Job losses in South Africa's mining sector: A reflection of ongoing challenges

MINING sector employment into the first quarter of this year has broadly followed the same downward trends as last year, where there were job losses among platinum group metals (PGM), diamond, and iron ore mining companies.

- EDWARD WEST

This was according to the Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA), the data from which showed there were 9 493 job losses in the PGM sector last year, 1 286 job losses in iron ore, while diamond mining employment was down by 1 047.

The MCSA’s 70 members represent 90% of South African mineral production by value. By the end of 2024, there were 468 898 employees in the mining sector.

These three mining sectors measured by the MCSA with job losses were also those that were most affected by lower commodity prices last year, while South Africa's iron ore sector exports also suffered due to rail infrastructure problems.