and political instability over the
past decade or so have kept the exploration
companies and drill-rigs at bay.”
“There could be just as much gold left in the
ground in South Africa as what has already
been mined in the country over the past 40-
odd years,” says Handley. “Of course, the great
producing reefs like the Main Reef and the
Main Reef Leader have virtually been mined
out, but there are a number of lower-grade
narrow reefs out there that are ready for the
taking,” he adds.
The main concern is that, apart from the
Modder East gold mine, close to Springs on
the East Rand, and the Burnstone project,
near the town of Balfour in Mpumalanga,
on what is referred to as the South Rand
Goldfield of the Witwatersrand Basin, not
many new gold mines have come online since
the early 1990s. Moreover, mining companies
in South Africa have basically stopped
investing in exploration, and that reinforces
the belief that the gold has run out.
Mining in focus
From left: Mark Wanless, partner and principal geologist at SRK Consulting (SA); Hennie Theart, corporate
consultant, partner, and geologist at SRK Consulting (SA); and John Paul (JP) Hunt, senior exploration
geologist at SRK Exploration Services.
From left: Manie Swart, geologist at Shango Solutions; Rob Handley, geologist at Shango Solutions; and
Professor Terence McCarthy, emeritus professor of geology at Wits University and principal geologist at
Shango Solutions.
‘goldfields’ in and around the Witwatersrand
Basin. Today, these goldfields are well
established. However, there are what Theart
calls ‘gaps’ between these existing gold
provinces that need closer scrutiny.
“The Potchefstroom Gap and the Bothaville
Gap, for example, might have potential.
Furthermore, there is definitely mineralisation
in some of these gaps to the north and north-
east of the Free State Goldfield. This is where
Hennie Theart, corporate consultant,
partner, and geologist at SRK Consulting
(SA), says that geologically speaking, there
is still huge opportunity in South Africa, but
warns that the political risks have increased
and that the operational challenges are
greater. “There is definitely potential
for small-scale shallow gold operations
if the regulations allow. Unfortunately,
companies shy away from investing money
in exploration because of concerns that
have nothing to do with mining. The South
African government needs to encourage
exploration more than ever before to ensure
the future of the gold mining sector in
South Africa,” says Theart.
Exploration, of course, would have to
include drilling, not only at current mining
operations, but ideally in new areas not
previously considered, which is an expensive
exercise. But there are areas where more
drilling could lead to unexpected results.
Over the past 100 years or so, geologists have
been able to delineate what they refer to as
Great geology presents opportunity
Gold mining has been the bedrock of the Johannesburg and South African economies.
[22] MINING MIRROR MAY 2019
www.miningmirror.co.za