The rise of online shopping has led to the demise of delivery riders countrywide in South Africa. At what point will South Africans rise, have a conscience and say that the death of a human being is not worth the cost of an on-time delivery?
When I was 9 years old, I climbed out of a wrecked car and watched a close family friend die on the side of the road while we waited for emergency services. My life's passion is working with people to make better, safer, more intentional choices so they can go home safely.
When I read the article "The Safety and Life of a Delivery Rider" written by Hein Jonker, Founder & Chief Instructor of the Motorcycle Safety Institute of S.A. (MSI), outrage rose in me, screaming, how is it possible that there is not a national, and international, outcry at the number of fatalities?
The fatality figures from January 2016 to December 2019 are unacceptable and make me shudder to think what these figures are now. I can't find them because this industry is not regulated, nor is it required to report these incidents to an industry body. Currently, there are no specific initiatives or laws directly targeting the safety of motorbike delivery riders in South Africa. Adding to this, accidents involving delivery riders are often underreported, especially if the riders are undocumented migrants.
I work in the high-hazard oil and gas, mining, EPCM, and energy sectors. When a fatality occurs in any of these industries, significant investigations occur, including criminal, operational, association, and governing body investigations.
When the number of fatalities spikes, world news highlights the injustices and plight of the workers in these tragically dangerous environments, there are health and safety acts for specific high-hazard industries.
In the event of a fatality at a mine in South Africa, defined actions are required in accordance with the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996), and other regulatory requirements.
South Africa lacks a proper tracking mechanism for delivery rider fatalities. How is it possible that this 'new' industry can continue without an enormous spotlight on the loss of life?
There do not seem to be enough voices shouting into the abyss of profit over safety for delivery riders, and they are sadly drowned out by the noise of 'we'll get to that' or 'it is not my problem to solve' or even worse... silence.
I am grateful to learn that a few voices and associations, formal and informal, are starting to speak up and push against the pressure these riders face to make the delivery on time through rain, wind, and scorching heat. They do this so that we can get our deliveries, and they can earn an income.
The lack of regulation in this industry makes it even more critical for companies to take proactive measures. Companies must cultivate a culture where safety is an operational value and not an afterthought. They must prioritise human skills development, risk awareness, and proactive leadership.
If you have not read the open letter written by Rob Kottler and shared by The Good Things Guy, you should! Open Letter To Delivery Drivers. I relate to his plea to spare a thought for our riders, to see them as human beings who deserve a job, and to go home safely to their families.
I have often heard that life in Africa is cheap. The article mentions that "all too often, people dehumanise delivery riders. They're wrongly reduced to nuisances and headaches on the road." Yet these brave men and women are vital service providers to South Africans everywhere.
What would you do differently if this was your son or daughter on a delivery motorbike?
Are you prepared to be more aware, learn yourself, teach our youth about motorbikes, and act with kindness on the roads so that you can contribute to saving a life today?

Behaviour Matters
How you react or respond as a driver on our roads and your behaviour matters.
Do you react in the moment while driving, or are you alert and responsive to what is happening around you?
We have many distractions: mobile phone use, a mind full of thoughts, passengers, pedestrians, weather, traffic, other drivers and vehicles, animals, road conditions, and broken traffic lights. The list goes on. These all take our attention away from being mindful when driving, whether in a car, motorbike, truck or bicycle.
It only takes a second for something to go wrong, and that second can change our lives forever.
I could have saved a life that day,
But I chose to speed anyway.
It wasn't that I didn't care,
I didn't see him looming there.
He's just another delivery rider,
Earning a buck, another fiver.
There are plenty more to take his place,
But now I feel I should hide my face.
He took a chance,
I did not glance.
His body lay bruised and bloody,
And now he is dead, a nobody.
I laid a flower at the site,
My heart filled with hurt and spite.
I could have saved a life that day,
But I chose to speed anyway.
When you see a delivery rider,
Earning his buck, another fiver.
Pause and ask what should I do,
So that he can live his life, too.
Will you still rush past,
Rushing and fast?
Ignoring my broken plea,
Or will you slow down and see me?
Nuala Gage (Poem inspired by Don Merrell)

