Work & Labor in South Africa - with Dr. Mosa Phadi

With a youth unemployment rate reaching more than 45% in the
first quarter of 2024, South Africa faces a significant
challenge: young people are disproportionately affected compared
to the national average of 30-35%. Despite the Department of
Employment and Labour’s recent establishment of a National
Minimum Wage of R27.58 per hour effective from March 2024, many
workers remain in precarious jobs, often without social security
or stable working conditions.


In this episode, we explore the complex landscape of workers'
rights in South Africa with Dr. Mosa Phadi, an expert on state
formation, Blackness, and class dynamics. Dr. Phadi, a researcher
at the Public Affairs Research Institute and accomplished author
of numerous articles and book chapters, shares her insights into
the lived experiences of South African workers, unpacking the
intersection of labor rights, socioeconomic instability, and the
fight for fair treatment in the workplace.

Related statistics and sources (last accessed November 2024)


 Unemployment rates
https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=17266


Minimum wage
https://www.ccma.org.za/labourlaws/new-minimum-wage-and-maximum-threshold/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Employment%20and,with%20effect%201%20March%202024.


History of migrant labor in South Africa
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-migrant-labour-south-africa


Timeline of the Marikana Massacre
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/timeline-marikana-massacre-2012-2013


Labor relations and trade unions in South Africa
https://www.gov.za/links/labour-relations-0


Precious working conditions in South Africa
https://marxistsociology.org/2022/09/reorganizing-the-core-precarity-organizing-and-the-labour-process-in-south-african-manufacturing/