Carletonville is essentially a mining town that developed around the discovery of gold in the area. It is situated eighty kilometres west of Johannesburg and is one of the richest gold producing areas in the world. It is world renowned for deep level mining and at 3 749 metres, Western Deep Levels is one of the world’s deepest mines.
If you are travelling west from Johannesburg towards Potchefstroom or Kimberley a short detour of twelve kilometres will take you to Carletonville.
The town was developed by various mining companies over a number of years from 1937 onwards. It got its name from a long serving mining director of Consolidated Gold Fields, Guy Carleton Jones. Carletonville was not officially incorporated until 1959. Built on a dolomite area the town and it surrounding areas have experienced trouble with sinkholes from time to time. Two of its favourite sons are Brian McMillan, former South African cricketer, and Jaque Fourie, former Springbok rugby star.
