SA mining fatalities from 2020–2025
Total annual fatalities among Minerals Council SA member mines
−45%
decline from 74 deaths (2021) to provisional 41 (2025)
13
deaths in a single 2023 conveyance accident at Impala Platinum
2023 regression
Impala Platinum disaster — 13 deaths in one incident
South Africa's 2021 figure of 74 mining deaths was the worst in the dataset, but the industry has since driven fatalities down to a provisional 41 in 2025. The 2023 jump to 55 deaths, largely explained by a single conveyance disaster at Impala Platinum, shows that systemic progress remains vulnerable to catastrophic one-off events. The numbers of fatalities in 2026 are on track to reach almost 70.
Daily Maverick · Source: Minerals Council SA, 2023; SA News / DMRE, 2025; Daily Maverick, 2026
