Name of the Mine
South Deep mine.

Location  
The South Deep mine is located in the magisterial districts of Westonaria and Vanderbijlpark, in South Africa’s Gauteng province, about 45 km south-west of Johannesburg.

Mine Owner/s  
South African gold mining company Gold Fields. 

Brief Description  
South Deep is Gold Fields’ flagship operation and one of the deepest mines in the world, boasting substantial resources and a projected long operational life.

Brief History  
The mine was consolidated under single ownership in the 1990s and acquired by Gold Fields in 2007. It transitioned from conventional to mechanised mining in the late 2000s. A significant restructuring and rebase plan launched in 2017 led to operational improvements, and the mine now operates as a long-life underground asset, with a mine life of about 75 years.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Gold.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation  
South Deep is hosted within the Central Rand Group of the Witwatersrand basin, which comprises gold-bearing quartz-pebble conglomerates deposited along unconformities. 

These conglomerates are interpreted as fluvial in origin and are laterally continuous, with gold localised in high-energy channel systems. The basin exhibits a synclinal structure with a broad east–west orientation. Mineralisation at South Deep is typically associated with intraformational erosional surfaces within the conglomerate reefs.

Reserves  
Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2024, were estimated at 175.73 -million tonnes grading 4.97 g/t gold.

Resources  
Total measured and indicated mineral resources as at December 31, 2024, were estimated at 130.6-million tonnes grading 4.5 g/t gold. Inferred resources were estimated a 20.36-million tonnes grading 9.1 g/t gold.

Type of Mine
Underground.

Mining Method  
South Deep uses bulk-mechanised mining. Reserves are accessed through destress and shadow development cuts to manage rock stress and seismic activity. While some selective mining methods, including drifts and benches, are used, longhole stoping with backfill remains the primary bulk mining method. 

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
South Deep comprises two shaft systems – main and ventilation shafts. It includes a processing plant with a conventional semiautogenous grinding/ball milling circuit, a gravity gold recovery circuit and a conventional leach/carbon-in-pulp (CIP) circuit. 

The plant also includes a tailings retreatment section that consists of a thickener followed by a dedicated carbon-in-leach circuit. The mine has one active tailings storage facility (TSF), the Doornpoort TSF, and four inactive TSFs, known as TSFs 1, 2, 3 and 4. 

Prospects  
South Deep remains a long-life asset, and continued investment in infrastructure, mining efficiency and reserve growth is essential for achieving its long-term targets, according to the company.

The mine is advancing its renewable-energy projects, including wind, solar and storage trials, as part of the company’s commitment to sustainable mining practices.

Contact Details 
Gold Fields
Tel +27 11 562 9700
Email info@goldfields.co.za
Website https://www.goldfields.com/