Witwatersrand

American  

[wit-waw-terz-rand, -wot-erz-] / ˈwɪtˌwɔ tərzˌrænd, -ˌwɒt ərz- /

noun

1. a rocky ridge in southern Africa, in the Republic of South Africa, near Johannesburg.

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Witwatersrand British  

/ vətˈvɑːtərsˈrant, wɪtˈwɔːtəzˌrænd /

noun

1. Also called: the Rand.   the Reef.  a rocky ridge in NE South Africa: contains the richest gold deposits in the world, also coal and manganese; chief industrial centre is Johannesburg. Height: 1500–1800 m (5000–6000 ft)

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Example Sentences

South Africa is under pressure from global shocks and domestic policy failures, said William Gumede, professor of public management at the University of the Witwatersrand.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, working with collaborators from Huzhou University, have uncovered a surprising feature in one of the most widely used tools in quantum optics.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

The group, from the University of the Witwatersrand, said the process is harmless to rhinos but will allow customs officers to detect smuggled horns as they're transported across the world.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2025

About a year after Ezra’s find, the mining town of Randsburg sprang up around a big gold find — the town and the mine named optimistically for the immense Witwatersrand gold fields in South Africa.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025

Mr. Sidelsky, whom I came to respect greatly and who treated me with enormous kindness, was a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand and was in his mid-thirties when I joined the firm.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela