The Illicit Market for Gold and Platinum

The report examines the theft of gold and platinum group metals (PGMs) in South Africa between 1994 and 1999. It highlights a significant gap between detected recoveries and estimated undetected losses, particularly for gold, where undetected theft is estimated at 35 tons per year. The document details the hierarchical structure of criminal syndicates, the challenges faced by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Diamond and Gold Branch—including resource shortages and corruption—and the economic threat to the mining industry's profitability and employment.

• Between 1994 and 1998, the total value of detected stolen gold recovered by the South African Police Service (SAPS), gold mines, and refineries was approximately R157.6 million, averaging R32 million per year.
• The report estimates that undetected gold theft from mines averaged 35 tons per year from 1994 to 1998, representing a direct annual loss of approximately R1.9 billion to the South African gold-mining sector.
• Gold theft primarily occurs at gold plants rather than shafts; in 1998, approximately 71% of gold-bearing material recovered by mines originated from plants.
• The illicit gold market operates through a four-step hierarchy: runners steal material and sell to middlemen, who sell to smelting house operators, who then sell to couriers for sophisticated syndicate leaders in cities like Johannesburg or Durban.
• The SAPS Diamond and Gold Branch faces severe operational challenges, including insufficient staffing and internal corruption, where detectives have been known to tip off syndicates about raids.
• The shift toward using private security contractors at mines has been viewed by police as detrimental, leading to increased collusion between security personnel and criminal syndicates.
• Unlike gold, PGM theft is concentrated in plants rather than shafts because the minute distribution of PGM particles in ore makes underground theft economically unattractive for most criminals.

APA

Gastrow, P. (n.d.). The Illicit Market for Gold and Platinum. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono54.pdf

Chicago

Gastrow, Peter. The Illicit Market for Gold and Platinum. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono54.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gastrow |first1=Peter |title=The Illicit Market for Gold and Platinum |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono54.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gastrowndillicit, author = {Gastrow, Peter}, title = {{The Illicit Market for Gold and Platinum}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono54.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }