Takealot delivery drivers switch off apps in Pretoria

Nearly 40 Takealot drivers meet at a pickup hub in Pretoria West on Friday. They did not want their faces photographed. Photo: Seth Thorne

• Takealot delivery drivers switched off their apps in Pretoria West on Friday after nearly six months of unsuccessful negotiations over pay and rising fuel costs.

• Drivers say the base delivery rate has remained at R27.50 per parcel for more than four years, while fuel, vehicle maintenance and data costs have risen.

• Drivers are demanding R50 per parcel.

• Takealot says its rates are competitive and reflect what the company can sustainably afford.

Delivery drivers operating for online shopping giant Takealot switched off their apps across Pretoria West after nearly six months of failed negotiations with the company.

On Friday, over 200 drivers turned off their apps, according to their representatives. The protest is over stagnant pay and rising fuel costs.

The strike action is centred on Takealot’s Pretoria West regional hub. It includes drivers for Mr D (owned by Takealot) and will also affect Pick n Pay groceries delivered by Mr D drivers.

Josinta Grabie, a driver and mother of three, said her weekly income only covers her petrol and data.

“After that, I am left with nothing for food for my family,” she said.

Exploited

According to driver representatives Tshenolo Sephoti and Frank Sepeng, the base delivery rate has remained locked at R27.50 per parcel for over four years. The first 3km of a collection and the first 2km of a delivery are covered by the base fee.

Fuel prices have risen by about 46% since January.

“Food, petrol, everything is going up,” said Sephoti. “We now cannot afford to live,” she said.

Drivers we spoke to said they spend an average of R1,200 a week on fuel. On slow order days (called “Mampara weeks”), a driver might fulfil only five orders, earning less than R120 after petrol costs. Weekly earnings range from R800 to R1,600 before expenses, they said.

Sephoti said drivers are “increasingly exploited”. They are “treated like full-time employees, but never get the benefits or protection.”

Drivers must also cover their vehicle maintenance, repairs, mobile airtime and data.

Shutdown

Driver representatives said formal engagement with Takealot management has been ongoing for nearly six months without agreement.

In a memorandum of demands, drivers called for an increase in the base delivery rate to R50 per parcel and adjustments to the fuel levy structure to reflect current economic pressures.

Drivers said their apps will remain switched off until management directly addresses their grievances and agrees to revised rates.

Takealot did not respond to GroundUp’s queries at the time of publication. Comments will be added if received.

However, responding to the Pretoria West drivers’ memorandum of 12 June, Takealot Fulfilment Solutions (TFS) head office defended the current fee structure.

TFS management said its current rates are competitive, claiming it pays between 5% and 15% more than its competitors.

The on-demand rates include a R6.50 collection base fee, a R21 delivery base fee. These come to a total base fee of R27.50. Additional payments include a distance fee of R2.54/km beyond the 3km (collection) and 2km (delivery) thresholds, and a fuel levy of R2.12 per order.

Drivers say that the levy has not kept up with petrol price spikes and is quickly cut when prices decrease. Inland, 95 petrol is R30.25 per litre.

The company said its fees reflect what it can sustainably afford.

Takealot Group posted an adjusted operating profit of about R180-million for the year to 31 March 2026, its first annual profit.

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