South African gold production slips to fourth in world

IRJ Mar 11 - South Africa’s gold production fell from third to fourth after a drop of 5.8 per cent in 2009. The country is now behind China, Australia and the U.S. In the twentieth century, SA retained the top spot for the majority of years. The electricity crisis and stoppages of mines and shafts due to concerns over safety is in part the reason behind the fall.