How much money Checkers Sixty60 drivers earn in South Africa

Checkers Sixty60 drivers in South Africa earn approximately R7,600 per month before expenses, yet this figure masks the significant challenges they face.

The Sixty60 service, an on-demand grocery delivery platform run by supermarket giant Shoprite, has quickly gained popularity across South Africa.

However, concerns are growing about how the platform treats its drivers, who operate as “independent contractors” rather than as employees.

This classification means they lack formal employment benefits like health insurance, paid leave, and job security.

Instead of being directly employed by Checkers, these drivers work under Pingo, a logistics partner owned by Shoprite and RTT Logistics.

In October, the Competition Tribunal unconditionally approved the proposed transaction where Shoprite Checkers would acquire a larger shareholding in the group and wholly own and control Pingo. The approval for the merger was gazetted on 1 November.

Regardless, Shoprite’s use of a separate group allowed it to distance itself from direct responsibility for the drivers’ working conditions, which led to criticism from legal experts and labour activists.

Democratic Alliance MP Michael Bagraim, a vocal critic, condemned the independent contractor model, arguing that it pushes drivers to maximize their time on the road, creating risky conditions and an overall lack of legal protections.

Financially, drivers face substantial burdens that further erode their monthly earnings.

A typical Sixty60 driver, earning around R7,600 with the R350 daily minimum fare, must cover their own fuel costs and motorbike rentals.

On average, fuel expenses amount to R3,200 monthly, while the weekly motorbike rental costs R400, or R1,600 per month.

After deducting these operational expenses, the driver is left with a net income of just R2,800.

This net income drops even further when minimum fare guarantees are not in place, as was seen when Pingo briefly removed the R350 daily minimum, sparking a strike by drivers.

Though the minimum was reinstated after protests, the company’s subsequent decision to remove it again led to another wave of strikes.

Sixty60 drivers face additional difficulties beyond low pay.

The country’s political climate has added pressures, particularly around the employment of foreign nationals.

Recent government measures have targeted high-risk sectors like retail and ride-hailing for alleged over-reliance on foreign workers, citing concerns over illegal employment.

Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhozana Meth has pledged to address this issue, citing the need to focus on sectors where foreign workers are heavily employed.

This has already impacted the restaurant industry, where joint inspections by the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Employment and Labour, and law enforcement have led to raids and the dismissal of foreign workers employed without proper documentation.

Delivery platforms have faced criticism from stakeholders for employing a large number of foreign drivers.

With plans underway for intensified inspections and potential restrictions, the drivers, particularly those who are foreign nationals, face heightened job insecurity.

Minister Meth has indicated that her department plans to intensify these risk-based inspections.

Checkers Sixty60 drivers in South Africa navigate a complex and challenging work environment.

Their earnings, already low due to high operating expenses, are compounded by pressures from both their employment classification and government scrutiny over foreign employment practices.

While the demand for quick, convenient grocery delivery grows, the drivers who power this service remain entangled in a system that offers little in terms of job security, fair pay, or long-term protections.

Read: The shops taking on Pick n Pay and Checkers in South Africa – and winning