E-hailing and the crisis of work: a contextual investigation into the working conditions of e-hailing drivers in South Africa
Date
2021
Authors
Dubbelman, Bradley
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Abstract
The objective of this thesis is to provide a contextual analysis into the working conditions of e-hailing
drivers in the Global South, and specifically in South Africa. Through fifteen in-depth telephonic
interviews with these drivers conducted between May and October 2020, a number of key insights
were derived that support the argument that a context-specific understanding of the unique
dynamics of each nation State is of critical importance in informing policy that is just and equitable.
Existing literature emphasises the current narrative around the precarious working conditions of e hailing drivers exclusively within countries of the Global North. These are grounded on the
assumption that workers own their vehicles and that e-hailing has had an informalizing effect on the
standard employment working relationship that has characterised the relationship between capital
and labour in traditional economies. These Northern analyses thereby fail to capture the unique
dynamics of countries in the Global South, characterised as having high levels of inequality and
fragmented transport industries. Similarly, they provide a simplistic understanding into the
contextual complexities around formal and informal work in developing economies. As such, the
tensions between e-hailing companies, such as Uber and Bolt, and drivers within these networks
ensuing on a global level, are informed predominantly by Northern experience.
Of particular importance is the ownership and leasing structure implemented in SA, and other
developing countries, where e-hailing drivers who lack the financial ability to own their own vehicles
are forced to lease vehicles from third party Drive Partners. Designed to integrate drivers who lack
the means of vehicle ownership into the e-hailing network, the leasing system creates an ownership
class that reinforces existing patterns of inequality in developing countries as the ensuing contracts
(or lack thereof) borne out between drivers and Drive Partners, contributes to the complexity and
precarity many drivers face as a result. This leasing structure is central to understanding how new
and emerging forms of work associated with the gig economy have been adapted to the differing
realities of the Global South. The financial pressure these drivers face, reinforced by decreasing e hailing demand during the Covid-19 Lockdown, together with heightened levels of fear over driver
safety and security, are additional features that differentiate the Southern driver experience to that
of the Northern one. This thesis highlights these differences and emphasises the need for specific
and contextual considerations in policy formulation should it have any relevance for e-hailing drivers
within their respective localities. The analysis herein uses a North/South framework to demonstrate
the relative differences drivers face in their respective geographies. It is important to emphasise that
while drivers across the globe experience differing realities, they too have many shared experiences.
The framework does thereby not intend to generalise, nor is it meant as a tool to create
classification binaries between North and South, instead it is used to emphasise common driver
experiences based on localities with similar socio-economic histories and contexts, albeit that these
may differ significantly in themselves.
Description
A research report submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in Development Studies, School of Development Studies to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2021