town and diversified industrial and mining centre, Gauteng province, South Africa, 5 miles (8 km) east of Johannesburg. Established in 1887 as the administrative centre of the East Rand with the discovery of gold and coal in the area, it has become one of the most important gold-producing towns on the Witwatersrand. It was incorporated as a town in 1903. Boksburg manufactures a wide variety of industrial and consumer goods, among them electric motors, cranes, and glazed ceramics. Gold mining also continues, mostly through the sinking of extremely deep shafts. The town, which is surrounded by residential suburbs, is a popular resort for sailing and swimming. Pop. (2001) 158,650.