The plight of the working poor in South Africa

EVERY day, millions of South Africans (young and old) rise before dawn to travel long distances for work.

- NALEDI RAMONTJA

They board overcrowded trains and buses before sunrise, travelling long distances from the outskirts into the cities; often in conditions that feel unsafe.

They do so just for survival, to put bread on the table, have clothes on their backs, keep lights on, and to have shelter. Yet despite their efforts, they are rarely rewarded with stability or hope for upward mobility.

Despite, their daily labour, they remain trapped in poverty. These are the called the 'working poor, individuals who are 'technically' employed, yet unable to afford even the most basic necessities such as food, shelter, and transport. For them, work brings neither dignity nor stability, and certainly not a way out of hardship. Their condition is not the result of laziness or lack of effort, but deep-rooted structural inequalities and a government that continues to fall short in addressing their plight.

According to Statistics South Africa's most recent labour report, the working poor accounts to over 3.3 million people (these stats exclude undocumented informal worker and casual workers), who are employed in the informal sector. These include domestic and retail workers, security guards, street vendors, service sector workers such as waitrons, manufacturing, mine, farm workers as well as cleaners.