COVID-19 Africa Watch is tracking a variety of policy developments across Africa.
This page will be updated frequently to reflect new policy announcements. We also welcome updates and corrections from readers. Please send input via this form.
By the end of April, more than 25 African nations had declared a state of emergency or state of disaster. Many did so before even one case of COVID-19 was confirmed.
| Country | Type of emergency declaration | Date of Announcement | Number of Confirmed Cases (Cumulative) on Date | Link to Announcement / Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | State of Emergency | 3/25/2020 | 2 | Source |
| Botswana | Public Health Emergency *on April 10 (13 confirmed cases) the President declared a national State of Emergency | 3/31/2020 | 13 | Declaration of State of Emergency (Video: Public Health Emergency), Declaration of State of Emergency (Presidential Declaration) |
| Burkina Faso | Public Health State of Alert | 3/26/2020 | 114 | Declaration of Public Health State of Alert |
| Cabo Verde | State of Emergency | 3/28/2020 | 5 | Source |
| Cote d'Ivoire | State of Emergency | 3/23/2020 | 25 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| DRC | State of Emergency | 3/24/2020 | 26 | Source |
| Egypt | State of Emergency (Extension) | 4/19/2020 | 3032 | Source |
| Equatorial Guinea | State of Emergency | 3/22/2020 | 6 | Source |
| Eswatini | State of Disaster | 3/27/2020 | 6 | Regulations Announced under the Disaster Management Act (2006) |
| Ethiopia | State of Emergency | 4/08/2020 | 82 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| Gabon | State of Emergency | 4/10/2020 | 57 | Source |
| Gambia | State of Emergency | 3/21/2020 | 1 | Public Emergency Announcement |
| Guinea | State of Emergency | 3/27/2020 | 5 | Source |
| Guinea Bissau | State of Emergency | 3/27/2020 | 2 | Source |
| Lesotho | State of Emergency | 3/18/2020 | 0 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| Liberia | Public Health Emergency *on April 8 (14 confirmed cases) the President declared a national State of Emergency | 3/21/2020 | 3 | Declaration of Health Emergency, Presidential Address |
| Madagascar | Public Health Emergency | 3/21/2020 | 3 | Source |
| Malawi | State of Disaster | 3/20/2020 | 0 | Declaration of State of Disaster |
| Morocco | Public Health Emergency | 3/23/2020 | 115 | Government Bulletin |
| Mozambique | State of Emergency | 3/27/2020 | 7 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| Namibia | State of Emergency | 3/18/2020 | 2 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| Niger | State of Emergency | 3/27/2020 | 10 | Declaration of State of Emergency |
| Republic of Congo | Public Health Emergency | 3/28/2020 | 19 | Source |
| Senegal | State of Emergency | 3/24/2020 | 79 | Source |
| Sierra Leone | State of Emergency | 3/25/2020 | 0 | Source |
| South Africa | State of Disaster | 3/15/2020 | 24 | Declaration of National Disaster |
| Sudan | State of Emergency | 3/16/2020 | 1 | Source |
| Togo | Public Health Emergency | 4/01/2020 | 34 | Presidential Address |
| Zimbabwe | State of Disaster | 3/23/2020 | 2 | Declaration of State of Disaster |
Last updated on May 5, 2020.
Sources: See links in table.
By the end of April, the majority of African governments had announced either an economic stimulus package or new federal healthcare spending in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a best-effort attempt to compare spending announcements across countries, the table below provides announced stimulus figures as converted to U.S. dollars and as a percentage of GDP; and new healthcare spending in U.S. dollar values and then also as a percentage of total government expenditures, based on 2018 figures from the IMF’s World Economic Outlook database. In at least one case (Rwanda), healthcare spending is included within the announced stimulus package figure, though we made efforts to distinguish between health spending on preparedness and mitigation from economic stimulus packages.
