South Africa's Chrome Wealth: A Toxic Mix of Poverty, Power, and Profit The collapse of a disused mine in Rustenburg, which killed 14 workers, has exposed the darker side of South Africa's chrome wealth.
This tragedy is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deeper problem – an underground economy that exploits vulnerable migrants, unemployed workers, and criminal networks to fuel a lucrative mineral trade.
Rustenburg sits atop the Bushveld Igneous Complex, one of the world's richest geological formations, containing vast deposits of platinum group metals and chrome.