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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

"Platformization" of the taxi industry: A new dynamic of work relationship in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

presenters

    Tata Donita Nshani

    Nationality: Cameroonian

    Residence: Belgium

    University of Liege

    Presence:Face to Face/ On Site

Cameroon's migration is predominantly from rural to urban areas due to economic and social factors. Internal migration has led to urbanization and the growth of the informal sector in Douala and Yaoundé, encompassing various occupations. Traditional yellow taxis have been the principal form of public transport, but the emergence of digital platforms, such as Yango, has transformed the urban transportation system since 2021. Yango, run by Yandex, allows users to book a trip by providing the destination address, with the cost calculated by the application's algorithms. This has created inequalities among taxi drivers and new employment dynamics, with the younger generation and the analogue generation joining the taxi business. Using an explanatory case study methodology, this paper examines the emergence of Yango and its impact on labour regulation within the transportation sector. It is framed within the theoretical perspectives of labour sociology and platform studies, offering insights into how digital platforms influence work practices and employment relationships in the taxi industry. Additionally, it explores the socio-economic disparities in platform access, such as age, ethnicity, and gender, and the resulting workplace and labour-related disputes that have emerged

Keywords:

Labour regulation, work practices and employment relationships.