A nationwide strike by thousands of gold miners came to a complete end on Sunday after workers at Harmony Gold accepted a final offer from the company.

Harmony Gold, the world's second largest producer of the precious metal, said its employees had accepted the final wage offer made by the Chamber of Mines.

Employees who are members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) embarked on industrial action Tuesday evening, which has affected all but Harmony's Kusasalethu mine, the company said.

"Harmony would like to urge all its employees who had embarked on the wage strike to start reporting for work as from tonight," said a company statement.

The strike at Harmony Gold was part of a nationwide industry action involving more than 80,000 workers.

Most striking workers returned to work on Friday after reaching a deal with their employers who increased their wage increase offer from 6.5 percent to eight percent.

In their revised offer, the employers also increased the living allowance to 400 rand (about 40 U.S. dollars) which takes the total living allowance to 2,000 rand (about 200 dollars).

But thousands of mineworkers at Harmony Gold continued their strike in the provinces of the Northern Cape and the Free State, refusing to give up their demands that Harmony Gold agree to a 15- percent wage increase and 100-percent medical aid contribution.

Through mediation efforts, the workers finally accepted the same offer made by other producers in the industry, and have returned to work, Harmony Gold said.

Harmony chief executive officer, Graham Briggs, extended a personal plea to employees.

"Harmony increased its offer in respect of wages and benefits in line with other producers, in the interests of long term industrial relations stability, safety and security in the sector, and on condition that employees returned to work," Briggs said.

"But continued industrial action will make this increase unaffordable, and place the future viability of some of our operations under threat. This, in turn, could have an impact on jobs," he noted.