South Africa's most dangerous jobs: These are the sectors where injuries and fatalities are most common
Mining is the most dangerous job in South Africa.
Image: Supplied
While some jobs in South Africa are relatively safe, others expose workers to significant danger. Recent claims data shows mining, manufacturing, and construction among the industries with the highest workplace incidents.
Online casino Playcasino.com analysed compensation claims data to identify what it described as South Africa’s most dangerous jobs and industries.
The website said it reviewed publicly available figures from South Africa’s work-injury compensation system, including Compensation Fund reporting and statistics from Rand Mutual Assurance (mining and metals) and Federated Employers Mutual (construction).
Mining and metals
Playcasino.com ranked Mining and Metals first, citing 24,568 claims recorded in 2024 within the combined insurance category covering those sectors.
The website said the same category recorded 298,800 claims between 2015 and 2024, averaging nearly 29,880 claims per year. This represents a 17.8% decline between 2024 and the average for the prior years between 2015 and 2024.
Claims data reflects registered workplace injuries and incidents processed through the compensation system rather than a direct measure of fatality risk.
Meanwhile, sector safety reporting from the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate shows that mining fatalities have declined over time, with 42 deaths recorded in 2024, down from 55 in 2023.
Metals manufacturing and processing
Playcasino.com ranked the metals, manufacturing and processing sector next. Also known as the metals class, this industry encapsulates light/heavy steel and automotive industries, among others.
According to Playcasino.com, the metals class recorded:
- 18,373 claims in 2024
- 40 fatalities
- R4 million in benefits paid
This was one of the few categories in which claims totals, fatalities and benefits paid were published together for the same reporting period.
“That’s why it lands near the top: it combines high claim volumes with a clear Rand value attached to the year,” the online casino said.
Compensation system reporting shows metals manufacturing and processing remains among the larger contributors to injury claims within industrial classifications.
Construction
Referencing Compensation Fund data for the 2023/24 financial year, Playcasino.com said construction came in at third place.
According to Compensation Fund reporting:
- 5,589 claims were recorded
- 5,556 claims were adjudicated
- Claims adjudicated carried a value of R215.8 million
The Compensation Fund’s reporting shows 99.6% of claims in the sector were linked to occupational injuries rather than diseases.
Department of Employment and Labour statements have repeatedly identified construction as a sector with persistent safety risks, particularly involving falls from heights and site-related accidents.
Additional sectors
Playcasino.com listed agriculture among high-risk sectors but did not cite a specific 2024 claims figure.
Government safety and enforcement reports have historically classified agriculture as a sector with elevated exposure to injury risks involving vehicles, machinery and manual labour.
The online casino also flagged the chemical sector as high-risk without publishing a 2024 claims total.
Industry safety data has long categorised chemical operations as high-hazard environments due to potential exposure to hazardous substances and process-related incidents.
South Africa's most dangerous jobs as ranked by Playcasino.com/
Image: ChatGPT
Data accessibility constraints
The Compensation Fund publishes aggregate claims figures through its annual reports.
However, detailed breakdowns of claims by industry classification require registration and login access through the Fund’s online reporting systems.
This limits the ability of third parties to independently replicate sector rankings using identical public datasets.
International measurement differences
International labour statistics illustrate how industry danger rankings vary depending on the metric used.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2023 shows:
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting recorded the highest fatality rate per 100,000 workers
- Construction recorded the highest number of workplace deaths
- Transportation and warehousing recorded the highest injury and illness rates
- Education and health services recorded the most nonfatal injury and illness cases
The Bureau noted that no single industry can be classified as “most dangerous” without specifying whether fatalities, injury rates or total cases are being measured.
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