KEY POINTS
- Mining deaths fell to 41 in 2025 after a record-low 42 in 2024.
- The industry recorded 49 fatalities by September 14, 2026.
- Platinum and gold accounted for more than 70% of this year’s deaths.
South Africa’s mining industry is being urged to intensify efforts to eliminate workplace deaths after fatalities rose sharply in 2026, reversing some of the safety gains recorded over the previous two years.
Speaking at the Mine Health and Safety Summit on September 17, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said the industry had made measurable progress in reducing fatalities, but warned that the latest figures showed that significant risks remained.
The sector recorded 42 fatalities in 2024, the lowest number in the history of South African mining. The figure improved marginally to 41 deaths in 2025.
Mantashe stressed that the statistics represented workers who lost their lives and families that were left without breadwinners.
In 2024, platinum mining recorded the highest number of deaths at 18, followed by gold with 12, coal with six, chrome with three, diamonds with two and other mining operations with one.
The pattern changed in 2025, when gold became the biggest contributor with 21 fatalities. Platinum recorded 11 deaths, while chrome and coal recorded three and two respectively.
49 deaths recorded by September
The minister said the industry’s safety performance had deteriorated in 2026, with 49 fatalities recorded as of September 14.
Three of the deaths had been classified as miscellaneous because investigations had yet to establish their causes.
Platinum accounted for 18 fatalities, while gold recorded 17 and diamond mining five. Together, platinum and gold represented more than 70% of all mining fatalities recorded in the country by that date.
Mantashe called on mining companies and investigators to accelerate inquiries into the deaths and establish the circumstances surrounding each incident.
He said determining the causes of fatalities promptly was necessary to identify hazards, strengthen preventive measures and improve workplace safety.
Mantashe identified the growing use of contract workers as one of the challenges confronting the industry’s safety efforts.
According to the minister, industry statistics indicate a relationship between the increasing number of contract workers and rising fatalities.
The concern adds another layer to the industry’s responsibility to ensure that safety standards are applied consistently to all workers, regardless of their employment status.
Mantashe also raised concerns about mineworkers who die while travelling to and from work, describing commuting-related deaths as another emerging health and safety challenge requiring attention.
