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Platinum and coal have outpaced gold in terms of people employed in South Africa. The country has more than 80% of the world’s platinum group metal deposits and the number of people working in platinum mining has doubled from 85,000 in 1988 to 183,000 in 2023. Just over 96,000 people were employed in coal mining in 2023.
Gold is now the third largest employer in South Africa’s mining sector, having shed 80% of its workforce over the past 35 years. In 1988, more than half-a-million people worked in gold mining. By 2000, that number had plunged to less than half at 217,000. By 2023, it had fallen to 94,000 employees.
Chrome and manganese mining have seen significant growth in their employee numbers, with both industries tripling their workforce over the past three decades. These two minerals will continue to grow in importance as they are critical for renewable energy-related products.