Whose risk, whose reward? The hidden costs of Zimbabwe’s app-based economy

Jacqueline Ntaka, Opinion

IN the ever-evolving landscape of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), few phenomena have been as disruptive as the rise of the platform-based “gig economy”.

Driven by sophisticated algorithms and the near-ubiquity of smartphones, companies such as InDrive and Uber have fundamentally re-engineered the traditional relationship between employer and employee.

By replacing the static office or depot with a dynamic digital interface, these platforms have successfully outsourced the costs of physical infrastructure to a vast, mobile workforce, transforming labour into a fluid, on-demand commodity.

At the heart of this transformation is the algorithmic management system, a powerful ICT tool that dictates the flow of work with a precision once unimaginable. For workers, the appeal often lies in the “siren song” of flexibility — the ability to log on and off at will and bypass the rigidities of a 9-to-5 schedule. However, this autonomy is frequently balanced against a lack of traditional security. In the UK, this tension has led to a landmark legal reckoning.

For years, platforms argued they were merely tech intermediaries connecting independent contractors; however, the UK Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling on Uber drivers established a critical precedent, classifying them as “workers” entitled to a national minimum wage, holiday pay, and pension contributions.

The technological architecture of these apps also creates a unique power imbalance through “digital surveillance.” Performance is no longer monitored by a human supervisor but by data points: GPS tracking, acceptance rates, and customer star ratings. This “algorithmic control” can feel just as binding as a physical contract, as low ratings or high rejection rates can lead to “shadow banning” or total deactivation from the platform.

While the ICT infrastructure enables immense efficiency and lower prices for consumers, it simultaneously offloads the risks of vehicle maintenance, fuel costs, and insurance onto the individual, often leaving those who rely on these apps as their primary income in a state of precariousness.

In Zimbabwe, the gig economy has taken on a unique character within one of the world’s most resilient informal sectors.

For many in cities like Harare and Bulawayo, apps like InDrive are not merely “side hustles” but vital lifelines. However, the local context introduces specific ICT challenges: high data costs and intermittent connectivity can turn a lucrative shift into a loss-making one.

Furthermore, while the UK moves toward the 2026 Employment Rights Bill to close the digital divide in labour rights, Zimbabwe’s regulatory framework remains largely archaic, designed for a “paper-based” era.

The current Labour Act (Chapter 28:01) struggles to capture the nuance of a driver who is technically “self-employed” but entirely dependent on a foreign-owned algorithm for their daily bread.

As we navigate 2026, the global challenge lies in ensuring that the brilliance of ICT innovation does not come at the expense of human dignity. For the gig economy to be sustainable — whether in the regulated markets of Europe or the bustling streets of Zimbabwe — the industry must find a way to preserve the digital flexibility that technology provides while building a robust framework of protections.

The future of work must acknowledge that a smartphone is now a workplace, and the person behind the screen deserves the same protections as the person behind the desk.

l Jacqueline Ntaka is the CEO of Mviyo Technologies, a local tech company that provides custom software development, mobile applications and data analytics solutions. She can be contacted on [email protected]