Violence erupted in parts of South Africa earlier this month, following the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma, adding to the tinderbox situation in KwaZulu-Natal where issues including high unemployment, community discontent and security concerns prompted Rio Tinto to halt its majority-owned Richards Bay Minerals operation last month. 

Sibanye-Stillwater said last week in line with health protocols, it had vaccinated more than 10,000 of its employees, or 12% of its South African workforce, since June 25. 

"Following the success of the initial phase, the vaccine programme is being extended to another four group health care facilities in three provinces (Gauteng, North West and Free State) with the capacity to administer 2,500 vaccines per day, which is sufficient based on the number of vaccines we are currently receiving," the company said.

CEO Neal Froneman said Sibanye-Stillwater was prepared to accelerate the roll-out to its more than 80,000 South African workforce, their dependents and doorstep community members, if provided with sufficient vaccines.

The Minerals Council South Africa said last month 58 mining occupational health sites had applied to register as primary vaccination sites in terms of the protocols set up through Business for South Africa.

The council's latest figures showed of the mining sector's 450,000 employees, 42,984 had tested positive for COVID-19.

There were 1,753 active cases on Friday, as the country is said to have passed the peak of the third wave of the virus, and there had been 521 deaths.

It said 23,470 employees and contractors had been vaccinated.

South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa late yesterday moved the country from Adjusted Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 and announced strategies including tax deferral to help businesses rebuild from the looting and destruction and the pandemic.

"The effect of the recent violence on investor confidence is a great threat to our recovery," he tweeted.

"We are taking steps to strengthen the capacity and preparedness of our security forces to prevent similar incidents in future."

Sibanye-Stillwater shares (JSE: SSW) closed up 0.48% on Friday to ZAR602.4, valuing it at ZAR176.7 billion (US$11.9 billion).