The Mining Industry in South Africa

Yasmin AminiJonathan Troupes

Todd SchultzMathew Thompson

How did it develop?Mining is one of South Africa’s main driving forces

for the development and success of the countryDiamond and gold are important reasons for the

growth of South AmericaThousands of people rushed to the area Kimberly

in an attempt gain profit from the discovery of diamonds north of Cape Town.

Gold was discovered in an Area called Witwatersrand. This was the cause of the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886. like diamonds the gold rush caused thousands to flock the region. As a result this helped boost the economic value of South Africa

The 1940’sIn the 1940’s squatter movements in urban areas

brought mass politics back into urban centersUntil 1940, South Africa’s racial policies were

pretty close to the rest of the worldBy the 50’s the country was against the world

opinion on human rightsThe idea of the apartheid brought an even more

authoritarian approachIn 1946, The Mineworker’s Strike was a turning

point in the emergence of policies of mass mobilization

Present Day∞Mining in South Africa can reach new depths

because the temperature doesn’t change as quickly with depths as it does in other regions.

∞South Africa’s main mining industries are Gold, Platinum, and Diamonds.

Methods∞For gold mining, the main methods used are

sluicing, panning, and hard rock mining. ∞For platinum mining, chunks of platinum rich

ore are mined, and then further refined until pure platinum is obtained.

∞Platinum ore takes around 6 months to refine, and it takes a huge amount of ore to yield a small amount of aluminum.

Effects on Different GroupsShadow Class System In South African mines the native

Africans are the ones doing the actual mining, while the white minority controls the vast majority of the high ranking executive positions.

Effects on Different GroupsWhat Happens When the Mine MovesMines of course are a temporary endeavor,

they are bound to at one point run dry. When this happens what becomes of he workers? While the rich executives simply move to the next profitable ore vein, while the lower class workers who do the actual mining are left stranded without work or home.

Sourceshttp://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://

libcom.org/files/south-africa-miners.JPGhttp://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/history.htmwww.southafrica

.info/business/economy/sectors/mining.htmhttp://www.infomine.com/countries/southafric

a.asp