February 5, 2026
South Africa’s Mponeng: The World’s Deepest, Hottest Gold Mine
The Mponeng Gold Mine in South Africa plunges 4 km underground, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Around 4,000 miners work amid 140°F heat cooled by ice pumps. It produced nearly 200,000 ounces of gold in 2022 and may operate until 2029.