Gold Fields, the world's fourth largest gold producer, had threatened to fire as many as 15,000 illegally striking workers if they did not meet a 2:00 pm deadline (1200 GMT) to turn up for work.

Shortly after the deadline company spokesman Willie Jacobsz said just over 8,000 of 11,000 workers registered for work at the firm's KDC West facility, but he cautioned that management still needed to verify whether those who clocked in actually stayed on the job.

"We'll be in position by tomorrow morning to say whether the 80 percent who clocked in today are indeed back at work," he told AFP.

"Everybody who did not turn up and clock in today will be dismissed."

The firm earlier announced that it had a "full turnout" of 2,800 workers at its Beatrix 4 facility, which had been hit by the strike.