The tiny mining towns in the middle of the desert where the average person makes R508,901 a year

• The average person in Gamagara Local Municipality earns R508,901 per year, making it the richest district in South Africa by personal income.
• This high average stems from the region’s iron‑ore mines—Sishen, Kolomela, Khumani, and others—which provide thousands of high‑paying engineering and specialist jobs in a town with only about 11,000 taxpayers.
• The concentration of wealth is tied to the mining industry’s fortunes; as companies like ArcelorMittal exit, the municipality faces potential income volatility, but current profits from Kumba’s large operations keep the high salaries in place for now.