The Road to Marikana: Transformations in South Africa's Platinum Industry, 1994-2012

The Marikana massacre of 16 August 2012 exposed significant fault-lines in South Africa's platinum mining regime. However, existing published work sheds little light on the historical trajectory of platinum mining in South Africa, and posits various mono-causal explanations for the tragedy that took place. This article provides an historical account of worker organisation in South Africa's platinum sector since the advent of democracy, and synthesises this story with the political and economic forces that have reshaped the sector over time. Platinum has been plagued by a highly volatile growth pattern, declining living conditions for its workers, and increasing labour segmentation since 1994. These issues posed unique challenges for organised labour, who became increasingly ineffective in the face of growing worker dissatisfaction. By highlighting the importance of these interlinked factors, the article offers important context to existing debates on Marikana. It does not delve into the violence and political upheavals that followed the massacre itself.