FX rates have fluctuated greatly since the beginning of the pandemic. For the purposes of this table, conversions have been made to U.S. dollars using FX rates from April 4, 2020. This was the day the cumulative total of confirmed cases across Africa passed 10,000.
| Country | Announced Stimulus Package (US$ million) *excludes new healthcare spending | Announced Domestic Stimulus Pacakge (% of GDP) | Announced New Covid-19 Response Healthcare Spending (US$ million) | New Covid-19 Response Healthcare Spending (% of General Government Total Expenditure) | GDP Current Prices (US$ billion, 2018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana | 163.1 | 0.88 | 40.8 | 0.83 | 18.62 |
| Cabo Verde | 19.5 | 0.99 | 0.7 | 0.13 | 1.98 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 1,350.0 | 3.14 | 158.1 | 1.69 | 43.05 |
| Egypt | 6,345.2 | 2.54 | 241.1 | 0.28 | 249.56 |
| Ethiopia | 1640 | 2.04 | 9.1 | 0.08 | 80.29 |
| Gabon | 417 | 2.47 | 6.6 | 0.25 | 16.88 |
| Ghana | 210 | 0.32 | 100 | 0.89 | 65.52 |
| Guinea | 290.0 | 2.4 | 47.0 | 2.58 | 12.1 |
| Malawi | 50.0 | 0.72 | 20.0 | 1.06 | 6.9 |
| Mauritius | 173.9 | 1.22 | 5.2 | 0.17 | 14.21 |
| Morocco | 3,200.3 | 2.70 | - | - | 118.53 |
| Namibia | 419.9 | 2.89 | - | - | 14.51 |
| Niger | 688.2 (still in planning stage) | 7.40 | 2.4 | 0.10 | 9.3 |
| Nigeria | 1,400 | 0.35 | 20.4 | 0.04 | 398.19 |
| Republic of Congo | 170 | 1.46 | 1.4 | 0.06 | 11.66 |
| Rwanda | 142.7 | 1.50 | - | Fiscal stimulus figure includes healthcare spending | 9.51 |
| Senegal | 1,950.6 | 8.30 | 107.1 | 2.24 | 23.5 |
| South Africa | 37,781.7 | 10.26 | - | - | 368.14 |
| Togo | 130 | 2.43 | - | - | 5.36 |
| Tunisia | 827.6 | 2.07 | 34.5 | 0.31 | 39.9 |
| Zambia | 141.9 | 0.53 | 35.4 | 0.86 | 26.72 |
| Angola | - | - | 40 | 0.41 | 105.9 |
| Benin | - | - | 17 | 0.79 | 14.27 |
| Burundi | - | - | 26 | 3.58 | 3.44 |
| Cameroon | - | - | 100.0 (estimated costs of emergency health plan) | 1.50 | 38.71 |
| CAR | - | - | 44.5 | 13.11 | 2.28 |
| Chad | - | - | 24.7 | 1.83 | 11.05 |
| DRC | - | - | 135 | 2.70 | 47.1 |
| Equatorial Guinea | - | - | 9.6 | 0.07 | 13.73 |
| Eswatini | - | - | 5.3 | 0.45 | 4.71 |
| Gambia | - | - | 18.8 | 5.63 | 1.63 |
| Guinea-Bissau | - | - | 0.5 | 0.18 | 1.43 |
| Kenya | - | - | 377.2 | 0.43 | 87.93 |
| Lesotho | - | - | 36.9 | 4.00 | 2.71 |
| Liberia | - | - | 25 | 3.59 | 3.25 |
| Libya | - | - | 354.6 | 1.01 | 40.95 |
| Mali | - | - | 56.0 | 1.77 | 17.18 |
| Mauritania | - | - | 80.0 | 5.93 | 5.24 |
| Mozambique | - | - | 49.4 | 1.21 | 14.4 |
| Seychelles | - | - | 68.9 | 14.75 | 1.58 |
| Sudan | - | - | 120.0 (estimated costs of emergency health plan) | 3.22 | 34.28 |
| Uganda | - | - | 1.3 | 0.02 | 28.17 |
| Zimbabwe | - | - | 26.4 | 0.50 | 21 |
Last updated on May 7, 2020.
