JOHANNESBURG, Sep. 5 (Xinhua) -- Following a Cabinet meeting this week, South African Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced on Friday that the government has welcomed a new mining investment valued at 90 million U.S. dollars, marking the country's first new underground gold mine in 15 years.

The Qala Shallows project, developed by West Wits Mining Ltd. in the Witwatersrand Basin, a major geological formation across South Africa's Gauteng, Free State, and North West provinces, is scheduled to begin operations in 2026.

At a media briefing in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, Ntshavheni said the investment is a sign of new gold projects in the country and highlighted the country's ability to attract new investments.

"With production scheduled to begin in 2026, the South African economy will receive a major boost in new jobs, skills development, and economic development," she said. ■