192pp., paperback, Tafelberg, Cape Town, 2026
ISBN: 9780624093176
Investigative journalist Graham Coetzer went undercover into the shadowy world of illegal gold mining, uncovering a treacherous criminal empire where gang wars, brutal enforcement tactics and corruption are rampant, and tonnes of unreported gold leave South Africa annually, the stolen billions fuelling cigarette smuggling, drug and arms trafficking, bribery networks and suspected terrorism financing.
Through exclusive interviews with zama zamas, syndicate insiders, intelligence operatives and law enforcement officials, he sheds light on the hidden mechanics of this shadow economy.
South African investigative journalist and television producer Graham Coetzer currently works mostly for the current-affairs TV show Carte Blanche. He is the author of Hunting with the Hawks, untold stories from the elite South African crime-fighting unit, and lives in Pretoria.