Sources: National policy statements and press releases, the IMF’s COVID-19 Policy Tracker, IMF Press Releases, the World Bank’s Operational Response Project List, and (for GDP and government expenditure statistics) the IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019.
Note on exchange rates used: Source figures in local currency were converted to U.S. dollars based the April 4, 2020, exchange rate, using Google/Morningstar or xe.com.
See also: IGC’s COVID-19 policy response tracker.
By early May, over twenty African central banks had reduced the central bank policy rates, and over thirty had announced policy measures in response to the economic and market effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Country | Announced Monetary Policy Measures | Current Policy rate (%) | Policy Rate Reduction (in response to COVID-19) (%) | Date of Last Policy Update | Number of Confirmed Cases (Cumulative) on Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Banque d'Algeria reduced its policy rate by 25 bps to 3.00 percent on April 30, 2020. This was the second rate cut in response to COVID-19, following a previous reduction from 3.50 to 3.25 on March 15. | 3.00 | 0.50 | 4/30/2020 | 3848 |
| Angola | Banco Nacional de Angola maintained the policy rate and established a special liqudity facility in the amount of Kz100 billion. | 15.50 | - | 4/03/2020 | 19 |
| Benin Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Guinea-Bissau Mali Niger Senegal Togo | The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) increased available resources to banks to FCFA 4.750 billion, extended the collateral framework for 1,700 prequalified companies, and announced various credit refinancing frameworks. It also provided FCFA 25 billion in subsidies to the West African Development Bank (BOAD). On March 27, the BCEAO decided to maintain the policy rate at 2.5 percent. | 2.50 | - | 4/03/2020 | 2297 * *BCEAO member total |
| Botswana | The Bank of Botswana reduced the policy rate by 50 bps to 4.25 percent, and reduced the primary reserve requirement from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. | 4.25 | 0.50 | 4/30/2020 | 23 |
| Cabo Verde | The Banco de Cabo Verde reduced the policy rate by 125 basis points to 0.25 percent and also reduced banks' reserve requirement rates. | 0.25 | 1.25 | 4/01/2020 | 10 |
| Cameroon CAR Chad Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon | The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) reduced the policy rate from 3.5 percent to 3.25 percent, decreased the Marginal Lending Facility rate from 6 percent to 5 percent, and increased liquidity provisions to FCFA 500 billion. | 3.25 | 0.25 | 3/27/2020 | 1084 * *BEAC member total |
| DRC | The Banque Centrale du Congo lowered the policy rate from 9 percent to 7.5 percent and announced a number of additional response measures to ensure market stability and increase liquidity. | 7.50 | 1.50 | 3/24/2020 | 254 |
| Egypt | The Central Bank of Egypt announced an extensive debt relief program targeting the tourism and SME sectors and reduced the policy rate by 300 basis points to 9.75 percent. | 9.75 | 3.00 | 4/02/2020 | 2350 |
| Eswatini | The Central Bank of Eswatini reduced the policy rate by 100 basis points to 4.5 percent on April 15, 2020. This was the second rate cut, following a previous reduction from 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent on March 20. | 4.50 | 2.00 | 4/15/2020 | 15 |
| Ethiopia | The National Bank of Ethiopia took steps to encourage the broader use of mobile banking in the country and announced a BIRR15 billion liquidity facility. | NA | - | 3/31/2020 | 82 |
| Gambia | On February 27, 2020, in anticipation of the global economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, the Central Bank of The Gambia reduced the policy rate to 12 percent. | 12.00 | 0.50 | 2/27/2020 | 9 |
| Ghana | The Bank of Ghana lowered the key rate from 16 percent to 14.5 percent and bank reserve requirement to 8 percent to support the financial sector. | 14.50 | 1.50 | 3/18/2020 | 636 |
