Witwatersrand

American  

[wit-waw-terz-rand, -wot-erz-] / ˈwɪtˌwɔ tərzˌrænd, -ˌwɒt ərz- /

noun

1. a rocky ridge in southern Africa, in the Republic of South Africa, near Johannesburg.

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Witwatersrand British  

/ vətˈvɑːtərsˈrant, wɪtˈwɔːtəzˌrænd /

noun

1. Also called: the Rand.   the Reef.  a rocky ridge in NE South Africa: contains the richest gold deposits in the world, also coal and manganese; chief industrial centre is Johannesburg. Height: 1500–1800 m (5000–6000 ft)

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Example Sentences

According to Professor Andrew Forbes, corresponding author from the University of the Witwatersrand, at Johannesburg, the field has evolved dramatically over the past 20 years.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

In South Africa, according to the University of Witwatersrand, the top 0.1 percent owned over a quarter of wealth.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

He studied mining engineering at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg before deciding to switch to medicine, at Guy's Hospital in London.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

About a year after Ezra’s find, the mining town of Randsburg sprang up around a big gold find — the town and the mine named optimistically for the immense Witwatersrand gold fields in South Africa.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025

The campaign spread throughout the Witwatersrand, to Durban, to Port Elizabeth, East London, and Cape Town, and smaller towns in the eastern and western Cape.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela