Dear Staff and Students

The discipline of Human Resource and Industrial Relations invites you to a public lecture themed ‘The opportunities and challenges of advancing gig work in sub-Saharan Africa’

Two key issues preoccupy scholars, practitioners and activists of late in the world of work. That is the rise in informal work and the rise of the GIG economy. The question of whether informal work and GIG work are inherently bad for workers and unable to comply with the indicators of decent work remains up for debate. This is especially true in the context of sub-Saharan Africa, where both GIG and informal work are viewed as synonymous with bad working conditions, and unregulated labour markets. The erosion of labour market securities and employment through GIG work has largely being a phenomenon witnessed in the global North.

In this lecture guest speaker, Dr Ayentimi will assess whether this erosion is also the case in the global South especially in sub Saharan Africa. He provides a counter argument that meaningful work, employment growth and decent work can include GIG work. He argues that these forms of work may leverage economic growth in sub Saharan Africa. This public lecture will be useful to  students, HR and IR practitioners,  scholars of work and labour, labour activists, trade unionists and anyone with a broad interest in the world of work, labour relations and the GIG economy.

DATE: Thursday, 1 August 2024

TIME: 10h00 – 11h00

PLATFORM: ZOOM (To register click here)

Issued By

Professor Shaun Ruggunan

Full Professor of Human Resources Management

Discipline of Human Resources and Industrial Relations, University of KwaZulu-Natal