This month Fairwork Tanzania successfully launched their second report on working conditions in the Tanzanian platform economy.
The report launch event (held on 6 October at REPOA Headquarters) brought together several stakeholders where the future of the platform economy was discussed. The expert panel – made up of influential figures from government bodies, industry experts, and workers’ representatives – shed a fresh light on navigating the future of digital labour platforms in Tanzania as well as challenges and opportunities facing the platform economy. They provided valuable insights into the intricacies of the platform sector and outlined key takeaways for the future.
A resounding consensus emerged regarding the Tanzanian government’s commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the platform economy. The representative from the Prime Minister’s Office Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability highlighted ongoing efforts to create clear policies and laws that guide the employment of platform workers. Emphasis was placed on education and awareness to ensure that both companies and workers understand the significance of the platform sector. The panel stressed the need for updated regulations, considering the unique nature of platform work and its impact on different sectors of the economy, including the tourism industry. Safety concerns were acknowledged as well, with a call for comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks that guarantee the safety of platform workers.
Dispute resolution mechanisms and the status of the Transport Online Drivers Association (TODA) took centre stage in the second takeaway. Despite ongoing efforts to address TODA’s concerns, challenges persist, and the time taken to resolve disputes raised by workers remains a concern. The panel acknowledged TODA’s positive contributions and urged collaboration between companies, regulators, and TODA to swiftly address safety issues. The need for faster resolution of challenges affecting platform workers was emphasized, and the recognition of TODA’s role as a stakeholder in the sector was discussed.
The third takeaway highlighted the vital role played by the platform economy in contributing to the country’s overall economy, particularly in providing employment for youth. The importance of raising awareness in Tanzanian society about the platform economy’s nature and benefits was emphasized. Flexibility associated with platform work was noted as favorable for women in particular, offering a balance between work and family life. The sector’s potential to drive innovation, such as the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, was also recognized. The panel recommended the following to ensure that the sector offers decent jobs for all and has positive impacts on the national economy:
The final takeaway of the panel underscored the pivotal role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in advancing the platform sector and fostering innovation. Concerns were raised about the urban-centric nature of ICT, prompting a call for efforts to bridge the digital divide to ensure job opportunities through digital platforms are accessible to a majority of Tanzanians. However, caution was raised to ensure that the government also creates conducive environments to ensure the safety of users’ data. The distinction between cyber and data protection was highlighted, emphasizing the importance of proper registration of companies and the need for transparent disclosure of data collection practices.
In the closing remarks, the Fairwork Tanzania team expressed gratitude to all participants and highlighted the evolving nature of the platform economy, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and communication among stakeholders, while acknowledging the challenges as opportunities for growth. The team promised its continued research efforts to inform policies, laws, and frameworks that guide the platform sector, reinforcing the notion that the journey toward a robust and sustainable platform economy in Tanzania is an ongoing process.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
This cookie remains on your computer for 365 days, but you can adjust your preferences at any time by clicking on the "Cookie settings" link in the website footer.
Please note that if you visit the Oxford University website, any cookies you accept there will appear on our site here too, this being a subdomain. To control them, you must change your cookie preferences on the main University website.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses the following additional cookies from third party websites:
These cookies will remain on your computer for 365 days, but you can edit your preferences at any time through the "Cookie Settings" in the website footer.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
This website uses Google Tags and Google Analytics to collect anonymised information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages. Keeping these cookies enabled helps the OII improve our website.
Enabling this option will allow cookies from:
These cookies will remain on your website for 365 days, but you can edit your cookie preferences at any time via the "Cookie Settings" button in the website footer.