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“There is no future in it”: Pandemic and ride‐hailing hustle in Africa

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  • Mohammad Amir ANWAR
  • Jack ONG'IRO ODEO
  • Elly OTIENO

Abstract

This article examines the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on ride‐hailing drivers in Africa. It argues that, although ride‐hailing offers paid work to some African workers, the commodified and informalized nature of this work results in poor job quality, the effects of which were greatly amplified during the pandemic. Drawing on a mixed methods approach involving in‐depth interviews with ride‐hailing drivers in Nairobi and digital ethnography, it also provides accounts of drivers' hustles to demonstrate strategies of resilience, reworking and resistance among informal workers. The article concludes by highlighting the need for adequate regulatory frameworks and on‐the‐ground solidarity networks to ensure decent working conditions, and to push back against precarity in the gig economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Amir ANWAR & Jack ONG'IRO ODEO & Elly OTIENO, 2023. "“There is no future in it”: Pandemic and ride‐hailing hustle in Africa," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 162(1), pages 23-44, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:intlab:v:162:y:2023:i:1:p:23-44
    DOI: 10.1111/ilr.12364
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martha Chen, 2020. "COVID-19, Cities and Urban Informal Workers: India in Comparative Perspective," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(1), pages 41-46, October.
    2. Vineet John Samuel, 2020. "Uberizing Informality: The Case of Non-owner, Driver-Partners in the City of Hyderabad," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(2), pages 511-524, June.
    3. Andrea Pollio, 2019. "Forefronts of the Sharing Economy: Uber in Cape Town," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 760-775, July.
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