Confidence Reef

CONFIDENCE REEF The first payable gold on the Witwatersrand was discovered here by Fred and Harry Struben in 1884. Convinced that they had struck it rich, the Strubens named their mine Confidence Reef, but their hopes were dashed, as the mine yielded poor results and was soon worked out. Other gold prospectors were drawn to seek their fortunes on the Witwatersrand, encouraged by these optimistic claims. This led to the discovery of the Main Reef at Langlaagte in 1886 and the founding of Johannesburg. The old mineshafts were declared a National Monument in 1983.