"Domestic workers in South Africa say they’re forced to work extra hours for free"

…SweepSouth…has helped thousands of women like Ndlovu to participate in the booming gig economy…

While the company has succeeded in opening the doors of the gig economy for women, it has yet to solve some inherent challenges that keep women away from the industry. Ten domestic cleaners who have worked with SweepSouth told Rest of World that clients frequently ask them to spend extra unpaid hours doing work that they did not book. They said they do not complain about such instances, fearing retribution from the company if clients complain…

Ndlovu said she was permanently blocked from the app in December 2022 after she refused a client’s request to work overtime for free…

… SweepSouth spokesperson Luke Kannemeyer told Rest of World that the company is aware of instances where clients underbook for the work required and reaches out to such customers to explain the parameters of the platform when these issues are reported. “Any additional hours will always be remunerated, even if the client refuses to pay,” he said in an email. He added that the company maintains several channels for workers to express any concerns or feedback…

…president of Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance…told Rest of World that several SweepSouth workers have complained to her about the company prioritizing customer complaints over theirs…