South African gold sector far from ‘dead’, despite dwindling output

Although South Africa is now Africa’s second-largest gold producer, after Ghana, its gold mining industry still accounts for more than 21% of the continent’s total mined gold production, precious metals refining and smelting complex Rand Refinery CEO Praveen Baijnath tells Mining Weekly. Almost one-fifth of South Africa’s economy is dependent on the mining sector, with gold being a significant contributor.