Do we stop ordering online?
No! The motorbike delivery sector is integral to the booming e-commerce market in South Africa, which is expected to double in size from just under R200bn per annum in 2022 to over R400bn in 2025, according to research published by FNB Merchant Services last year.
This growth supports economic activity and indirectly helps reduce unemployment by facilitating more jobs in related sectors.
During 2018 - 2019, when awareness of the 56 fatalities was raised, the e-commerce market in South Africa was just R90bn. With the increase in e-commerce, many more riders are exposed to risk daily.
As of May 2023, an estimated 50,000 delivery bikes were on the roads in South Africa, making this sector a vital part of the economy. Beyond the riders themselves, the motorbike delivery sector also supports jobs in related industries such as maintenance, logistics, and customer service.
There is also a sentimental element to e-commerce. When I travel for work and want to spoil my mum, a Sixty60 rider arrives with special treats to let her know I am thinking of her.
One person commented on the Facebook post:
"Read this to my Gran, who absolutely hates it when I order her deliveries from the UK, I've had to stop doing it lately. She just cares too much. Beautiful post, Rob."
I understand the sentiment, but not ordering is not part of the solution. We need a thriving industry to support the South African economy.
The motorbike industry creates opportunities and empowers numerous individuals to earn an income.
We cannot ignore that this booming industry is also killing people, and that is not okay.

What is being done in the industry to improve the odds and reduce risk for our delivery riders?
Hein Jonker is passionate about motorcycle safety and risk awareness. He has made it a mission to help riders through specialised motorcycle rider training and educational programmes nationwide. He endeavoured to contact the 'big players' in South Africa to ask what they were doing to reduce risk and improve rider safety.
Only Checkers responded to his plea and connected him with Pingo, the on-demand delivery network of choice and the success story behind Checkers Sixty60.
Pingo (Pty) Ltd was formed in May 2022 following the rapid growth of Shoprite's pioneering on-demand grocery solution, Checkers Sixty60.
Checkers Sixty60 is a grocery consumer app that allows customers to place an order, have it fulfilled, and have it delivered within 60 minutes.
Here are a few of the improvements that have been made to increase rider safety since Hein's involvement:
- Improved recruitment, selection and onboarding
- Training in defensive riding
- Qualifying riders with a range of rent-to-own motorbike options
- Regularly replace life-saving personal protective equipment, such as ECE-compliant helmets and protective clothing, to reduce injury severity in accidents.
- Ensuring motorbikes are maintained
Pingo's commitment to its riders includes:
"Supporting and providing a safe working environment for our rider partners."
While most initiatives focus on protective equipment and training, cultivating a culture of safety extends beyond compliance. Safety Collaborations specialises in helping organisations strengthen communication, decision-making, and safety leadership skills, ensuring that safety is not just about equipment but about the mindset and behaviours driving daily safe operations. By equipping riders, team leaders, and managers with human factors training and real-world safety coaching, we help organisations embed safety as a fundamental value.

