Place · region

Witwatersrand

Also known as the Rand

The Witwatersrand is a low ridge and the surrounding region in Gauteng, South Africa, where the world's richest gold deposits were discovered in 1886. The gold rush created Johannesburg and transformed the South African Republic, drawing foreign miners whose grievances helped bring on the Second Boer War. Its deep mines drew migrant labour from across southern Africa, including Mozambique.

Witwatersrand
Image: Chris Eason from London · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Cape ColonyImpactSouth African RepublicSocioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummaryUnion of South AfricaSocioeconomy, Military

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Gaza EmpireSouth African RepublicCompany rule in Rhodesia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Witwatersrand. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/witwatersrand
MLA
“Witwatersrand.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/witwatersrand. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Witwatersrand.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/witwatersrand.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Witwatersrand’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/witwatersrand (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