WeeklySA_AdminNO FINANCIAL SECURITY: More job losses on the cards
By Isaac Moledi
A research by SweepSouth report on pay and working conditions for domestic workers in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa has revealed a grim outlook with issues like spiralling debt, reduced earnings and little-to- no financial security the daily reality for most workers in this sector.
The fourth annual SweepSouth report, which takes an in-depth look at domestic workers’ financial reality and conditions in these countries, also shows how domestic workers rely on their churches and their pastors for their mental wellbeing support.
With this lifeline heavily severed due to lockdown restrictions, the report says there is a growing number of women reporting their mental health being negatively affected.
SweepSouth CEO Aisha Pandor says her company’s 2021 survey is the first to be conducted across the three countries and respondents did not require mobile data to complete the survey, to promote wider access. She says more than 7 000 respondents took part, making it the largest and most detailed survey of its kind, and offering the most comprehensive view to date of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic workers across sub-Saharan Africa.
“The report takes an in-depth look at the conditions in the domestic work industry, in the context of significant economic hardships wrought by the pandemic,” says Pandor.
In Kenya and Nigeria, about 2 in 5 domestic workers lost their jobs due to the pandemic versus 1 in 5 in South Africa. On a positive note, the survey revealed a clear correlation between better employment protections for domestic workers and their work conditions.
While South Africa’s extensive protections specific to domestic workers lay down basic rights and principles in achieving decent work for them, Kenya followed suit in some areas, while Nigeria’s regulations are not as extensive as those in SA or Kenya.
Average number of days worked:
SA (4); Kenya (5); Nigeria (6). When it comes to work which is more than 10 hours a day, SA (3%); Kenya (13%); Nigeria (31%). Work 7 days a week: SA (4%); Kenya (7%); Nigeria (33%).
Potentially because domestic workers are protected by better laws, SA workers are also least likely to have experienced abuse in the workplace.
Verbal abuse: SA (23%); Kenya (42%); Nigeria (55%)
Physical abuse: SA (4%); Kenya (15%); Nigeria (19%)
Sexual abuse: SA (2%); Kenya (16%); Nigeria (19%)
When it comes to basic living costs, the pandemic’s economic fallout has had a devastating effect on domestic workers’ livelihoods. While living costs are down, Pandor says it’s likely due to them sacrificing variable-cost items like food to stretch their earnings, which strongly suggests a falling quality of life.
On average, domestic workers are earning R2 536, while their monthly living costs are R2 890, meaning they’re forced to take on debt or reduce spending costs on vital items to make ends meet every month.
SA finance findings at a glance
• 8% have personal savings or pension
• 2% have medical aid
• 17% are part of a stokvel
• 42% of their wages is spent on rent, 38% on food, 19% on transport
• 67% are in debt
• 56% owe money to a shop or store
About 1 in 5 people polled felt their mental health had negatively been affected over the past year. Of those, 12.2% received a mental health assessment, with depression being the most common diagnosis (72%), followed by anxiety (25%).
Issues weighing them down ranked from unemployment (52%), to debt (25%), and family problems (15%).
Another fascinating finding, according to Pandor is the vaccine hesitancy and concern across all the countries, with South Africa showing the greatest hesitancy, despite 39% of respondents having experienced the loss of someone they know to COVID-19 and having comprehensive knowledge of the virus.
“As we reflect on the impact of the pandemic, many of us would have predicted that the worst would be behind us a year later,” said Pandor. “However, we continue to see job losses and economic hardship for domestic workers and even though there are some encouraging signs, the general outlook is still grim.”
