No protection, high risk — the harsh realities faced by SA’s e-riders
From high-crime delivery zones to retaliatory account bans, a new study uncovers how digital food delivery platforms trap South African workers in dangerous, low-wage precarity.
A new study delves into the dangerous, low-wage conditions endured by South African e-riders who deliver food via digital platforms. Conducted in Cape Town and Johannesburg from July to September 2026, the research surveyed 60 motorcycle e-riders, revealing a grim reality for these workers. Despite being branded as self-employed with flexible hours, e-riders face authoritarian surveillance, strict rules, and an iron grip from platforms.
Ninety-eight percent of surveyed riders work full-time, many for over two years, relying solely on pay-per-delivery. The study highlights how platforms coerce riders into working up to 12 hours daily, seven days a week, with no guarantee of enough orders to cover heavy overheads like bike rental, fuel, data, and housing costs. Basic safety gear costs riders weekly deductions, while theft or loss of deliveries forces them to file police reports without reimbursement.
E-riders suffer from exhaustion, trauma, and high road accident risks, often due to motorist hostility. They also navigate crime-ridden neighborhoods, facing theft, hijackings, and personal attacks. Despite existing constitutional protections, platform companies suppress rider safety concerns, leading to violations of the Bill of Rights.
International Labour Organization guidelines affirm digital platform workers' right to freedom of association, yet South African riders face systematic suppression and discrimination, turning certain areas into unsafe no-go zones.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
