JOHANNESBURG - Thousands of domestic workers began receiving payments from the SweepSouth Covid-19 SweepStar Fund this week.
Recipients of this crucial support mechanism, conceptualised and spearheaded by SweepSouth, will experience a degree of relief during the economically crippling nationwide lockdown.
SweepSouth said in a statement, "Launched on 6 April in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the SweepSouth Covid-19 SweepStar Fund has raised over R8 million to provide relief for over 3 000 SweepStars (domestic workers who are registered on SweepSouth's online platform) by facilitating a weekly allowance of between R150 and R450. The company says it aims to top R12 million for the fund through public and private sector contributions. The lockdown, which is set to continue until at least the end of April, has seen the implementation of strict domestic policies in order to contain the extent of Covid-19 within the country. As a consequence, economic activity, personal freedoms and basic standards of living have been severely curtailed."
“While the Covid-19 SweepStar Fund is geared to supporting SweepStars who have been consistently active on our online platform for at least the past two months, we have also been taking important strides towards helping domestic workers outside of SweepSouth,” said Aisha Pandor, co founder and CEO of SweepSouth.
Domestic workers are among the most vulnerable members of the labour system and rely entirely on their ability to travel and work within the premises of their employers. Typically these low-income workers are sole breadwinners and require wage consistency simply to be able to make ends meet and keep their families fed at the most basic levels.
The lockdown has not only eradicated this income for domestic workers but also prevents them from searching for temporary alternative sources of income. Consequently, SweepSouth has extended its scope of support to include domestic workers outside of the SweepSouth platform. The company says it has forged ties with food distribution channels to enable employers to remotely assist their domestic workers with food and grocery shopping.
“We have established a partnership with online produce and delivery order service Yebo Fresh, so that employers can easily support their domestic employees by ordering groceries on their behalf. Existing without an income is a terrifying situation, particularly for those who have diligently worked to make a living for themselves and their families. The Covid-19 crisis is likely to result in millions of South Africans slipping deeper into poverty in the coming months, so it’s imperative that breadwinners are given a lifeline in this desperate time of need,” Pandor continued.
The South African Reserve Bank has predicted GDP to contract in 2020 by 6.1%, compared to prior expectations of -0.2%, and the Business For South Africa (B4SA) alliance anticipates over 1 million South Africans joining the unemployment ranks in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown. As such, SweepSouth has further encouraged users of the app and online booking service to make use of the pre-book option, so that SweepStars have the opportunity to resume work promptly once the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. Pandor believes that light at the end of the tunnel will be forthcoming for domestic workers, providing that there is hope of jobs to return to and they are afforded the basic means with which to survive until then.
“This is not simply about providing financial aid - this is an opportunity to help sustain the survival of those who lack the fortune and resources many of us have at our disposal during this lockdown period. Domestic workers have had to fend for themselves every single day of their lives, in the face of countless economic and social challenges. Now that they have been stripped of their tools for income and survival, it is our moral duty to continually provide help, in as much as we can for as long as we're able. We call upon all employers and stakeholders to lend their support where possible,” Pandor concluded.