All images by Xue Qi Ow Yeong and Benjamin Tan for RICE Media
Not in our forefathers’ wildest dreams could they have imagined a single entity that seamlessly handles commutes, delivers favourite meals and makes financial services accessible. Platforms like Grab have been at the forefront of this change, reshaping everything from how we move around to how we shop and even how we earn a living.
What began as a simple convenience has evolved into a powerful economic driving force, creating livelihood opportunities for people, supporting small businesses, and connecting us all in ways that are more far-reaching than ever before.
This is the impact of gig work through Grab (NASDAQ: GRAB) in 2024, as told through the stories of four Singaporeans.
A Cheerful Spark in a Burnt-Out Workforce
It’s easy to make snap judgments about Belle Pereira when you see her bright yellow car adorned with Winnie the Pooh decals and brimming with stuffed toys.
For many, this sight might be quirky, even baffling. But for Belle, every detail tells a story—one of resilience, joy and human connection when we need it most.
The decision to transform her car into a beacon of cheer wasn’t an impulsive one. It reflects the life-changing experiences she’s had since becoming a Grab delivery driver in 2021.
Belle, an actress by training, had never imagined working in the fast food industry. But when the pandemic brought Singapore’s arts scene to a standstill, she took a job at McDonald’s to make ends meet.
It was during conversations with delivery riders that she discovered a new opportunity—delivering food and parcels for Grab.
This unconventional path turned out to be a lifeline, not just for Belle but also for her 80-year-old mother, who struggles with mobility. The flexible hours allow Belle to juggle her work with caregiving responsibilities, ferrying her mother to appointments while managing household bills and medical expenses.
“Grab gave me a source of income during the tough times, which is why I’m still with them,” she shares. Her loyalty runs deep—she’s even marched in Grab’s National Day Parade contingent.
For Belle, her earnings from Grab are more than just a paycheck; they are a means to pursue her passions and an opportunity to live life on her terms while rediscovering simple pleasures along the way.
Belle dedicates a part of her earnings to stage community theatre productions that bring laughter and positive messages to heartlands across Singapore. She also spends on things that bring joy, like refurbishing and decorating her adorable car, as well as collecting Labubu toys and Popmart collectables.
It’s a ripple effect: every dollar spent flows back into the local economy, supporting local creators and businesses.
Convenience Is Making Us Busier
An infectious belly laugh spills out of Carmen Ortega when asked if she was happy at her previous desk jobs.
“At my corporate job, I was dragging my feet every day,” confesses the spritely 38-year-old. “I lived for lunchtime, knocking off at 6 PM, the weekend, and payday.”
In 2025, this vivacious entrepreneur will mark her 10th year as a Grab driver-partner. Initially, driving was a side hustle to support her Thai iced tea brand, T.I.T., which pops up at night markets, but the pandemic reshaped her priorities. As her parents faced mounting medical bills, Carmen decided to focus full-time on private-hire driving.
“I love my new-found flexibility and freedom,” Carmen says. Though she still works eight to nine hours a day, Carmen cherishes the ability to structure her days around her parents’ medical appointments and her personal hustles.
This flexibility also fuels her entrepreneurial spirit. With her Grab earnings, Carmen reinvests in her various ventures, such as Mini Chef SG, a business that teaches children how to create delicious meals. She uses these funds to buy equipment and hire staff, driving both her passion and creating earning opportunities for others (including future Michelin chefs).
Her ride-hailing earnings also go towards T.I.T. stall rental fees, storage fees for her cooking and tea brewing equipment, and purchasing design software. On the side, Carmen’s flexible schedule allows her to handle social media and graphic design for various small businesses, and she is grateful that she can help fellow business owners in these little ways.
A firm believer in investing in herself too, Carmen frequently signs up for upskilling courses, which have made her a better designer and social media marketer.
Her story is just one of many livelihoods powered by Grab. Through its ecosystem, Grab has created 117,0001 earning opportunities in Singapore—a number that extends beyond drivers, delivery partners, and merchants to include the livelihoods sustained across their supply chains, contributing to a total of S$2.5 billion in household income in 2023.
