Sas Shoprite-owned On-demand Delivery Leader Faces Mounting Scrutiny

South Africa's leading on-demand grocery delivery service, Checkers Sixty60, is facing increased scrutiny amid allegations over labour practices, uncertain employment structures, and a high reliance on foreign workers. This comes as parent company Shoprite secures control of the logistics backbone, Pingo Delivery, to further scale the platform.

Checkers Sixty60, launched in 2019, quickly became the frontrunner in South Africas on-demand delivery market. Known for its speed and convenience, the app's success has bolstered Checkers' competitive position against high-end grocer Woolworths, and many middle-class South Africans now prefer using Sixty60 over traditional in-store shopping.

Despite Sixty60's popularity, recent reports suggest that the rapid rise has come at a cost to its delivery riders. Pingo, a logistics provider co-owned by South Africas top supermarket chain Shoprite and responsible for managing Sixty60's workforce, is under fire for allegedly exploiting riders by treating them as "independent contractors" rather than employees.

As independent contractors, riders lack essential protections under South African labour laws, receiving no benefits and having limited job security. According to Democratic Alliance MP Michael Bagraim, this classification is a mischaracterisation of their role, and he believes "South Africa's courts would likely rule that the Checkers Sixty60 riders were Shoprite employees" based on their working hours and limited ability to work elsewhere.

Interviews with current and former riders reveal further concerns over Pingos hiring practices and remuneration structure. According to one former rider who spoke to MyBroadband , rider often face unpredictable hiring and firing cycles, with Pingo regularly recruiting more riders than needed for demand.