Delivery work is often chosen because the entry barrier is low, and it is. What is less obvious is whether it pays, because the platform advertises gross earnings and the driver carries every cost.
This page covers the requirements and then the arithmetic, so the decision to start is made on a net figure rather than a headline.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What delivery work generally requires.
- Be 18 years or older with a valid South African ID, or the right to work in South Africa
- A valid driver’s licence for the vehicle used, of the correct code
- A vehicle in roadworthy condition with a valid vehicle licence
- Insurance covering commercial delivery use — a personal policy generally excludes it
- A police clearance certificate, where the platform requires it
- A smartphone meeting the platform’s specification, with data
- A bank account in your own name
- Compliance with the platform’s onboarding and background checks
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Work out the net, not the gross. Take a realistic number of deliveries per hour, multiply by the average payment, and subtract fuel, maintenance provision, tyres, data, insurance and any vehicle rental. That figure is what you earn, and it is usually well below the advertised one.
Deliveries per hour is the variable that matters most, and it depends on the area, the time of day and the distance between restaurants and customers. Ask drivers working in your area what they actually achieve rather than what the platform projects.
Fuel is the largest running cost and it scales directly with the work. Calculate it per delivery on realistic consumption.
Set aside a maintenance provision from every shift. Services, tyres, brakes and chain wear arrive on distance, and a driver who does not provision for them is one breakdown away from stopping. A small amount per delivery, set aside, prevents that.
Data is a real cost and the app runs constantly. Include it.
Insurance covering commercial use costs more than a personal policy and is not optional if you want a claim paid.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Peak periods are where the earnings are. Meal times, weekends and bad weather generate the volume, and working the peaks rather than long flat hours produces a better hourly return with less exposure.
Long hours to reach a target are counter-productive and dangerous. Fatigue reduces reaction time on a road where reaction time is everything, and marginal hours at low volume earn little.
Wait time is unpaid in most models. A restaurant that consistently keeps drivers waiting costs you money, and knowing which ones do is local knowledge worth acquiring.
Vehicle wear is faster than drivers expect. Constant stopping, short trips and city driving are the hardest use a vehicle sees. Maintain proactively.
Safety equipment is not a cost to defer where a motorcycle is used — a proper helmet meeting a recognised standard, an armoured jacket, gloves and high visibility.
Carry minimal cash and use cashless payment where available. Delivery drivers are targeted for the vehicle, the phone and the cash.
Report every incident to the platform and the police and keep the case number.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What is needed to register.
- Certified copy of your South African ID, or passport and a valid permit with the right to work
- A valid driver’s licence for the vehicle used
- The vehicle registration certificate and current licence disc
- An insurance schedule showing commercial delivery cover
- A police clearance certificate, where required
- Proof of residence
- Banking details in your own name
- A smartphone meeting the platform’s specification
Registration or Application Process
Register directly with the platform. Registration is free and nobody legitimate charges to activate an account.
Trial it before committing. If you can start without buying or renting a vehicle, work a few weeks and measure the actual net before taking on a vehicle commitment. A weekly rental signed on projected earnings is how drivers end up trapped.
Ask what the platform provides in the way of accident cover, and exactly what it pays and when. Get it in writing.
Keep records of trips, earnings and expenses. Income from this work is taxable and must be declared to SARS, and expenses actually incurred in producing it are deductible — but only with records. Registering as a provisional taxpayer may apply; confirm with SARS.
Consider whether this is a bridge or a plan. Delivery work has low entry barriers and limited progression, and it suits a period between other things better than it suits a decade. That is a fair thing to say and worth weighing.
- Calculate the net, not the advertised gross
- Ask local drivers what deliveries per hour they actually achieve
- Calculate fuel per delivery on realistic consumption
- Set aside a maintenance provision from every shift
- Include data and commercial insurance in the cost
- Work the peak periods rather than long flat hours
- Learn which restaurants keep drivers waiting
- Never defer safety equipment where a motorcycle is used
- Trial the work before taking on a vehicle commitment
- Get any platform accident cover confirmed in writing
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does delivery work actually pay?
Calculate the net: realistic deliveries per hour times average payment, less fuel, maintenance provision, tyres, data, insurance and any rental. It is usually well below the advertised gross.
What determines earnings most?
Deliveries per hour, which depends on area, time and distances. Ask drivers working where you will work what they actually achieve.
Should I rent a vehicle to start?
Trial the work first if you can. A weekly rental signed on projected earnings, before you know your actual net, is how drivers end up trapped.
When are the earnings best?
At peaks — meal times, weekends and bad weather. Working peaks rather than long flat hours produces a better hourly return with less road exposure.
Platform requirements, payment structures, insurance and cover terms are set by the platform and insurers and are revised. Confirm current requirements and any accident cover with the platform in writing.