South Africa Seeks Alternatives to Deep Gold Mining
Why this is here: West Wits Mining’s Qala Shallows mine is utilizing hydropower for ore extraction, a method that reduces costs compared to traditional compressed air systems.
Record gold prices are prompting South African mining companies to explore alternatives to costly deep-shaft mining. Gold exploration in South Africa has fallen roughly 90% since the 1990s, with exploration spending declining to $43 million in 2025.
The country’s gold production has decreased to 90 tonnes annually from a peak of 1,000 tonnes in 1970. Sibanye-Stillwater prioritizes shallow, high-margin projects like Burnstone, while also pursuing gold recovery from waste dumps through its DRDGold partnership.
Harmony Gold aims to recover 5.7 million ounces via waste retreatment and is unlikely to expand underground mining. West Wits Mining recently launched Qala Shallows, a shallower, mechanized mine using hydropower to lower costs. The Minerals Council South Africa anticipates gold production will remain around 90 tonnes next year.