Beyond Digital Flexibility
This qualitative study explores the experiences of food-delivery couriers employed by UberEats, MrDFood and BoltFood in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through in-depth interviews with Black African male migrant food delivery couriers from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda, the study investigates the opportu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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UJ Press
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Clinical Sociology Review |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/csr/article/view/3346 |
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| _version_ | 1850280956874719232 |
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| author | David du Toit Ngubeni Phumzile |
| author_facet | David du Toit Ngubeni Phumzile |
| author_sort | David du Toit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This qualitative study explores the experiences of food-delivery couriers employed by UberEats, MrDFood and BoltFood in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through in-depth interviews with Black African male migrant food delivery couriers from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda, the study investigates the opportunities, challenges and coping strategies characterising their work in the gig economy. Key findings reveal increased earning potential, multiple job opportunities and flexible schedules as the main benefits. However, food delivery couriers also experience challenges including crime and safety risks, lack of fringe benefits, customer harassment, and rising petrol and data costs. To cope with these challenges, food delivery couriers utilise several individual strategies such as WhatsApp support groups and networks to help them with job-related challenges. The article concludes with several interventions to policy change to improve the working conditions of food delivery couriers.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a6ec6d9268064598907f4d1a4c426aa4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 3006-841X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | UJ Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Sociology Review |
| spelling | doaj-art-a6ec6d9268064598907f4d1a4c426aa42025-08-20T01:48:33ZengUJ PressClinical Sociology Review3006-841X2024-12-0119210.36615/hyf6ea64Beyond Digital FlexibilityDavid du Toit0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2225-758XNgubeni Phumzile1University of JohannesburgUniversity of Johannesburg This qualitative study explores the experiences of food-delivery couriers employed by UberEats, MrDFood and BoltFood in Johannesburg, South Africa. Through in-depth interviews with Black African male migrant food delivery couriers from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda, the study investigates the opportunities, challenges and coping strategies characterising their work in the gig economy. Key findings reveal increased earning potential, multiple job opportunities and flexible schedules as the main benefits. However, food delivery couriers also experience challenges including crime and safety risks, lack of fringe benefits, customer harassment, and rising petrol and data costs. To cope with these challenges, food delivery couriers utilise several individual strategies such as WhatsApp support groups and networks to help them with job-related challenges. The article concludes with several interventions to policy change to improve the working conditions of food delivery couriers. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/csr/article/view/3346Food delivery couriersgig economylabour precarityurban employment |
| spellingShingle | David du Toit Ngubeni Phumzile Beyond Digital Flexibility Clinical Sociology Review Food delivery couriers gig economy labour precarity urban employment |
| title | Beyond Digital Flexibility |
| title_full | Beyond Digital Flexibility |
| title_fullStr | Beyond Digital Flexibility |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond Digital Flexibility |
| title_short | Beyond Digital Flexibility |
| title_sort | beyond digital flexibility |
| topic | Food delivery couriers gig economy labour precarity urban employment |
| url | https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/csr/article/view/3346 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT daviddutoit beyonddigitalflexibility AT ngubeniphumzile beyonddigitalflexibility |