The total income for the mining industry in 2012 was R408 billion, Statistics SA said today.
"Platinum gives us the highest income in the sector," statistician general Pali Lehohla said in Pretoria.
"Mining was the fifth largest contributor to the GDP."
Platinum contributed 29 percent with R117bn, followed by coal and lignite at 23 percent, or R96bn. Iron ore contributed 17 percent or R68bn, and gold and uranium ore 16 percent at R67bn.
"The value of mineral sales for the industry was R377bn," he said.
The largest contributor was coal with about R91bn followed by platinum group metals R88bn, gold R67bn and iron ore with R63bn.
All other minerals in the mining industry made up the other R69bn.
The mining industry employed 535,000 people, the bulk of them in the platinum sector.
"The largest number of persons were employed in mines located in the North West."
The North West employed 38 percent of mineworkers, Mpumalanga 18 percent, Gauteng 16 percent, and Limpopo 12 percent.
The total expenditure for the mining industry was R318bn. The largest expenditure was purchases with 33 percent, followed by salaries and wages 22 percent or about R70bn. Subcontractors and depreciation were both eight percent.
Women made up 12 percent of employees. The industry with the most women employees was the chemical and fertiliser minerals sector, at 40 percent.
The mining census covered about 1500 mines on a list from the mineral resources department and the questionnaires were completed from July 1, 2011 to June 30 2012.