African Women Grab Opportunities Offered by the Gig Economy

Now more than ever, women in Africa are using online platforms as a critical source of income. Africa’s e-commerce giant Jumia recently announced that 51 per cent of the vendors on its platform are women and represented 33 per cent of the total value of merchandise sold between 2019 and 2020. IFC also reports that women dominate the fashion category of African e-commerce. Research shows there are more women-owned businesses on social media than men in several African countries. Women have also joined ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt as drivers. And many young women on the continent are providing professional services on freelancing platforms and on-demand labour platforms. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) classifies gig jobs as temporary employment with predetermined termination dates. They could be fixed-term, task-based contracts, seasonal, or casual jobs. It also says that women make four out of every ten workers online and on web-based platforms globally.

SOURCE: VENTURES AFRICA