1,100 JOBS AT RISK IN RUSTENBURG
Sibanye-Stillwater begins formal consultations over the proposed restructuring of Kwezi Shaft
Platinum Weekly Newspaper | Rustenburg – The possible loss of more than 1,100 jobs at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kwezi Shaft has placed renewed pressure on Rustenburg, a city whose people, businesses and economy remain deeply connected to the mining industry.
On Tuesday 8 September 2026, Sibanye-Stillwater announced that it had started a formal Section 189A consultation process concerning the proposed restructuring of Kwezi Shaft, which forms part of its Rustenburg platinum group metals (PGM) operations. The process could potentially affect 781 employees and 333 contractor employees – a total of 1,114 people.
Importantly, these workers have not yet been retrenched. A Section 189A process requires the company, organised labour and affected employees to consult and consider possible alternatives, ways to avoid or minimise job losses, and measures to lessen the impact on workers.
Sibanye-Stillwater says plans to extend Kwezi Shaft’s life were stalled by objections, appeals and approval delays
According to Sibanye-Stillwater, mining at Kwezi has reached the limits of its approved mining-right area, leaving the shaft with declining economically mineable reserves. The shaft recorded losses of approximately R208 million in 2024 and R91 million in 2025. Although stronger PGM prices supported positive margins during the first half of 2026, the company expects production to decline and the shaft to return to a loss-making position during the second half of the year.
Sibanye-Stillwater said several initiatives had been pursued over the years to extend the shaft’s life, including reserve optimisation and boundary adjustments. A proposed Kwezi Shallows project could have provided access to additional shallow mineral resources. However, according to the company, stakeholder objections, appeals and delays in obtaining the necessary approvals prevented the project from progressing as planned.
“The absence of these additional reserves has accelerated depletion of the remaining mining inventory and weakened the shaft’s sustainability,” the company stated.
Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Richard Stewart acknowledged the uncertainty the process creates for employees and their families. He said the company remained committed to constructive engagement but that the depletion of economically mineable reserves and the declining financial outlook made consultations about the shaft’s future necessary.
The impact reaches beyond the mine gate
For Rustenburg, the possible consequences extend far beyond the employees and contractors directly affected. Every mining job supports households, local shops, transport providers, schools, landlords and small businesses.
At the same time, a loss-making operation cannot be sustained indefinitely without threatening other jobs and the wider business. This leaves the company, workers and organised labour with the difficult task of finding a solution that is both economically realistic and as humane as possible.
The consultation process must now be allowed to run its course. Rustenburg will be watching closely, hoping that meaningful alternatives can be found and that any unavoidable consequences will be handled transparently, fairly and with genuine care for the people whose lives depend on the mine.
Behind every number is a worker, a family and a place in the Rustenburg community. Whatever the eventual outcome, its effects will be felt across our city.
