What you need to become a Takealot or Uber driver in South Africa

Takealot and Uber have very similar requirements for their delivery drivers — including formal identification documents, driving licences, and no criminal records.

Takealot’s Mr D and Uber Eats are South Africa’s leading on-demand delivery services, serving several million customers.

To deliver food and groceries effectively and within the short time expected from their customers, they require thousands of drivers spread across their various delivery areas.

Unlike many courier services, neither Mr D nor Uber Eats directly employs drivers as permanent employees.

Instead, they recruit them as “partners” on a contractual basis through online application platforms instead of interviews or other typical recruitment processes.

This model is not unique to South Africa. Uber employs it in every country where it operates.

Mr D and Uber drivers may enjoy fewer benefits than full-time employees but have greater flexibility regarding working hours and locations.

The platforms have undoubtedly created the means for many people to earn a living.

Some Uber Eats drivers reportedly make roughly R2,000 to R3,000 per week, working out to R8,000 to R12,000 per month.

The biggest problem some have complained about is paying off their motorcycle or car and insurance, which can take a chunk out of their earnings.

The platforms also support part-time work for South Africans who want to moonlight or side hustle with secondary jobs to improve their financial security.

Many of these part-time partners are likely to already have a car or motorcycle, so the cost of ownership will not be a factor like with full-time drivers.

MyBroadband looked at the processes and requirements for signing up to become a delivery driver on Mr D and Uber Eats in South Africa.

Mr D is part of the Takealot group, which oversees the applications for its e-commerce courier partners and on-demand drivers.

To start off, both platforms need applicants to provide IDs if they are South African citizens or work permits if they are foreign nationals. They must also be at least 18 years old.

Uber also allows people with asylum seeker or refugee permits to apply. Mr D does not list these documents under its eligibility criteria on its website or Takealot’s “Become a delivery partner” page.

In terms of background checks, applicants on either platform must submit themselves for a screening process to confirm that they have no criminal record.

However, only Mr D specifies that it also requires proof of address and proof of banking details.

When it comes to choice of working area, Uber is the better platform to work for, with drivers able to choose from serving in one of 18 cities or large towns.

Mr D lists 11 cities or towns available when MyBroadband looked at its application page.

However, Takealot has a much larger operating footprint, so those interested in delivery for the online store may find work in other locations.

Bear in mind that the services may not accept new drivers for certain locations based on driver availability at the time of the application.

The table below summarises the requirements and other specifications of Mr D and Uber delivery services.