The Kalahari Manganese Fields
"Oxblood" Rhodochrosite. Wessels mine, Cape Minerals private collection. Mines of the Kalahari Manganese Fields. The first mine to open is the iconic Black Rock mine, in 1940, with underground operations beginning in 1942. This was followed in quick succession by Devon in 1954 and Smartt in 1959, by Assmang and Samancor respectively.
