More than 200 delivery drivers have halted deliveries in Pretoria West, demanding better rates as rising fuel costs put pressure on their earnings. The dispute raises a bigger question about the cost of convenience, and who ultimately pays for it.

More than 200 delivery drivers operating through Takealot switched off their apps in Pretoria West on Friday, following nearly six months of unsuccessful negotiations with the company. The protest centres on stagnant delivery rates, rising fuel costs and what drivers describe as an increasingly difficult working arrangement. The action also affects Mr D, which is owned by Takealot, including grocery deliveries for Pick n Pay fulfilled through the platform.

At the centre of the dispute is a base delivery rate of R27.50 per parcel, which driver representatives Tshenolo Sephoti and Frank Sepeng say has remained unchanged for more than four years. Meanwhile, fuel prices have reportedly increased by approximately 46% since January. Drivers say they spend an average of R1,200 a week on fuel alone, while weekly earnings range between R800 and R1,600 before expenses. Those expenses include vehicle maintenance, repairs, airtime and mobile data. For Josinta Grabie, a driver and mother of three, the money she earns barely covers petrol and data, leaving little for her family’s groceries and other household needs.

The drivers are demanding an increase in the base delivery rate to R50 per parcel, alongside adjustments to the fuel levy to reflect current economic conditions. They argue that the existing structure does not adequately account for the cost of keeping their vehicles on the road. Takealot Fulfilment Solutions, in response to an earlier memorandum dated 12 June, defended its fee structure, stating that its rates are competitive and between 5% and 15% higher than those of its competitors. The company’s breakdown includes a R6.50 collection base fee and a R21 delivery base fee, with additional distance payments beyond specified thresholds and a R2.12 fuel levy per order. Drivers, however, argue that the levy has not kept pace with increases in petrol prices.

The dispute also brings the working conditions of app-based delivery drivers into focus. Sephoti says drivers are increasingly exploited, describing a situation in which they are treated like full-time employees without the benefits or protections associated with formal employment. Yet these workers remain responsible for many of the operating costs required to deliver the service customers rely on. When fuel becomes more expensive, the impact is not limited to the price displayed at the petrol station. It reaches the driver’s take-home income, the household budget and, ultimately, the sustainability of the delivery arrangement itself.

There is also a business question worth asking. Takealot Group reported an adjusted operating profit of approximately R180 million for the financial year ended 31 March 2026, marking its first annual profit. That figure does not, by itself, establish what the company can afford to pay individual drivers, but it places the dispute within a wider conversation about profitability, operating costs and the people who make a delivery business function. The drivers have said their apps will remain switched off until management directly addresses their grievances and agrees to revised rates. Takealot had not responded to GroundUp’s latest queries at the time of publication. For now, the standoff in Pretoria West leaves a question hanging over the convenience economy: when the cost of doing business rises, how much of that pressure should the people delivering the service be expected to absorb?