The Kloof operation is an intermediate to deep level gold mining complex, situated in the West Wits Line of the Witwatersrand Basin, near the towns of Randfontein and Westonaria, approximately 60km west of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province of South Africa.
Statistics as at 31 December 2025
Life of mine
2026
Gold production
108,477oz
All-in sustaining cost
US$3,692/oz
Workforce
6,339
employees and contractors
For up-to-date quarterly production figures, please refer to the latest results booklet.
Kloof 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 West Rand since the late 19th century and at Kloof in its current form since 2000 when several existing mining operations were amalgamated.
At 31 December 2025, Kloof had combined surface and underground gold Mineral Reserves of 0.1Moz and Mineral Resources of 4.4Moz.
A closer look
- In 1887, Gold Fields of South Africa Limited was established.
- In 1892, Gold Fields of South Africa Limited was renamed Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa to mine the deep-level gold deposit of the Witwatersrand.
- Geophysical prospecting work conducted in the 1930’s led to the drilling and subsequent sinking of Venterspost Shaft in 1934, with first gold poured in 1939.
- In 1964, Kloof’s main twin-shaft complex was initiated and the mine was officially opened in 1968.
- In 2000, the formation of the Kloof Gold Mine in its present form commenced with the amalgamation of the Venterspost, Libanon, Kloof and Leeudoorn gold mines.
- In 2012, the conventional South African assets of Gold Fields Limited were unbundled into Sibanye Gold Limited.
- The No. 4 Shaft drop-down project feasibility study was completed in 2015, and in 2017, the project commenced, while the integration project for the optimisation of infrastructure was approved in 2018.
- Production returned to normalised levels following protracted industrial action, which saw limited production taking place between December 2018 and May 2019.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated national lockdown halted all production from April to the middle of May 2020, at which point a gradual build-up in production was initiated.
- In 2021, the No. 4 Shaft depth extension project development was completed to 46 Level.
- Industrial action by all unions resulted in a production stoppage between March 2022 and June 2022.
- During 2023 Kloof 4 shaft was closed due to economic and safety considerations
- At the end of 2025 No. 7 shaft was closed due to diminishing mineable ore reserves and safety considerations regarding the remaining unmined blocks, leading to a reduction in mine life from eight to one year
The Kloof operation consists of two producing vertical shafts, namely No.1 shaft and No. 8 shaft. 31 level is currently the deepest working level at No. 1 shaft, approximately 2,600m below surface.
All Kloof underground material is treated at the Driefontein No. 1 plant. Surface rock dump and surface material is processed at the Ezulwini plant on a toll basis and produce doré.
The Kloof operation is operated in terms of a converted mining right, held by Sibanye Gold (Pty) Ltd under DMPR reference number GP30/5/1/2/2(66) MR (Kloof MR), valid from 30 January 2007 to 29 January 2027, for gold ore and associated minerals, in respect of a mining area totalling 200.87km².
The Company is preparing to submit a renewal application in respect of the Kloof MR in terms of the provisions of the MPRDA.
Tailings are deposited on the Driefontein TSFs as the Kloof material is being processed at the Driefontein No. 1 Plant.
Safety related geotechnical considerations led to the removal of isolated blocks of ground. This has negatively impacted the remaining Mineral Reserve grade, which affected the economic viability of the operation, leading to a writedown of the majority of the Mineral Reserves (-1.4Moz).
This has left Kloof with a one-year LoM, focussing on extracting lower-grade secondary reefs, including the MVR, the KR and the LR. In the current high gold price environment, the Kloof operation has the potential to extend mining beyond the one-year LoM.
