A sudden gold rush has hit Gugulethu, a poor informal settlement near Springs, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. A resident found gold nuggets while digging in a cattle pen, triggering many others to join in the illegal digging frenzy. Armed with pickaxes and shovels, these hopeful miners are searching for gold in soil, hoping for quick money. Springs, once a thriving gold mining town, closed its mines years ago due to deep shafts making mining too costly. Now, many residents, mostly migrants from neighboring countries like Lesotho, live in nearby informal areas. South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources condemned the illegal mining. They warned the digging damages the environment and creates unsafe, unstable ground, risking injury, especially to children who have come to help after school. Dangerous chemicals like mercury and sodium cyanide, used to extract gold, further threaten health and nature. Some miners shared with the BBC that they sold gold on the black market. One man said, "We know this is illegal. We want the government to give us mining permits so we can work and pay tax." He added he needed money to feed his family and educate his children. Another said, "This is the only hustle we know. It has saved many of us from being arrested for committing serious and violent crimes." Gold prices are high, about $100 per gram, compared to South Africa’s monthly minimum wage of $368, making it an enticing but risky gamble. Illegal mining, often done by "zama zamas"—armed, undocumented foreign nationals—has plagued the country, linked to crime and accidents. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced the army would assist police against such gangs, though no signs tie this in Springs yet. The illegal gold digging in Springs shows how poverty drives desperate risks while raising serious concerns about safety, crime, and environmental harm in South Africa’s forgotten mining towns.