A brief history

The Minerals Council South Africa (Minerals Council) has undergone a number of name changes in its history, which coincide with mining and political developments in South Africa.

• 1887

  The Chamber of Mines conceived

  The Chamber of Mines’ predecessor was loosely formed, on 7 December 1887, in a central hotel in Johannesburg one year after an Australian gold digger, George Harrison, first discovered gold on Langlaagte farm.

• 1889

  The Chamber of Mines formalised

• 1889–1896

  Witwatersrand Chamber of Mines

  On 5 October 1889, the Chamber of Mines was officially constituted by three founding members: Corner House, Consolidated Gold Fields and the Robinson Group to disseminate authoritative statistical information about the Transvaal Gold Fields Limited, and to validate prospectuses.

  Other objectives cited at the time included the promotion and protection of mining interests; the promotion of public discussion on mining industry issues; the promotion of favourable legislative measures; and the exchange of information with other public and private mining bodies within and outside of South Africa.

  The Chamber represented mines such as Aurora, Balmoral, City and Suburban, Crown Reef, Driefontein, Eclipse, Geldenhuis Estate, George Goch, Langlaagte, Luipaard's Vlei, Nigel, Odessa, Randfontein, Riet Vlei, Robinson, Stanhope Geldenhuis, Transvaal Montana, White Reef and Witwatersrand.

• 1897–1901

  Chamber of Mines of the South African Republic

• 1902–1952

  Transvaal Chamber of Mines

• 1953–1967

  Transvaal and Orange Free State Chamber of Mines

• 1968–May 2018

  Chamber of Mines of South Africa

• May 2018–today

  Minerals Council South Africa

  More than a century of service and collaboration