The Minerals Council South Africa published its annual comprehensive collection of industry information in the Facts and Figures 2020 Book.

Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, including the lockdown on the industry and the economy from March 2020, the mining industry:

• Contributed R371.9 billion to GDP (2019: R376.4 billion)
• Employed 452 866 people (2019: 462,039)
• Paid employees R151.7 billion (2019: R144.4 billion) and contributed R26.2 billion (2019: R22.7 billion) to PAYE on behalf of employees
• Paid R34.7 billion in value added taxes (2019: R36.9 billion) and R11.8 billion in royalties (2019: R8.6 billion)
• Saw primary mineral sales amounting to R609.8 billion (2019: R552.4 billion)
• Exported R450.6 billion worth of minerals (2019: R361.7 billion)

“The negative impact on mining was lighter than that compared to many other parts of the economy due to the excellent co-operation and collaboration between the industry and government in getting the sector safely back to work as quickly as possible,” commented CEO Roger Baxter. He added that many mining companies recorded increased revenues and profits, thanks to higher commodity prices and a weaker Rand.

The publication was curated by the Minerals Council’s economics team.