Illegal miners are called "zama zama" ("take a chance" in Zulu) and operate in abandoned mines in the mineral-rich country. Illegal mining costs the South African government hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales each year. Many South African mines have closed down in recent years and workers have been sacked.

The South African government has assembled a team of mine rescue experts to devise a plan for bringing illegal miners to the surface from a disused gold mine.