Free State, Transgariep & Goldfields The Transgariep and Goldfields region of the Freestate is bordered in the South by the Orange River and Gariep Dam, in the East by the Lesotho border and in the West by the Northern Province border. Goldfields occupies the northern half of this Freestate region but it was not until 1938 that gold was discovered in the region when a borehole being sunk on the farm St Helena struck a continuation of the reef that was being mined in the Witwatersrand. Soon prospectors and miners were flooding into the region known now as goldfields and allied industries sprung up in the region. Today the Freestate goldfields are rivaled only by those of Gauteng, and Welkom's residents enjoy an income second to none in South Africa. Above the ground the countryside is rich with endless fields of maize. - Read more