29 Dec South African mining companies double training as fatalities decrease

Mining companies in South Africa doubled the amount of training provided to workers last year. At the same time, fatalities fell to their lowest level on record, according to new figures from the Materials Council South Africa.

Data compiled from the Minerals Council South Africa and the Mining Qualifications Authority showed that mining employees received more than 860,000 formal training interventions in 2024. This was up from 407,899 interventions in 2023.

Most of the training took the form of short courses, with safety identified as the main focus area.

The Materials Council South Africa said the increase in safety training directly aligned with 2024 being the safest year on record for the mining sector, with 42 fatalities reported.

It added that by the end of November 2025, fatalities had fallen further to 39, indicating continued improvement.

The same data showed a reduction in workplace injuries. Incidents fell by 11 per cent to 1,602 cases, which the council said demonstrated that safety training is having a positive and lasting impact across the industry.

Commenting on the findings, Mustak Ally, head of HR and skills development at the Minerals Council South Africa, said the sector continued to show that investing in people was central to its long-term value.

He said the training funded by mining companies was critical for developing skills in the workplace and within host communities, helping to build a more resilient and inclusive future for employees and the surrounding areas.

In addition to training existing workers, mining companies have also increased investment in future talent. The Materials Council South Africa said that in the five years to the end of 2025, companies invested more than ZAR1bn in education bursaries for over 51,000 people, with 78 per cent of recipients being unemployed.

Much of this support focused on young people. In 2024 alone, more than 12,800 bursaries were awarded, alongside nearly 10,800 short training courses. During the year, 36,520 young people and 3,300 school-aged children received training support.

Minerals Council South Africa chief executive Mzila Mthenjane said the investments were aimed at ensuring communities could sustain independent businesses and industries after mining activities come to an end.

The MQA data was based on responses from 965 mining companies, as well as firms providing services to the sector and diamond processing operations.

Efforts to expand training form part of the Minerals Council South Africa’s #MiningMatters initiative, alongside its Zero Harm safety programme.