Stats SA: Mining industry posts R500bn income in 2019

At least 61% of the income was sourced from outside the country. 

Breaking this down by commodity, export sales dominated the manganese ore market with 96%, while 61% of coal sales were local.

Statistics SA delivered the mining report in Tshwane on Tuesday.

The report, which covers the results of a census conducted in 2019, provides detailed statistics on mineral production, finances, employment, as well as exports and imports.

During this period, the South African mining industry employed more than half a million workers. 

According to Stats SA’s Chief Director of Structural Industry Statistics, Itani Magwaba, the employment figures from the report show that the mining workforce expanded by 3 737 people between 2015 and 2019. 

“A closer look shows that this increase in employment was due to a rise in the number of employees from subcontractors and labour brokers. 

“The number of capital employees, individuals working on projects that fall outside the daily scope of business, also increased over this period,” Magwaba added.

However, there was a notable decline in the number of workers employed directly by mines. 

Mine employees decreased by more than 22 000 workers.

“If we focus squarely on these jobs, the bulk were lost in the coal & lignite sector, followed by platinum group metals and gold & uranium,” said Magwaba. 

On a provincial level, the mining industry recorded employment decreases in North West, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal in 2019 compared to the 2015 census. 

North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga have the largest mining workforces. 

“This is not surprising, as mining is the largest industry in all three provinces, according to provincial gross domestic product estimates,” said Magwaba. 

The mining industry soon suffered difficulties in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, halting operations and crippling the economy for months.

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