Rustenburg Platinum
CountrySouth Africa
RegionNorth West Province
Year Opened1929
Size/DepthVarious
MineralPlatinum
About Rustenburg Platinum
Where the modern platinum industry began in the 1920s and 1930s. The Bushveld Complex holds most of the known platinum on Earth. First production came in 1929 from the Merensky Reef. Platinum demand later soared for catalytic converters. The operations also yield palladium, rhodium, and other precious metals. Labor strife here reshaped South African mining.