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According to: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1253/report/OF11-1253.pdf, the approximate energy consumption for mining gold in South Africa was already 26 TWh * 65% = 16.9 TWh in 2005. Bitcoin still has its future ahead :/

Which isn't saying much. The entire South African grid is sub 40 GW. Roughly the same as California.

And only a small part of the SA grid goes towards gold mining.

It says that mining bitcoin is still cheaper than mining gold