Cape Town – On Workers’ Day, when much of South Africa slows down, a particular group of workers keeps the country moving: e-hailing drivers.
While offices close and public transport runs lighter schedules, thousands of drivers in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban remain on the road, ensuring mobility continues even when most systems pause.
Their role highlights how modern urban transport functions. Hospitals still need staff, families gather, and travelers head to airports.
E-hailing drivers step in to bridge these gaps, adjusting in real time to demand.
“Drivers adjust to demand in real time, covering early airport trips, late-night returns, and short-notice journeys that would otherwise be difficult to plan around,” said Ashif Black, country representative for inDrive South Africa.
“It is this flexibility that positions e-hailing as a critical part of urban mobility rather than just a convenience service.
“It operates in the spaces where traditional systems are limited or unavailable.”
In a country grappling with high unemployment, e-hailing is more than a side hustle.
Around 70% of gig workers rely on ride-hailing platforms, with 30% depending on it as their primary income.
For many, the earnings cover rent, school fees, and household costs. Flexibility here is not just a lifestyle perk—it is an economic necessity.
Platforms like inDrive see themselves as expanding access to income opportunities in a constrained labour market.
Safety is another dimension shaping the industry. Surveys show that 90% of South African users feel e-hailing is safer than traditional transport.
This perception influences whether people can travel early in the morning, attend medical appointments, or move around after dark.
Families also rely on it to coordinate safely in areas where infrastructure is inconsistent.
Yet behind every trip is a human cost.
On Worker’s Day, drivers often face higher demand, which can mean better earnings.
But it also means missing family gatherings and rest.
The flexibility of the work cuts both ways—drivers choose when to work, but demand patterns often dictate those choices.
As South Africa reflects on the meaning of work this Worker’s Day, the contribution of e-hailing drivers challenges traditional definitions of “essential work.”
They operate at the intersection of transport, technology, and informal labour, ensuring continuity when other systems slow down.
“Their presence on the road ensures continuity in how people move through cities, particularly on days when most systems pause,” Black notes.
“E-hailing drivers sit at the intersection of transport, technology, and informal work.
“They are part of how cities function day to day, even when the systems around them slow down or stop entirely.”
Workers’ Day is meant to honour labour across sectors.
In today’s digital economy, that recognition must extend to those who show up when the city still needs to move—drivers who keep South Africa connected, even when everything else slows down.
