| Stilfontein | |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | North West |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 2551 |
Stilfontein (Afrikaans for quiet spring) is a mining town with 96,242 inhabitants, situated between Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom in North West Province of South Africa.
Stilfontein was established in 1949 as a residential centre for three large gold mines, the Hartebeesfontein, Buffelsfontein and Stilfontein mines.
Stilfontein was struck by a mining-related earthquake in 9 March 2005, which damaged buildings in the town, which was followed by the closure of the Hartebeesfontein and Buffelsfontein when the Stilfontein Gold Mining was handed over into liquidation.[1] The Simmer and Jack Mines took over the mines but disaster struck again on the 23 March 2006 when a fire trapped 8 miners underground at the Buffelsfontein mine.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of Stilfontein was 14,708. The racial distribution was as follows: 84.9% White, 14.2% Black, 0.8% Coloured and 0.1% Asian. The population density was 1,717 persons per km² (663 persons per mi²). The white population is very likely to have been undercounted, a common problem with the 2001 census.[2]