Fair work in South Africa’s gig economy: A journey of engaged scholarship
Loading...
Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Because of its relatively well-developed, highly urbanised economy and high penetration of mobile internet
access, the platform economy took off quickly in South Africa, with international players vying for market share
and local platforms pursuing more innovative approaches. Digital labour platforms have offered new earning
opportunities to many in the country, but concerns have been raised about the quality of jobs created, and
whether they meet standards of decent work. South Africa was one of the pilot countries for the Fairwork Project.
This article describes the specific conditions which supported the take-off of location-based digital labour platforms in South Africa, explains the methodology used for pursuing the Fair work research, discusses ratings outcomes based on the empirical research and summarizes the action research component of the project—with particular attention paid to outcomes for workers. We also list some of the lessons that were learnt and give a critical reflection on the project in the hope of assisting other researchers investigating the fourth industrial revolution, the gig economy, and decent work standards, especially in the Global South.
Description
Keywords
Fair work, The fairwork project, Gig economy, Digital platform workers, South Africa
Citation
Van Belle, J.P., Howson, K., Graham, M., Heeks, R., Bezuidenhout, L., Tsibolane, P., du Toit, D., Fredman, S. and Mungai, P., 2023. Fair work in South Africa's gig economy: A journey of engaged scholarship. Digital Geography and Society, 5, p.100064.