Author: Nick Fabré

In July, the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) raised the alarm about the increasing number of South Africans relying on credit to cover everyday expenses. Credit had shifted from a tool for upward mobility to “a survival mechanism for basic necessities like food, rent, electricity and transport”, the NFO warned, quoting a study by TransUnion. The study found that more than 41% of personal loans from institutions other than banks were three months or more in arrears. In 2024, South Africa had nearly 28-million borrowers, according to the National Credit Regulator. Of them, 10.9-million had “impaired credit records,” 22% of whom were more than…

Gig work using digital platforms has exploded over the past decade. South Africa has been fertile ground for Uber, Checkers 60Sixty and Takealot. Sustained unemployment alongside high levels of urbanisation and wealth inequality has created a large population of people desperate for work. They have access to phones and the internet and they can provide middle- and upper-class households with cheap labour. But legislation falls short in protecting these workers. The number of workers in the gig economy is uncertain. A 2020 estimate puts it at 30,000 full-time workers, but growing about 10% a year. Most gig workers in the country are in e-hailing services, such…