Fin24 reports that without a change of mindset among those in power, SA may not fully reap the benefits of the digital economy that has birthed the growing trend of gig work.

This is according to the chairperson of Productivity SA, Mthunzi Mdwaba, who is also a former vice president of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) of the ILO. He says the lack of legislative regulation can lead to exploitation and is hampering the potential to change the future of work for the better. Tech-based services - including e-hailing platforms, food deliveries, online tutoring and fitness coaching - have gained traction among the country's unemployed and those looking to earn additional income as gig workers. In theory, this should support some jobs growth in an economy still battered by stubbornly high jobless numbers. But while the emergence of Covid-19 has been supportive to some online service providers due to a shift in work patterns - including the ability to work from home - others have been left reeling. Mdwaba lays the blame for this firmly on a lack of regulatory protection for gig workers. Key among the changes he would like to see is a shift in policy direction that would see gig workers qualifying for the same protection and benefits as those who are permanently employed. Mdwaba points to hordes of e-hailing drivers whose unclear recognition within the sector has seen them miss out on relief efforts aimed at cushioning business operators against the impact of Covid-19. Mdwaba says protection for gig workers cannot come fast enough to unlock economic growth. "There is enormous value to be unlocked by the gig economy, and what the Covid-19 has taught us is that the future of work is no longer traditional employment."

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibongile Khumalo at Fin24 (subscriber access only)

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