De Beers’ Venetia Mine has reached a remarkable safety milestone with 13 million fatality-free shifts, a testament to years of consistent leadership, collaboration, and a deep-rooted culture of accountability.

Speaking to Mining Review Africa, Senior General Manager Ntokozo Ngema credited this success to a long-term commitment that began years ago with hard lessons and a renewed focus on proactive safety leadership.

Ngema explained that Venetia’s journey toward this achievement began in 2018, when the mine faced challenges that led to a complete rethinking of its safety strategy.

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“The effort of getting to 13 million actually started seven years ago,” he said. “We took the learnings from those difficult times and built a safety journey that prioritised visible leadership, engagement with employees, and strong alignment with our business partners.”

A key part of Venetia’s success has been the concept of Visible Felt Leadership — ensuring that leadership teams are present on the ground, engaging directly with workers about safety.

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Contractors, referred to as business partners, are also fully integrated into the mine’s safety culture. “If you look at the standards our business partners follow, they mirror ours,” Ngema noted. “That alignment ensures one message, one standard, across all operations.”

At the heart of Venetia’s safety culture is a simple but powerful philosophy: “See it, own it, share it.”Every employee, regardless of role, is encouraged to take ownership of safety concerns and to address hazards immediately, report them and share the learnings to prevent recurrence.

This approach not only promotes vigilance but also strengthens what Ngema calls psychological safety — a work environment where employees feel empowered to speak up without fear of blame or reprisal. “Our diamond cannot be a blood diamond,” he added firmly. “Safety comes first, always.”

Technology also plays a vital role in Venetia’s safety management. One standout innovation is the use of mobile location devices, which track each employee underground in real time.

“It helps us know where every person is at any given time,” Ngema explained. “In an emergency, we can identify who’s underground, where they were last located, and respond faster. It’s all about saving lives within the golden hour.”