Driving Forward Social and Solidarity Economy: The Case of South Africa's Taxi Industry

Authors: Maria Fustic, Georgia Pagiavla, Paloma Chuquín Alarcón, Jing-Syuan Wong

This is a podcast that was created as part of the writing workshop "The Economics of the New Reality – Looking at the World Under the Pandemic from Pluralist Lenses", published in July 2021.

About...

This discussion explores the story of South African minibuses (known there as ‘taxis’). Established by black people in the 1930s, taxis have survived decades of apartheid laws and continue to provide essential transportation services to this day. While the taxi industry can in many respects be seen as part of the ‘social and solidarity economy', it also faces enormous challenges regarding its largely informal structure and precarious working conditions. Covid-19 has made these issues increasingly evident, but it has also provided an opportunity to rethink how taxis can keep ‘driving forward’ through alternative approaches and supportive policies.

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Comment from our editors:

This podcast features a discussion between Georgia Pagiavla (PhD Panteion University), Paloma Chuquín Alarcón (MSc Politecnico di Milano), Jing-Syuan Wong (MA Sciences Po). It also benefited from input and reviews provided by Dr. Margie Mendell (Concordia University), Dr. Siyabulela Fobosi (University of Fort Hare), and Maria Fustic (MA Sciences Po).

Go to: Driving Forward Social and Solidarity Economy: The Case of South Africa's Taxi Industry