• West Wits Mining inaugurated Qala Shallows, a mine expected to produce 70,000 ounces of gold per year for 12 years.

• The mine represents the first underground gold project in South Africa since 2010 and the initial phase of the Witwatersrand Basin Project targeting 200,000 ounces annually.

• Development costs for Qala Shallows total $44 million, with the first gold pour expected in March 2026.

West Wits Mining officially inaugurated Qala Shallows on 5 December, a project projected to yield 70,000 ounces of gold per year over a 12-year lifespan. The event, attended by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, marks South Africa’s first underground gold mine in more than 15 years, the company said.

Rudi Deysel, CEO of West Wits Mining, said: “For years, many believed Central Rand had reached the end of its mining cycle, but Qala Shallows demonstrates that with rigorous geological work, clear planning, disciplined execution, and strong government-business cooperation, new underground gold mines can still be developed in this district.”

West Wits estimated Qala Shallows’ development costs at $44 million in a feasibility study published in July. The mine constitutes the initial phase of the Witwatersrand Basin Project (WBP), a broader plan designed to create a complex capable of producing 200,000 ounces annually.

The company plans to continue development toward the first gold pour in March 2026. The project comes amid a strong gold market, with prices rising roughly 60% since January 2025.

South Africa expects Qala Shallows to generate approximately $1.15 billion in economic contribution and create around 1,000 direct jobs. The mine will provide a new revenue source for the national economy while reinforcing the country’s historical gold mining sector.

This article was initially published in French by Aurel Sèdjro Houenou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum