The location of the mining operations, which in most cases tends to be far from existing settlement, has necessitated the employers to make provision for housing as an undertaking to be part of the infrastructure required to develop the mine. In the late nineteenth century, since the birth of modern mining industry, single sex hostels have been a significant feature of the system of labour on the mines. The housing and living conditions for many workers in the minerals and mining industry were of substandard nature, adversely impacting on their health, productivity and social well being.

The hostels system for black mine workers were run on racial and ethnic lines. Migrant labourers on the other side have been affected by these conditions to a greater extent as they were denied a normal family life. They were subjected to poor living conditions in single-sex hostels resulting social disruptions including the break-up of marriages. This has also contributed largely to the spread and provenance of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in South Africa.

Government and stakeholders have acknowledged that the development of acceptable and sustainable housing and living conditions for the mine workers can be realised through private sector involvement in upgrading of hostels to decent single accommodation¹ apartments and conversion of hostels to family housing as part of improving the housing and living conditions of mine workers.

The overall objective of this document is to provide standards which will enable mine workers to have a choice in pursuing suitable housing and living accommodation conditions for themselves. To achieve this objective and to provide coherence to acceptable and sustainable decent housing and living conditions for the mine workers, the Government has, in consultation with Mine Health and Safety Council, as well as stakeholders, proposed these measures on the standard of housing and nutrition of employees at the mines.

¹ Single accommodation means an apartment which has been built or renovated in accordance with the housing and living conditions standard guidelines and meant to accommodate a single person.