To tip or not to tip: that is the question for South Africans

We might think of tipping as a choice - a token of thanks for good service - but in South Africa, it's a vital lifeline that props up a system built on underpayment, inequality and cost-shifting. By Dominique Olivier

- By Dominique Olivier

Recently, I wrote about my short stint as a call centre worker in my varsity years and why this experience left me convinced that no call centre could ever be 100% populated with artificial intelligence bots. This week, I'm reflecting on another varsity work experience as I weigh in on the ethics and economics of tipping.

With the exception of my short-lived call centre detour, my university years were synonymous with late nights waiting tables in various restaurants, from Spur in the local mall to four-star restaurants on lush wine estates. I've worked in restaurants where I earned a decent basic wage and tips were regarded as a bonus.

In other restaurants, tips were paid in at the end of the night and divided equally among the entire team on shift, including the kitchen and bar staff.

In the very first restaurant I worked in, I earned no basic wage and a percentage of my tips was kept back to cover my uniform costs and any breakages that might happen at my tables (even if it was the diner, not me, who broke something). On a slow day in that job, it would cost me more in transport to get to work than I would make during a six-hour shift.

One of the easiest ways to spot an ex-waiter is by the way they tip: often at least 20%, always with profuse thanks. Those who have had to make a living off the generosity of others tend to pay it forward.