Anele Mdoda is never shy to use her influence for tough conversations. This time, she turned her spotlight on a hidden burden many South Africans know too well: the crushing price of daily transport for workers earning the bare minimum. In a country where a large chunk of the workforce struggles to get by, every rand spent on a taxi ride or bus trip cuts even deeper into already tight paychecks.
She pointed to a scenario plenty of folks have experienced—a waiter, clocking long hours but earning just enough, and tipped only when the restaurant is busy. The painful truth? Sometimes their entire take-home is eaten up by the cost of just getting to and from work. For someone earning a few thousand rand a month, the taxi fare alone can feel like an extra tax on being poor.
Mdoda’s frustration goes beyond comments. She doesn’t just talk about change; she makes it happen in her own business. Anele pays for all her staff’s transport, not leaving anyone—including her production crew or her longtime domestic worker, Florence—to face the dilemma of choosing between work and affording the trip there. She didn’t stop at Florence’s transport, either. Anele promoted Florence to a senior role in her company, a strong sign that she values people enough to give real opportunities, not just empty words.
Recently, Anele shared a bold symbol of how she treats her employees. She took Florence abroad for a holiday, giving her an experience far from the daily grind. This isn't just about travel—it's about respect, recognition, and showing that domestic workers deserve to be treated as more than just hired help.
But Anele’s argument isn’t just about her staff. She’s challenging the state to step up for all struggling South Africans. Her pitch is simple: introduce government intervention to knock down transport costs for low-wage earners. Subsidies or some kind of support could stop low-income jobs from drifting further below the poverty line just because it costs so much to simply show up for work.
Mdoda’s push for transport reform comes alongside her outcry against unfair pay. She didn’t hold back when she saw a job listing offering just R2,500 a month for a domestic worker—less than what it costs to live scrape by in most cities. Anele challenged the ethics behind such offers, questioning why anyone should accept “charity” wages that barely cover basics like food, rent, and, yes, transportation.
Her point lands hard: paying workers fairly isn’t about generosity—it's about justice. She believes businesses and private employers can't just push responsibility onto tips, luck, or handouts when it comes to essential costs like getting to work. And government shouldn't look away either, because the struggle to commute isn't just an individual problem—it's part of the wage gap and the grinding poverty cycle.
For many in South Africa, the idea of better pay and affordable rides to work still seems out of reach. But Mdoda’s example—covering her employees’ transport, elevating people like Florence, and publicly challenging unfair practices—shows that things can be done differently. She’s using her voice, actions, and wallet to prove that workers deserve not only respect but also real, practical support—on the road and on the job.
