Which groups of workers and fortune seekers migrated to Johannesburg during the gold boom?

The gold boom of 1886 transformed Johannesburg into a major destination for diverse groups of workers and fortune seekers from around the world.123

• Skilled Miners: Experienced miners, particularly from Cornwall and Wales, migrated to the region, bringing with them strong trade-union traditions and commanding relatively high wages due to their specialized skills.24
• Black Migrant Workers: The vast majority of the workforce consisted of unskilled Black migrants from across Southern Africa, particularly Mozambique. These men often worked under short-term contracts, living in controlled compounds, and were subjected to low pay and restrictive labor policies.124
• Fortune Seekers: The discovery of gold attracted a global influx of prospectors and fortune hunters, including individuals from Australia and California.2
• Destitute Afrikaners: Rural Afrikaners, displaced by debt and drought, migrated to the city and often settled in impoverished areas like Brickfields and Vrededorp.2
• Uitlanders: This term referred to foreign immigrants, primarily British, who moved to the Transvaal to work in the mines and trade.5
• Indentured Laborers: When local labor pools were deemed insufficient, imperial officials and mine owners imported more than 60,000 Chinese indentured laborers.6