JOHANNESBURG - Illegal mining has made a considerable dent in the South African economy.
The cost of the illegal mining of gold alone is estimated to be over R70-billion annually.
And the figure has expanded tenfold in just three years.
WATCH: Discussion | Illegal mining | The rising threat of illegal mining
This feeds directly into revenue losses for both the government and the mining sector.
Not to mention the environmental impact and terror they often inflict on local communities.
- The eNCA business desk took some stock and put this report together.