A Vehicle of Change
At 40, Kirby Lim is a man of quiet wisdom, shaped by a life journey that has been anything but linear. For seven years, he served in the Air Force, followed by three years in insurance and human resources—a time he now calls his years of “finding himself.”
Like many pragmatic Singaporeans, Kirby sought stability amidst life uncertainties. In April 2024, he obtained his private-hire driver’s license, viewing it as a fallback plan.
He never expected his backup plan to take centre stage so quickly. Leaving his job as a course coordinator at a university, Kirby pivoted to driving for Grab shortly after.
The flexibility that comes with gig work has enabled Kirby to design his life around what matters most: spending time with family.
“My wife and I love trying out new restaurants, and now I can afford to take her on regular dinner dates around Singapore,” Kirby says. “It’s been great to enjoy these experiences together.”
He and his wife also enjoy more frequent trips overseas.
“She’s having fun on holiday in China right now,” he says, smiling.
This newfound time has further enabled him to pursue another passion: community service. As a dedicated grassroots volunteer, he organises sports events that bring people together.
For individuals like Kirby, Carmen and Belle, gig platforms have provided them with the freedom to balance earning a living with pursuing what matters most to them. On a broader scale, the income earned through Grab has enabled them to spend their earnings in other parts of the economy, helping to drive the local economy.
According to a recent Oxford Economics report, Grab contributed around S$5.2 billion to the Singaporean economy in 2023, equivalent to around 0.8 percent of gross domestic product, underscoring the transformative role of these platforms in modern life.
Assembling the Singapore Spirit
In today’s challenging economy, stories of resilience and ingenuity shine brighter than ever. Keegen Chung, a 35-year-old partner and Director of Maki-San, a beloved sushi and salad chain with outlets across Singapore, embodies this indomitable spirit.
“The competition among F&B brands in Singapore is very intense,” he admits. “Rising rents and labour costs are significant hurdles, and we’re constantly vying with foreign brands entering the market. The journey never gets easy.”
This year alone, he has witnessed an unprecedented number of F&B closures and a stark decline in new openings.
His unwavering enthusiasm speaks louder than his jest. Faced with surging property rental prices, Maki-San made the bold decision to close most of its dine-in restaurants and pivot to compact kiosks measuring just 200 to 300 square feet each.
This new strategy was made possible by the rise of food delivery platforms like Grab, which have been a vital boon for his business.
“Press a button, and food magically appears at your doorstep,” Keegen says, reflecting on his gratitude for how technology has expanded the reach of his F&B brand, where every dollar is vital for survival.
Maki-San reinvests these funds, channelling them towards creating new promotional campaigns, internal improvements and motivating its staff.
“We’ve reinvested in key areas of our business. We’ve used this additional income to improve our operational efficiency, enhance our product offerings, and upgrade technology to better serve our customers,” he mentions. It’s an example of how Maki-San is putting the money earned from Grab into a cycle of quality improvement for both his customers and employees.
“This reinvestment has been crucial in supporting our growth, expanding our reach, and maintaining a high level of service across all our outlets.”
Earnings generated on Grab’s platform by merchants like Maki-San flow back into businesses, wages, and growth, creating ripple effects that contributed an estimated S$900 million to Singapore’s GDP.
Ripples to Waves
In countless, often unacknowledged ways, technologies pioneered by Grab have transformed the fabric of our society.
Little do people wonder about the far-reaching impact of a ride or a delivery order—how a single transaction cascades into a web of economic activity, supporting drivers, sustaining local businesses, and enabling access to opportunities. Every $10 of GDP generated by transactions on the Grab platform leads to further economic activity worth $6 of GDP across the rest of the economy.
Beyond economics, it reshapes how we live: fostering convenience, connecting communities, and empowering gig workers with financial independence. These seemingly simple interactions ripple outward, subtly but powerfully, influencing the way our society moves, grows, and thrives.
- 1. Earning opportunities include the full-time equivalent jobs directly supported by Grab’s operations and its merchant-partners, as well as the average number of active driver-partners who earned on the Grab platform at least once a month in 2023. It also includes the full-time equivalent jobs supported in the combined supply chains of Grab, its merchant-partners, and its driver-partners. ↩︎
