A critical ethical analysis of the labour practices in South Africa’s gig economy: evaluating the economic and social impact on human workers.

Abstract

The gig economy has grown significantly in African countries in recent years. In South Africa, it became particularly prominent after the COVID-19 pandemic. The gig economy is a large labour market characterised by short-term jobs or tasks, facilitated by online platforms that connect service providers with consumers. Its rise has created employment opportunities in a country plagued by high unemployment, poverty, and other socioeconomic inequalities. The opportunities offered by the gig economy are substantial and contribute to economic growth. However, the rise of the gig economy itself is not the problem. The ethical concern lies in the labour practices within the gig economy, which adversely affect the human workers who participate in it. This has sparked ethical debates among scholars, questioning its role as a developmental pathway in South Africa. Although some studies have examined South Africa’s gig economy, few have evaluated the ethical issues it raises concerning its impact on human workers from an explicitly ethical standpoint. Human workers are central to the functioning of the gig economy, which depends heavily on their labour. These gig workers, or service providers, perform short-term jobs or tasks for which they are compensated per task completed. This study posits that the labour practices in the gig economy are unfair, resulting in the exploitation and violation of the rights of human workers. It is through this backdrop that this study, through the lens of consequentialism, argues that the policymakers, government, platform companies, and other stakeholders must collaborate in ensuring that the gig economy is regulated and workers are protected from unfair labour practices and exploitation that contribute to their vulnerabilities.