Le Roux, Petrus Jacobus2016-03-082016-03-082016http://hdl.handle.net/10539/20033Mining worldwide and definitely in South Africa, is constantly under pressure to reduce its cost structure to sustain profitability. In underground gold mines where an open stope mining method is employed, dilution often has a significant effect on the viability of sustaining profits. Target Mine practices the Open Stope mining Method and it was found that in some open stopes dilution was in excess of 10%, which has a significant impact on the sustainability of the mine.enThesis