The Beatrix operation is a mature, shallow to intermediate depth underground gold operation. It is located near the towns of Welkom and Virginia, approximately 280km south-west of Johannesburg, in the Free State province of South Africa.
Statistics as at 31 December 2025
Life of mine
2031
Gold production
115,164oz
All-in sustaining cost
US$2,466/oz
Workforce
5,522
employees and contractors
For up-to-date quarterly production figures, please refer to the latest results booklet.
Beatrix was one of the three original assets acquired when Gold Fields International completed its unbundling transaction in February 2013. Mining operations have been carried out in the Free State goldfields since the 1940s and gold has been produced at Beatrix since 1983.
At 31 December 2025, Beatrix had total surface and underground gold Mineral Reserves of 0.8Moz and Mineral Resources of 8.3Moz. Beatrix also holds 27Mlb of uranium resources contained in the Beisa reef.
A closer look
Beatrix consists of two operating shafts: No. 1 shaft and No. 3 shaft, as well as the No. 4 shaft (on care and maintenance).
The orebody is accessed using a vertical shaft system, down to 26 level (the lowest working level at No. 3 shaft), approximately 1,350m below surface. Mining predominantly takes place from No. 3 shaft.
The conventional breast mining operation targets the VS5/Beatrix Reef. Ore from all the shafts is processed at the Beatrix No. 1 plant to produce doré that is subsequently refined at Rand Refinery.
Apart from gold, the license area also holds the Beisa gold/uranium deposit (No. 4 shaft area), which is currently the subject of a transaction with Neo Energy Metals PLC (Neo).
The Beatrix operation is operated under a renewed mining right held by Sibanye Gold (Pty) Ltd under DMPR reference number: FS30/5/1/2/2/10047 (Beatrix MR) in respect of gold and associated minerals over a mining area totalling 168.21km². The Beatrix MR is valid until 6 February 2030.
The active Beatrix TSF has remaining capacity of 14.5Mt, with expected LoM deposition of 6.6Mt, leading to a 7.9Mt surplus.
The Beatrix operation life of mine (LoM) has been extended to 2031 (2024: 2028) through the inclusion of below infrastructure mining, accessed via short winzes, an extension into the Vlakpan area and a reduced annual production rate.
Additional life extensions are under consideration via capital studies into accessing Mineral Resources below existing infrastructure.
Reference
- Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves report 2025
- Integrated report 2025: Performance and strategy
- Fact sheet: SLPs: Summary of projects in South Africa
- Market release: December 9, 2024, Sibanye-Stillwater advances its uranium strategy, unlocking value through the sale of its Beatrix 4 shaft, which includes the Beisa uranium project
- Beatrix Social and Labour Plan 2022 to 2026 (English)
