city, Gauteng province, South Africa. Germiston lies 5,550 feet (1,690 metres) above sea level and is situated in the Witwatersrand directly southeast of Johannesburg. It is the largest railway junction of South Africa and has substantial rail repair shops. Germiston lies in the heart of the Rand goldfields and was founded in 1886 after the local discovery of gold. It officially became a town in 1903 and a city in 1950. It is part of one of South Africa's most heavily industrialized areas. Gold bullion from nearly all the country's mines is recovered at the Rand Refinery Limited (established 1921), the largest in the world. Other industries include smelting, cotton-ginning, and varied manufactures. Pop. (2001) 139,721.