Not very long ago, it used to be very simple to get people in the neighborhood or around to help you do some menial jobs around your house or for a business.
If you needed someone to help weed your compound, carry cement, or offload goods at the market, all you had to do was whistle, and young men would show up ready for the task.
But in an interesting twist, today, that picture has changed drastically. Many people are testifying that it is gradually becoming a herculean task to get people to help with menial jobs today.
Why and How the Shift:
It is emerging that across Ghana, a quiet but powerful shift is underway. Young men who once depended on menial jobs for survival are abandoning them in droves for the booming Okada (motorbike taxi) and Pragya (tricycle taxi) business.
This means the boom of the Okada and Pragya business is now a doom for menial jobs.
The labour or the workforce that was readily available for construction sites, households, and small businesses has now become scarce. Not just scarce but comes at a premium, making their services of the few left expensive.
The reason for this shift is not farfetched. Okada and Pragya, despite their controversies, offer faster and more consistent income compared to casual menial labor. A rider can make GHS 150–200 daily, far more than the GHS 50–70 from a day of strenuous menial work.
When you add the flexibility and the independence the Okada/Pragya business comes along with, the opportunity becomes irresistible for Ghana’s restless young men.
But There is an Opportunity
While the exodus into the transport business has created a crisis of labor for small businesses and households, it has also opened an unlikely business opportunity.
It appears businesses, households, and people who continue to need the services of menial labour may need assistance. This opens the doors for the establishment of agencies that supply menial labor on demand.
Already, this trend is being heard in urban centers. Some small firms are experimenting with casual labor services where clients can request vetted workers for short-term jobs, anything from cleaning gutters to carrying blocks.
Much like how ride-hailing apps transformed transportation, Ghana may soon see the “Uberization” of menial labor.
The Bottom Line:
The shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The development is gradually ushering the country into a phase where menial labor will no longer be an informal hustle but an organized service. The good side is that, although menial, it creates dignity of labor, offers protection for workers, and ensures businesses can plan better.
As the scarcity bites, resulting in a formalized business of menial labour supply, households may have to pay more for basic chores.
In the same way Okada and Pragya reshaped mobility in Ghana, the shortage of menial workers may spur a new industry that professionalizes what was once seen as low-value work.
By Nelson Ayivor