Harmony Gold has reported the death of a worker at its Mponeng mine near Carletonville after a seismic event, its second seismicity-related death in South Africa this month after an incident at Moab Khotsong near Orkney. According to Business Day, the death is Harmony’s eighth this year and takes its toll over five years to 46.
The deaths contrast with an improvement in the group’s injury data. In its results for the year to June 2026, Harmony reported its lowest lost-time injury frequency rate yet, at 5.05 per million hours worked, down from 5.39. The same results showed operating free cash flow up 54% to R17 billion and gold production of 1.43 million ounces, in line with guidance for the eleventh year in a row.
Industry-wide, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) recorded 33 mine deaths by late July, 12 of them in the Rustenburg region. The 2025 total of 41 was a record low and 91% below the 484 deaths recorded in 1994.
| Year | Mine deaths in South Africa |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 484 |
| 2023 | 55 |
| 2024 | 42 |
| 2025 | 41 |
| 2026 (to late July) | 33 |
Gold Fields, Pan African Resources and DRDGold have recorded no deaths this year, while Sibanye-Stillwater has recorded two. Sibanye’s deaths involved two subcontractor employees at the Kloof 8 shaft on 3 May, when an inspection platform detached from the hoisting cage and fell down the shaft.
Platinum operations have accounted for the largest share of this year’s deaths. Implats suspended work at its Rustenburg complex for five days for a safety reset, after DMPR officials, management and AMCU addressed thousands of workers. AMCU has disputed the official fatality figures for the mine. Chief inspector of mines David Msiza has said the department is particularly worried about platinum mines.
Other major incidents this year include a mud rush at Ekapa Minerals in Kimberley that killed five mineworkers and prompted a formal DMPR inquiry.
Falls of ground remain the main underground hazard. Deaths from such incidents rose by 25% to 15 in 2025, from 12 in 2024, even as the overall toll fell.
Harmony told Business Day that seismicity and ground conditions at its deep-level mines demand constant vigilance but do not reduce its responsibility. The company said it is using technology to remove workers from hazardous areas, running a culture programme called Thibakotsi, and tying safety performance to leadership scorecards.
For 2026, the Minerals Council has set out plans to embed critical control management, expand leading practices and strengthen visible leadership across the sector.
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has told the industry that worker safety cannot be traded off. He argued that mineworkers are the ones who turn shareholder investment into wealth.