BEST Undertaking is paying its employees in loose change due to the COVID-19 crisis. The organisation that often has loads of loose change has been having a problem depositing it with the banks. The staff under quarantine has also complained that they cannot come to the depots to collect the amount and are helpless.

The process of salary disbursal for May began on Monday. The money is being kept in sacks ferried on wheel-barrows and given to employees in pouches. "Of the total salary amount, a sum of R5,000 is being disbursed at bus depots (R4,000 in currency notes of R20 and R100 and R1,000 in coins). The rest of the salary is going to respective accounts," a bus conductor said. "I got coins of R5,000 as part of my salary. But it becomes difficult to use it. The BEST is a big government body and they have the means to exchange money at some level; we do not have any," a bus driver said.