Kaapvaal

Kaapvaal, in geological terms Kaapvaal Craton, is a large ancient continental crustal block in southern Africa. It forms the stable core of the African continent and underlies much of northern South Africa, including the regions of Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and parts of the Free State, and extends beneath surrounding sedimentary basins. It is one of the oldest parts of Earth's lithosphere, dating from the Archean eon about 3.6 to 2.5 billion years ago.

Within the Kaapvaal Craton lie significant early crustal rocks, notably the Barberton Greenstone Belt, a 3.5 to 3.2 Ga sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that record some of the Earth's earliest geologic processes. The craton also hosts large, well-preserved granitoid belts and high-grade metamorphic rocks.

Notable structures within or atop the Kaapvaal Craton include the Vredefort Dome, created by a large asteroid impact around 2.02 Ga and among the oldest known impact structures on Earth; and the Bushveld Complex, a major layered intrusion of about 2.0 Ga that is one of the world's largest sources of platinum-group metals and chromium. The Witwatersrand Basin, hosting world-class gold deposits, overlies the craton and contributed substantially to South Africa's gold industry.

Significance: The Kaapvaal Craton is regarded as one of the best-preserved early-Earth crust records, providing key insights into crust formation and early plate tectonics. It remains a stable, tectonically quiet region that underpins much of southern Africa's geology and mineral wealth.