Who Should Take Responsibility
Who should be accountable for fixing this issue?
Government & law enforcement: Road safety regulations and reporting requirements.
Consumers: Raising awareness and advocating for safer working conditions. Create awareness among other road users.
E-commerce & food delivery companies: Safety training, PPE (helmets, jackets), fair wages, and insurance. We need all e-commerce companies in South Africa to take rider safety seriously and educate and support their rider partners.
What are other e-commerce companies, such as Uber Eats, Zando, Takealot, Woolworths, Superbalist, Pick 'n Pay, and others, doing to support their riders?
Beyond providing PPE and insurance, companies must also invest in building a safety mindset among their riders and teams. They must invest in improving leadership and team communication in this high-risk environment. Consider implementing effective safety coaching, hazard recognition training, and psychological safety programmes. A genuine commitment to rider safety means changing organisational conversations and ensuring managers and decision-makers create safer working conditions.
What can we, the everyday person, do?
Assume a Lack of Context
The person you're working with (driving near) might not know what you know, and might not see what you see.
It's tempting to begin where we are.
But it's more useful to begin where they are.
~ Seth's Blog
Be kind, always.
Both on the road and when receiving your order. We do not know the pressures or back story of the delivery en route. Here are some potential pressures:
- Time pressure to complete the delivery can lead to speeding, traffic violations and shortcuts.
- Checking for new addresses can cause distractions.
- Working long hours to support families.
- Poor weather conditions increase the risk of incidents compounded by the need to meet delivery times.
- Poor treatment from a receiving client impacts motivation and morale, negatively impacting the rider's focus when on the road.
- Risk Tolerance and Awareness
- We all have different levels of risk tolerance and awareness. Some people are comfortable taking chances, speeding and pushing their limits, while others are more cautious and steady-paced.
- This is both internal, our personalities, and environmental, learned experiences.
- When we develop an understanding of ourselves and others, we can genuinely start to appreciate and recognise that people are not trying to be difficult; we are just different.
- Knowing "How can I get hurt?" and your risk tolerance is a great place to reduce potential risks on our roads.
- You can learn more about how your personality can cause you or others to get hurt here.
Be vigilant and aware of motorbikes and scooters on the road.
In a fun way, teach children to look for motorbikes!
Play games like Spot the Motorbike - think 'Punch Buggy' for motorbikes. Punch Buggy, also called Slug Bug and Punch Bug, is a fun game you can play on the road. The game involves punching someone lightly whenever a VW Beetle is spotted. Doing this for motorbikes creates an awareness in children that will become an inbuilt reaction when they spot a motorbike as an adult.
Advocate for safer road conditions and promote awareness among other road users about the risks riders face.
Offer support networks for riders, providing resources and assistance in case of accidents or other incidents.
Encourage your delivery riders to comply with health and safety regulations. Talk with them about reducing the risk of accidents and improving their safety.

A Shared Responsibility for Safer Roads
The reality is stark-motorbike delivery riders are dying at an alarming rate, and yet, their deaths remain largely unnoticed, unreported, and unresolved. These riders, essential to the growing e-commerce sector, are often treated as expendable, faceless figures in a system prioritising speed over safety. But they are more than just delivery riders; they are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters-people who deserve the right to go home safely at the end of each day.
The question is no longer if change is needed but rather who will step up to make it happen. Governments, companies, and consumers all play a role in shifting the balance from profit-driven urgency to a culture of care and accountability. If a fatality in a mine sparks national investigations, why should the loss of a delivery rider be any different?
Change will only come when companies, policymakers, and individuals take responsibility for making roads safer. But fundamental transformation starts with the leaders who drive decisions, the managers who set the tone for safety, and the individuals who engage with riders daily. At Safety Collaborations, we help organisations bridge the gap between what's said, what's meant, and what's understood that safety isn't just a policy but a deeply embedded practice.
Riders are making split-second decisions under immense pressure. If companies invest in human skills development, proactive safety coaching, and leadership training, they can create an environment where safety isn't compromised for speed. The question isn't just whether we care-it's what we're willing to do about it.
Real solutions require collective action. Legislation must evolve to protect these workers, companies must prioritise training and safety measures, and we, as road users, must change our behaviour to ensure we're not contributing to this crisis. It starts with simple steps-awareness, vigilance, and advocacy. Small changes in mindset and action can mean the difference between life and death.
So, next time you see a motorbike delivery rider, ask yourself: Am I part of the problem, or can I be part of the solution? Sitting on the proverbial fence with a keyboard at your fingertips does not make you part of the solution. Saving lives isn't someone else's responsibility-it is ours, you and me!
Written by Nuala Gage
Director Safety Collaborations
References
Bringing smart mobility to SA’s scooter economy
Fueling Growth: Bike2Own and WigWag Powering the Evolution of Motorbike Delivery in South Africa
SAMTA News and Updates
Delivery Motorcyclists Road Safety Project South Africa
Delivery Rider Written by Hein Jonker