Sipho Mngomezulu, a seasoned chief safety officer with a diverse background, has been making significant strides in promoting safety and ensuring the well-being of individuals during his career. Originally from the Vaal, south of Johannesburg, Sipho strongly believes that safety is a cultural mindset. From humble beginnings as a junior training safety officer at a Sasol project in Secunda to his current position as a chief safety officer at Khanye, Sipho’s journey has been marked by a commitment to fostering a culture of safety and excellence. Reflecting on his extensive experience, Sipho emphasises the importance of passion, hard work, and collaboration in ensuring a safe work environment. “You must also understand that you will be working with different people and different teams, so you must also be a team player,” he notes. “You must have the will to go the extra mile.”

Sipho has made significant contributions to multiple projects, including working on water treatment plants, coal and chrome processing plants, and the construction phase of a new mine. His versatility and experience have led him to work in Sierra Leone at an iron ore mine. He has continuously solidified his role in establishing and maintaining safety standards at various mining sites. His dedication to upholding safety protocols has resulted in an impressive record of zero fatalities at Khanye. This record of no fatalities is a testament to the collective effort of the entire team. “Since we’ve started the mine, we’ve had no fatalities, which is a good thing,” Sipho concludes.