This was an alluvial deposit but its importance was recognized by Hans Merensky whose prospecting work discovered the primary source in the Bushveld Igneous Complex and traced it for several hundred kilometres by 1930. Extensive mining of the Reef didn't take place until an upsurge in the demand for platinum group metals used in exhaust pollution control in the 1950s, made exploitation economically feasible. Extraction of metals from the UG2 chromitite could only take place in the 1970s with major advances in metallurgy.
This deposit's significance was initially overlooked but recognized by Hans Merensky through his exploration efforts, which led him to discover the primary source within the Bushveld Igneous Complex and track it for hundreds of kilometers by 1930. It wasn't until the 1950s that mining of the Reef became economically viable due to increased demand for platinum group metals used in reducing emissions from vehicles. The extraction of metals from the UG2 chromitite required significant advances in metallurgy, which didn't occur until the 1970s.