Courier Driver Jobs in South Africa (2026): Own Car, Scooter or Bakkie
Courier driver jobs in South Africa fall into two main groups: gig delivery apps that accept a car, scooter or bike, and owner-driver contracts with courier companies that want your own bakkie or van. Apps start faster. Owner-driver contracts usually pay more, at an estimated R12,000 to R35,000 a month gross before costs.
Last updated: 20 October 2026. Pay figures are our estimates from driver reports and industry information, not published company rates.
Best Courier Driver Jobs in South Africa: Which Path Pays Most?
A courier driver job is paid work collecting and delivering parcels, as an employee, a gig driver or an owner driver. An owner driver is a self-employed contractor who uses their own vehicle and is paid per delivery, route or load.
| Path | Vehicle | How fast you start | Pay style | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gig delivery app | Car, scooter or bike | Days, after sign-up and checks | Per delivery, varies by area | Fast start or side income |
| Retail delivery (Checkers Sixty60) | Scooter or bike | After sign-up and licence check | Per delivery | Riders without a car |
| Owner-driver contract | Bakkie or van | Slower, with vehicle and document checks | Per delivery or fixed route, est. R12,000 to R35,000 gross a month | Higher income from your own vehicle |
| Employed courier driver | Company vehicle | After interview and licence check | Salary shown on the advert | No vehicle costs |
Delivery driver jobs and courier driver jobs overlap. Delivery usually means food, groceries or retail orders. Courier usually means parcels and documents. Employers use both terms, so search for both.
Delivery Driver Jobs With Your Own Car, Scooter or Motorcycle
Gig apps such as Mr D Food, Uber Eats and Bolt Food accept a normal car, scooter or bike, and none of them needs a PrDP for vehicles under 3,500kg GVM.
| Platform | Vehicle | Sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mr D Food | Car, scooter or bike | Become a Mr D driver |
| Uber Eats | Car, scooter or bike | Uber Eats Deliver |
| Bolt Food | Car, scooter or bike | Bolt driver sign-up |
| Checkers Sixty60 | Scooter or bike | Sixty60 application guide |
You can run more than one app at once. Many drivers use two to fill quiet periods. For a full pay comparison, see our delivery driver salary guide.
Motorcycle Delivery Driver Jobs
Scooters and motorbikes suit food and grocery apps because they are cheap to run in traffic. You need the correct licence code and a roadworthy bike, so check each app's current rules before you buy one.
Checkers Delivery Driver Jobs
Checkers Sixty60 uses scooter and bike riders. Read how Sixty60 drivers are paid and follow the steps to apply as a Sixty60 driver.
Pharmacy Delivery Driver Jobs
Some pharmacies hire their own drivers or contract owner drivers. It is a smaller niche. Ask about police clearance and any vehicle or cooler box rules before you apply.
Owner-Driver Courier Jobs With Your Own Bakkie
Owner-driver courier jobs pay more than gig apps but need a roadworthy bakkie or van, commercial insurance and a signed contract. DSV, Skynet, The Courier Guy, Fastway and DHL all contract owner drivers.
Our estimates put gross pay at R12,000 to R35,000 a month. Running costs typically take R4,000 to R9,500 of that. See every company, with requirements and how to apply, in our list of courier companies looking for owner drivers.
Got a bakkie, or planning to buy one?
Know your real take-home before you sign
A R30,000 gross contract can leave you with less than a R20,000 contract with better terms. The Owner-Driver Guide shows you how to check before you commit.
- Chapter 4: Decoding the contract, clauses that cost you money
- Chapter 6: The three insurance policies you need
- Chapter 8: Real take-home numbers, not headline rates
49-page PDF. Once-off R99. Instant download. 7-day refund guarantee. Our own product, not an affiliate link.
Courier Driver Jobs in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban
Courier driver jobs are most common in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, where the big courier networks run the most routes.
Courier Driver Jobs in Johannesburg
Johannesburg and the wider Gauteng area have the most own-bakkie delivery work. Search the job boards for "courier driver" plus your suburb, then phone your nearest courier depot. Read about DSV driver vacancies by province.
Delivery Driver Jobs in Pretoria
DSV uses owner drivers for last-mile delivery in Pretoria. Retail and food apps also cover most suburbs, so a car or scooter can start you earning while you chase a contract.
Courier Driver Jobs in Cape Town
Cape Town has courier hubs, retail delivery fleets and DSV owner-driver routes. PNet and Careers24 list employed courier roles in the Western Cape. Match your licence code to the vehicle in each advert.
Courier Driver Jobs in Durban
Durban is the main KwaZulu-Natal market, with DSV owner-driver routes and app work. Ask depots whether they need bakkies or vans, since many routes depend on vehicle size.
Courier Driver Jobs in Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Port Elizabeth
Outside the big metros, courier driver jobs are fewer and often not advertised online, so phone the nearest depot of a national courier and ask about owner-driver or subcontractor routes.
Courier Driver Jobs in Bloemfontein
Free State routes are often filled through depots. Courier driver jobs in Bloemfontein without experience usually mean app work or an owner-driver route, where you need the right vehicle and papers, not a courier work history.
Courier Driver Jobs in Polokwane
In Limpopo, call the nearest courier branch, check local Facebook groups for owner drivers, and ask about no-experience routes. Polokwane has fewer posted adverts, so a phone call often beats a search.
Delivery Driver Jobs in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
The city is now called Gqeberha, but many people still search for Port Elizabeth. Eastern Cape roles appear on the main job boards and through national courier depots.
