Photo by Arnaud Thierry Gouegnon

The City of Gold is located south of Johannesburg in the Free State. It got its name from the rich mineral deposits found in the area including uranium and gold.

Illegal miners flock to the area, drawn by its promise of mineral wealth and prosperity. In 2001, the town of Welkom had more than 400,000 inhabitants, many of whom were illegal miners in search of a better life.

The economic crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe meant that hundreds of Zimbabweans crossed the border looking for greener pastures. A lot of them ended up in Welkom where they scour abandoned gold mines for whatever they can find.

Avoiding the watchful eye of security guards, even youths from the area find gaps in the barbed wire fences of abandoned mines. They sieve the sand in the hope of discovering nuggets of gold that they can sell for cash.

One only has to look at the smiles of the locals here to see how sought after the mineral is. Many have gold teeth inserted which is seen as a sign of affluence by many South Africans.

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