To what extent did economic issues cause the South African War?

The question requires that candidates consider significance of economic causes to the outbreak of the South African War. Causes may predate the timeframe of the topic, but they must be both relevant and clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may refer to hostility caused by the refusal of the British colonies to enter a trade agreement with the Transvaal, or the exclusion of the Transvaal from the coast, due to them being denied rail access. The Boers were angered by this and they were alarmed by the influx of workers into the region following the discovery of gold in the Transvaal. However, the discovery also afforded the Boers wealth and as this increased, so did their determination to be independent, to dominate South Africa and to force access to the coast. While other relevant factors—for example British imperial ambitions and the intransigence of men such as Chamberlain, Milner and Rhodes, as well as British prejudices regarding the Kruger government's "backwardness" and doubts about its ability to successfully exploit the immense economic potential of the region—may be referred to, the bulk of the response will remain on the issue raised in the question.