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Gold Rush in South Africa

Ulli NeuhoffDecember 9, 2013

Every day illegal prospectors risk their health searching for the last remaining bits of gold in the disused shafts of mining companies in the townships outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Image: picture-alliance/Valeriy Melnikov/RIA Novosti

Gold Rush in South Africa

It's the last gold rush in the townships of Johannesburg. Even though very little of the precious metal is left in the abandoned mines, hundreds of poor people risk their lives and health every day to collect the bits of gold. They often spend the entire night crawling through the narrow and hazardous shafts.

Hlophani and her friend are among the few women in the townships who venture into the old mines. They are searching for whatever gold remains and hope to find enough to feed their families.