Global Expansion

Abstract

This chapter details how since the 1980s, the global gold production system has expanded from its historical core (constituted primarily by South Africa) into a wide range of new gold mining destinations. First, we zoom in on the expansion of industrial gold mining, which was facilitated by increased investor interest, technological innovation, and liberalization. Yet the gold mining industry now faces systemic challenges related to cost pressures and increased resistance on the part of governments and local communities. Second, we draw attention to the fact that in many new gold mining destinations, the expansion of industrial gold mining is accompanied, and in some cases even eclipsed, by a dramatic expansion of informal artisanal and small-scale gold mining.