Zenith

  • Latest News

    Thursday, February 25, 2021

    Helping SA’s Gig Workers Recover from COVID-19

    While the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has affected lives and livelihoods of people worldwide, gig workers are some of the most vulnerable to loss of income in the South African workforce. According to McKinsey, more than 63 million people out of approximately 705 million in Africa are either self-employed or rely on temporary - or “gig” - work to make ends meet. The pandemic has also placed a substantial amount of strain on SA organisations; 76% of companies lost revenue in 2020 and many responded to moving workers off their payroll to help their businesses survive the pandemic. As people are more reliant on gig work than ever, and companies across the country are seeking staffing alternatives, expanding SA’s gig economy may be a saving grace for workers and businesses alike. 

    Najen Naidoo, Managing Director of konektd
    Najen Naidoo, Managing Director of konektd, believes that COVID-19 has accelerated the need for organisations to reimagine their staffing model and supplement their workforce with flexible employees. “Industries such as retail, cleaning, construction utilise a core staff complement and often bring in flexible workers to replace absent staff, or to supplement their existing workforce for ad-hoc requirements that come up. These businesses require access to skilled, reliable and competent gig workers, and fast. Creating more agile workforces - and connecting companies with trained gig workers quickly and efficiently - will not only increase the organisation’s productivity but ensure that more South Africans are kept economically active.”

    An opportunity born out of COVID, Naidoo and Head of Business Development Christo Olwagen are men on a mission. In order to create opportunities for workers impacted by the pandemic, konektd provides a platform to provide gigs to these workers to keep their families and themselves going. It creates a trust network through a digital reputation for workers where your friends, family, colleagues and employers can share referrals of gig workers they trust. 

    konektd helps both workers that are self-employed and those seeking part-time employment with companies to showcase their reputation, skills, qualifications and training to customers who need them. Through the platform, job seekers can create a digital profile that is supported by referrals from previous employers. They can use this online track record to prove credibility with  companies seeking their services. This provides employers with quick and easy access to a reliable database of temporary workers that suits their needs,” says Olwagen.  

    konektd has innovative features within its platform for flexible staff timesheet management, allowing employers to create and manage schedules for permanent as well as flexible workers. With the platform, they can instantly source the best workers for the job and manage their flexible staff hours. With its FileSafe functionality workers can safely store their CVs, qualifications, testimonials and other documents frequently requested by employers to verify their skills and experience.

    “The digital community of konektd endeavours to create visibility and access for reputable service providers and temporary workers to not only provide them with a sustainable living but to support the various service-based industries in the country. It is up to each of us South Africans to help people impacted by COVID in their communities find dignified, meaningful employment, ” Naidoo concludes.

    konektd is your virtual neighbourhood with trusted and reputed sources of help, permanently accessible to you when you need it most. This digital community is built up of local traders, small business owners and job seekers. Companies who need instant access to these services can get trusted referrals to these service providers, from their personal and professional networks.

    Through this online platform, konektd creates the opportunity for small businesses and gig workers to access the market, increase their visibility to their localities and help them build their digital reputation.

    • Blogger Comments
    • Facebook Comments

    0 comments:

    Item Reviewed: Helping SA’s Gig Workers Recover from COVID-19 Rating: 5 Reviewed By: BrandIconImage
    Scroll to Top