Courier Driver Jobs With No Experience
You can start courier driving with no experience through gig apps, which ask for a licence, a vehicle and a background check, not a courier work history.
Many employed roles ask for proven experience, so build a delivery record first. A few months of app work shows reliability. Then apply for contract routes. Our guide to becoming a courier driver covers the first steps, and the courier driver starter pack covers kit.
Starting out with a bakkie?
Read this before you finance a vehicle
New drivers often sign the first contract offered. The guide shows what companies expect from your vehicle, and how to cover your first 90 days.
- Chapter 2: Vehicle requirements
- Chapter 9: Expense tracking
- Chapter 10: Your first 90 days
49-page PDF. Once-off R99. Instant download. 7-day refund guarantee. Our own product, not an affiliate link.
Do You Need a PrDP for Courier Driver Jobs?
By law, a PrDP is only required for goods vehicles over 3,500kg GVM, so most gig deliveries and many 1-ton bakkie routes do not need one. Some companies still ask for it in their contract.
Check the GVM on your vehicle licence disc. The Arrive Alive road safety initiative explains the goods vehicle PrDP rule. Passenger and e-hailing work do need a PrDP. Apply at a driving licence testing centre, as set out on the South African government licence page.
Personal car insurance usually excludes paid delivery work. Ask your insurer for business-use or carriage-for-reward cover. Contractor income is taxable, and most owner drivers register with SARS as provisional taxpayers.
How to Find and Apply for Courier Driver Jobs Near You
To apply, pick one path, gather your licence, ID, vehicle papers and police clearance, apply to at least three employers, and read the contract before you sign.
- Pick your path. Choose a gig app, an owner-driver contract or an employed role, based on the vehicle you have.
- Gather your documents. Collect your licence, ID, vehicle papers, proof of insurance and a recent police clearance certificate.
- Search the job boards. Search Indeed, PNet, Careers24 and Gumtree for courier driver or owner driver plus your suburb or town.
- Apply to at least three employers. Use each company's official careers or subcontractor channel, and phone the nearest depot to ask who is hiring.
- Read the contract before you sign. Check the rate method, lost-parcel liability, penalties and exit terms. Never pay an upfront fee to get work.
Boards to check: Indeed, PNet, Careers24 and Gumtree. No genuine courier charges you to start work. Report scams to the National Credit Regulator.
Frequently Asked Questions About Courier Driver Jobs in South Africa
The best courier driver jobs for pay are owner-driver contracts with companies like DSV, Skynet and The Courier Guy, because they pay more than gig apps. They need your own bakkie or van, though. Gig apps start faster. See the companies that hire owner drivers.
Yes. Gig delivery apps ask for a licence, a vehicle and a background check, not courier experience. Many employed courier roles do ask for experience, so a few months on an app can help you qualify.
No, not by law for most light deliveries. A PrDP is required for goods vehicles over 3,500kg GVM, and most 1-ton bakkies are under that. Some companies still ask for one in their contract, so check before you apply.
Owner drivers gross about R12,000 to R35,000 a month by our estimates, before R4,000 to R9,500 in running costs. App pay varies by area and hours. Compare it on our delivery driver salary page.
Yes. Mr D Food, Uber Eats and Bolt Food accept a normal car. Contract couriers usually want a bakkie or van, so a car mostly suits app work and light-parcel routes.
Search Indeed, PNet, Careers24 and Gumtree for "courier driver" plus your suburb or town. Then phone the nearest depot of DSV, Skynet, The Courier Guy or Fastway and ask about owner-driver routes.
Yes, but fewer are advertised than in Gauteng. Check the job boards, then phone the nearest national courier depot. Gig apps and owner-driver routes both need no courier history, only the right vehicle and documents.
Yes, in smaller numbers. Many Limpopo routes are filled through depots and local Facebook groups, so call the nearest courier branch and ask who is hiring owner drivers.
Yes. Cape Town and Durban are two of the three busiest courier markets after Gauteng. DSV uses owner drivers in both, and boards list employed roles too.
Checkers Sixty60 drivers ride scooters or bikes. Our step-by-step Sixty60 application guide covers the licence and sign-up, and the Sixty60 driver salary breakdown covers pay.
Yes. Food and grocery apps such as Mr D Food, Uber Eats, Bolt Food and Checkers Sixty60 use scooter and motorbike riders. You need the correct licence code and a roadworthy bike.
Yes, though it is a smaller niche. Some pharmacies hire their own drivers or contract owner drivers. Expect to be asked for a clean police clearance, and ask the employer about any cooler box or vehicle rules.
The work overlaps and employers use both terms. Delivery driver usually means food, groceries or retail orders. Courier driver usually means parcels and documents. Search for both.
Usually not. Most personal policies exclude paid delivery, so ask your insurer for business-use or carriage-for-reward cover. Many contract couriers also want goods-in-transit cover.
Work out your take-home after fuel, insurance, finance, tyres and tax, then read the clauses on rates, lost parcels and exit terms. The Owner-Driver Guide walks through both, with worked numbers.
Before you apply
Get paid properly by courier companies
The Owner-Driver Guide is 49 pages of contracts, insurance, rates and real take-home numbers, written by Maxwell Grant.
Get the Owner-Driver Guide for R9949-page PDF. Once-off R99. Instant download. 7-day refund guarantee. Our own product, not an affiliate link.
NCR/NCA notice: Internet Business SA is not a registered credit provider. This is general information, not financial, legal or employment advice. We are not affiliated with Mr D Food, Uber Eats, Bolt, Checkers, DSV, Skynet, The Courier Guy, Fastway, Aramex or DHL. Confirm pay and requirements with each company.