By Dr Mmaki Jantjies
South Africa has been experiencing seismic shifts in weather patterns, from flooding in KwaZulu-Natal to heavy snow in Eastern Cape, highlighting the global impact of climate change. How is the growing use of e-commerce, and the numerous delivery vehicles on the road, contributing to this growing climate challenge?
For many professionals and working parents, the usefulness of the platform economy cannot be overvalued. While juggling many other tasks, digital apps allow people to acquire groceries, pay for services and transport goods at the click of a button. Whether craving lunch or requiring delivery of a parcel, or needing groceries delivered quickly to the house for the same day, one tap on the phone now provides consumers with access to courier services. Consumers have grown accustomed to living in a world of "now", with a high demand placed on suppliers to deliver meals, groceries and goods at great speed. According to Heyns and Killbourn (2022)ยน, about 68% of customers reflected that they now were shopping online since the impact of the pandemic in a study by Mastercard.
Thus, with the growth of online marketplace services, so has there been a parallel growth in the goods delivery industry, with motorbikes being some of the most economic options of delivery. Delivery people can often be seen navigating traffic from their motorbikes in metropolitan urban settings with the objective of meeting the immediate needs of city customers. Moreover, this boom in delivery services has created much-needed jobs, exerting a significant impact on the economy. While more and more consumers require on-demand services provided at the fastest convenience, this convenience can come at a cost to the environment and our communities.