The gold mining industry of the Union of South Africa on the eve and during World War II

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the gold mining industry in the Union of South Africa from 1930 to 1945, when the country provided about 40% of global gold production. Technological, economic, and social aspects of the industry's development are examined based on archive documents, statistical reports, and research publications. The study explores the structure of enterprises, equipment and mining methods used, changes in the production volumes, and the financial and economic indicators of the leading companies that significantly influenced the global market conditions. A special attention is paid to the comparative analysis of labor productivity: it was revealed that in 1939, the output per worker in the Transvaal (1.0 kg of gold per year) was 4-5 times lower than in the United States (4.4 kg). The reasons for this lag, associated with the low level of mechanization of the labor-intensive processes despite the high production concentration, are examined. The study shows that during World War II, despite the global decline, the gold mining industry in the Union of South Africa remained stable, which ensured the country's strategic role in maintaining the international financial system.