The Precambrian rocks of KwaZulu-Natal comprise the Archaean granite-greenstone remnants of . the Kaapvaal craton and Late Archaean volcanics and sediments of the supracratonic Pongola Supergroup. These Archaean rocks have been intruded by numerous mafic/ultramafic complexes and voluminous granitoid intrusives of various ages. To the south, the basement rocks are represented by the Mid- to Late-Proterozoic Natal Metamorphic Province (NMP). The NMP comprises three discontinuity-bound tectonostratigraphic terranes. These are, from north to south, the Tugela, Mzumbe and Margate Terranes. The Tugela Terrane has been interpreted as an ophiolite suite that was thrust northwards onto the stable Archaean craton as four nappe structures. Continued thrusting resulted in the two southern terranes being thrust northwards over each other, resulting in numerous sinistral transcurrent shear zones and mylonite belts. The greenschist facies Tugela terrane has been intruded by mafic-ultramafic complexes, alpine serpentinites, plagiogranites and a number of alkaline to peralkaline granitoids. The Mzumbe and Margate Terranes comprise arc-related, felsic to mafic supracrustal gneisses and metasediments that were intruded by syn-, late- and post-tectonic granitoids. Mineralisation in the granite-greenstones consists of structurally-hosted lode-gold deposits. These deposits have many characteristics in common with lode-gold deposits found in other granitegreenstone terranes throughout the world. The Nondweni greenstones also contain volcanogenicrelated massive sulphide deposits. The Pongola Supergroup is host to lode-gold mineralisation and placer gold mineralisation. These placer deposits have been correlated with deposits found in the similarly-aged Witwatersrand Basin in an adjacent part of the craton. The metallogeny of the NMP can be described in relation to the various stages in the tectonic evolution of the belt. The initial, rifting and extension-related stage was characterised by arcrelated magmatism and volcanic arc activity. Alkali basalt magmatism due to hot-spot activity in the oceanic basin in which the Tugela Terrane initially accumulated, produced magmatic segregation deposits, while volcanic-arc activity is responsible for the submarine-exhalative massive sulphide mineralisation. All the mineralisation within the NMP is structurally-related. These thrusts and shear zones were developed during obduction and thrusting during the NMP event, and created the paths necessary for the migration of mineralising fluids. Alpine-type ophiolite deposits were also emplaced along these zones. Epigenetic, shear zone-hosted gold mineralisation occurs in the Tugela and Mzumbe Terranes. Mineralisation occurs within quartz veins and is also disseminated within the sheared host-rocks. The Mzumbe Terrane also contains small showings of massive sulphide deposits that were related to volcanogenic exhalative processes during the formation of this terrane. Potential for finding further mineralisation of this type appears to be good. The massive sulphide deposits formed early in the evolution of the belt, and were deformed and metamorphosed during the later accretionary processes. The southernmost Margate Terrane is characterised by a lack of metalliferous mineralisation, but hosts the extensive, and economically important, limestone deposits of the Marble Delta. The recently discovered spodumene-rich pegmatite deposits of this terrane may also be considered for exploitation. Post-collisional magmatism and metamorphism resulted in extensive rapakivi-type granite/charnockite plutons

In the Upington region, there are three major- tectonic crustal provinces; namely the Kaapvaal Craton, Kheis and Namaqua tectonic provinces. The Eburnian-aged (early Proterozoic) Kheis Province developed along the western flank of the Archaean Kaapvaal Craton while the Kibaran-aged (middle Proterozoic) Namaqua Metamorphic Province, superimposed on the Eburnian-aged basement, developed to the east of the Kheis Province. The Namaqua Metamorphic Province is divided into the Gordonia and Bushmanland Subprovinces, the former being further subdivided into various tectonostratigraphic terranes. These are termed, from west to east, the Kakamas, Areachap, and Upington Terranes. The Upington Terrane includes fault bounded grabens with accompanied bimodal volcanism and sedimentation of the Wilgenhoutsdrif and Koras Groups. The Areachap Terrane consists predominantly of amphibolites generated in an island arc environment while the Kakamas Terrane is characterised by volcano-sedimentary sequences which have been extensively intruded by syn to late-tectonic predominantly I-type Keimoes Suite granitoids. The main styles of mineralisation correlate well with the various tectonostratigraphic terranes. Sedimentary exhalative massive sulphide deposits are characteristic of the Bushmanland Subprovince and are thought to be associated with the deposits at Aggeneys and Putsberg to the west of the area under investigation. These deposits are considered to have been deposited in an east-west-elongated intracontinental basin. The Kakamas Terrane is typified by granite-related mineralisation. In the eastern portion of the Kakamas Terrane, Sn-Wand base metal-bearing veins occur while pegmatites are developed in the western portion. These two styles of granite-related mineralisation is considered to reflect differing depths of formation due mainly to varying degrees of thrusting. The Areachap Terrane consists of volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits of the Besshi-type and is considered to have formed in a back-arc environment. In the Upington Terrane, the Wilgenhoutsdrif and Koras Groups consists essentially of minor Cu occurrences mainly disseminated within basalts and in structural trap sites. The possibility for sediment-hosted Cu deposits is not ruled out. More recent surface processes have led to uranium and gypsum deposits in pans, river beds and calcretes. Eburnian aged tectonic setting remains enigmatic. Kibaran-aged tectonics which best fits the metallogeny of the area under investigation is considered to be of a subduction zone from west to east formed by the collision of the Bushmanland "microcontinent" against the Kaapvaal Craton. Subduction fbrmed an island arc setting in which the massive sulphide deposits were formed in the Areachap Terrane while the Wilgenhoutsdrif Groups developed in a marginal basin. Further convergence led to collision of the two continents and underriding of the Bushmanland "microcontinent" which generated predominantly I-type granitoids represented by the Keimoes Suite. The level of emplacement of these granitoids is a reflection of the degree of foreland thrusting and produced shallower level Sn-W and base metal vein-type mineralisation closer to the suture zone and deeper level pegmatites further from the suture zone to the west. The final period of deformation is represented by northward lateral movement which created "pull apart" fault-bounded basins into which the Koras Group was deposited.