As South Africa’s labour landscape evolves, more workers are being hired on permanent, fixed-term, or freelance contracts but many don’t fully understand how these choices affect their rights. While permanent roles typically offer stronger legal protection, benefits, and job security, fixed-term and freelance arrangements can come with flexibility but also potential risks if misused. Today, we’re unpacking what these different contracts really mean in practice, and what every worker should know before signing, with insights from a labour expert, Rorisang Makoele.