South Africa is in a renaissance of delivery driver services - from restaurants, grocery stores to other services - there is probably a delivery option. These delivery drivers are tenacious and work through rain and shine.
But, behind the helmets, these individuals may be suffering in silence and struggling to make ends meet. One such delivery driver is a Checkers Sixty60 driver in KwaZulu-Natal.
The 35-year-old man, who wished for his identity to not be disclosed, told IOL that he earns less than R3,000 a week. With approximately of R12,000 a month, he has to pay for petrol, rent, food and other necessities.
He claims this amount is not nearly enough and is disproportionate to the amount of work he does.
"I work 12 hours a day and with my wages I still have to pay for a lot. My rent is about R3,500, excluding water, electricity and WiFi. On top of that, I have to get petrol for my bike, and I have to get a full tank every two days," he said.
The delivery driver claimed that he has to endure harsh and unethical working conditions because he is desperate to make money in this inflationary economy.
"We are actually not hired by Checkers but another company (Pingo). They say I'm an independent contractor. But, if they decide they don't like me, they can cancel my contract anytime without notice. They force us to be at the store (Checkers) at 7.30am to 8pm. But, when you read the contract, it says I'm an independent contractor and can be at work in my own time."
He added that he has worked the job since the service's inception and supposedly saw the decline in business and the gradual shift in 'disregarding and disrespecting' delivery drivers.
"I am saddened because they never want to hear from us as drivers, we're nothing but vermin. Our input does not matter. They make their own decisions, and we can't argue because we're scared to lose our jobs. They weaponise our desperation against us," he claimed.
Adding to the claims of workplace hostility, he said that if his or his colleagues' bike were to get a puncture, he would be screamed at and threatened with a cancellation of their contracts.
However, he went on to say that he appreciates how South Africans see that they are hard workers, especially kids who idolise the drivers.
"It warns my heart, and I feel like I am part of something bigger than myself."
IOL reached out to Checkers and Pingo for comment. Both entities had not responded by the time of publish.
IOL News