Department of Culture, Sports and Recreation

MEDIA RELEASE 26 August 2009

South Africa wins bid to host 2012 World Gold Panning Championships

South Africa has been given the right to host the 2012 World Gold Panning Championships after successfully bidding to host the event during the 2009 Championships that were held in Italy, Biella from 13 to 25 August 2009.

South Africa will host the 2012 Gold Panning Championships in Mpumalanga Province in Pilgrims Rest Town. The SA delegation was led by MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation, Mr Vusi Shongwe.

Gold Panning is a traditional sport where participants are given a gold pan and a bucket of sand in which a specific number of gold nuggets are hidden. Participants then pan out the nuggets and the winner is the one who pans out the most nuggets in the shortest space of time. Number of nuggets in the buckets is only known by the chief judge and participants are penalised for lost nuggets.

Bidding to host the World Championships is done three years before the event to the World Gold Panning Association which organizes annual championships where member countries of the association participate.

MEC Shongwe attended the bid by South Africa to host the 2012 Championships where he applauded the World Gold Panning Association for ensuring that Gold Panning continues to grow in all countries that are members of the association.

“The association‘s support to member countries and their guidance is applauded as we are all brought together by a common interest of taking gold panning to new heights,” MEC Shongwe said.

He said the South African government, through the Mpumalanga province, is proud of the work that has been done by the South African Gold Panning Association (SAGPA) as more and more people in our country are taking an interest and participating in gold panning.

MEC Shongwe said government was fully behind the 2012 bid as we want the championships to be organized in South Africa and assured the World Gold Panning Association that we will work together with SAGPA to organize the best world championships.

The WGPA was satisfied that South Africa will successfully organize and host successful championships in 2009 as the country previously hosted the competition in 2005 and it was regarded as one of the most successful event.

During the 2009 championships, South Africans also made their mark when Surprise Thulelo scooped gold in the Juniors Category and he was followed by a fellow South African, Martin Nsimbi who won silver. Other South Africans qualified for the finals in the proficient men and ladies categories. South Africa got position five in the overall standing.

For More Information Contact: Sammy Mpatlanyane

(013) 766 5014

082 923 0550