Key facts
- Illegal miners, known as zama zamas, are increasingly active in abandoned mine shafts around Johannesburg.
- High gold prices, poverty, unemployment, and corrupt officials drive illegal mining.
- Experts attribute sinkholes primarily to formal industrial mining's dewatering, not solely zama zamas.
- In 2025, South Africa had over 6,100 derelict and ownerless mines.
- Zama zamas are often from neighboring countries like Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
Illegal gold mining, known as 'zama zamas', is a growing problem in Johannesburg, South Africa, particularly around abandoned mine shafts. Driven by high gold prices and local poverty, these miners are increasingly encroaching on established areas, even taking water from local charities like Claw. While police conduct arrests, the scale of the problem is vast, with tens of thousands of illegal miners operating. Experts highlight that formal industrial mining is a major contributor to sinkholes, a problem often blamed solely on zama zamas. The issue is further complicated by corrupt officials and the failure of mining companies to properly seal defunct shafts, leaving a dangerous void that illegal miners exploit.