William Pigg

William Pigg (1831–1902) was a French gold prospector, explorer, and farmer who was involved in gold mining operations in southeast Africa during the 19th century. He was the founder and namesake of Piggs Peak, where he discovered a gold reef in 1884.

Life and career In the early 1860s, Pigg discovered traces of gold in the Umzinto River. Pigg married in 1862 and lived with his wife on his estate in the area, where he farmed sugar. He mined the upper part of a weathered quartz reef there while his partner, Edward Button, was in England. Pigg amassed significant wealth after he discovered a gold deposit in the nearby hills on 26 March 1884. The discovery led to the establishment of the Piggs Peak gold mine, which became the largest source of gold in Swazi history.