Statistics South Africa says about 23,000 jobs were lost in the South African mining sector between 2012 and 2019.

According to new data by Stats SA,  mining employment stood at 514 859 in 2019, down from 538 144 in 2012, as the sector went through mass jobs cuts.

The biggest job losses were recorded in gold and uranium ore mining, which registered a combined loss of just more than 42,000 jobs, between 2012 and 2019.

The platinum-mining sector shed 8,190 jobs in the same period.