TauTona Mine, Gold mine in Carletonville, South Africa
TauTona is a gold mine near Carletonville in Gauteng province, South Africa, that burrows almost 4 kilometers (13,000 feet) below ground into solid rock. The entire system of tunnels runs for roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) and is used for extracting gold ore.
The shaft began in 1962 under the name Western Deep Levels No.3 Shaft and operated for more than five decades. In 2018 it ceased independent work and merged with the Mponeng operation.
The mine carries a Setswana name that translates to great lion, chosen to represent the scale and power of the project. This naming reflects how southern African languages often shape the identity of major industrial sites in Gauteng.
The site is not open to visitors, but anyone interested should know that descent to the working levels requires considerable time. A cooling system manages underground temperatures to keep conditions tolerable for workers.
Workers ride down in a lift cage that takes roughly one hour to reach the deepest working sections. The descent speed is around 16 meters (52 feet) per second.
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