| Kenya | The Central Bank of Kenya reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points to 7.00 percent on April 29, 2020. This was the second rate cut, following a previous reduction from 8.25 to 7.25 on March 24. | 7.00 | 1.25 | 4/29/2020 | 374 |
| Lesotho | On April 14, 2020, the Central Bank of Lesotho announced the further reduction of the policy rate by 100 basis points, from 5.25 percent to 4.25 percent. This was the second rate cut, following the March 23 reduction from 6.25 percent. | 4.25 | 2.00 | 4/14/2020 | 0 |
| Liberia | On March 24, 2020, the Central Bank of Liberia decided maintain the policy rate at 30 percent, but has made policy changes to encourage mobile money transactions and to alleviate repayment pressures for borrowers in affected sectors, among other measures | 30.00 | - | 3/24/2020 | 59 |
| Madagascar | The Central Bank of Madagascar provided a A420 billion liquidity injection to the market and took steps to encourage the use of mobile money, among other measures. | 9.50 | - | 3/25/2020 | 110 |
| Malawi | The Reserve Bank of Malawi maintained the policy rate at 13.5 percent and announced it will inject K12 billion into Malawi's banks and reduce the Lombard rate (interest rate charged by central bank) by 50%, to 0.2% above the policy rate on April 9. | 13.5 | - | 4/09/2020 | 16 |
| Mauritania | The Central Bank of Mauritania reduced the key policy rate to 5 percent and established a currency swap facility to prevent exchange rate fluctuation. | 5.00 | 1.50 | 3/24/2020 | 7 |
| Mauritius | The Bank of Mauritius reduced the Key Repo Rate to 1.85 percent on April 16. This was the second rate cut, following a previous reduction from 3.35 percent to 2.85 percent on March 10. | 1.85 | 1.50 | 4/16/2020 | 324 |
| Morocco | Bank Al Maghrib reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points to 2 percent and announced other policy response measures, including liquidity facilities targeting both local and foreign currency supplies. | 2.00 | 0.25 | 3/19/2020 | 1888 |
| Mozambique | Banco de Moçambique reduced the main monetary policy rate by 150 basis points to 11.25 percent on April 16, 2020. | 11.25 | 1.50 | 4/16/2020 | 29 |
| Namibia | The Bank of Namibia reduced the policy rate to 4.25 percent on April 15, 2020. This was the second rate cut in response to COVID-19, following a previous reduction from 6.25 percent to 5.25 percent on March 20. | 4.25 | 2.00 | 4/15/2020 | 16 |
| Nigeria | The Central Bank of Nigeria kept its policy rate at 13.5 percent and liquidity ratio at 30 percent, but created an N50 billion targeted credit facility took other measures to inject liquidity into the banking system. | 13.5 | - | 4/01/2020 | 343 |
| Rwanda | The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) reduced the policy interest rate by 50 bps to 4.5 percent on April 29, 2020. Previously, the BNR had announced a RWF 50 billion liquidity facility for banks and lowered the reserve requirement ratio by 100 basis points to 4 percent, among other measures. | 4.50 | 0.50 | 4/29/2020 | 212 |
| Seychelles | The Central Bank of Seychelles provided a US$36 million emergency credit facility for the financial sector and cut the policy rate by 100 basis points to 4 percent, among other measures. | 4.00 | 1.00 | 3/25/2020 | 11 |
| Sierra Leone | The Bank of Sierra Leone set up Le 500 billion dedicated loan fund for the private sector and lowered the policy rate by 150 basis points to 15 percent, among other measures. | 15.00 | 1.50 | 3/18/2020 | 11 |
| South Africa | The South African Reserve Bank again reduced the policy rate from 5.25 percent to 4.25 percent, effective April 15, 2020 to support the market liquidity. This was the second rate cut in response to COVID-19, following the reduction to 5.25 percent on March 25. | 4.25 | 2.00 | 4/14/2020 | 2415 |
| Tunisia | The Central Bank of Tunisia reduced the policy rate by 100 basis points to 6.75% and provided credit guarantees in the amount of TND500 million, among other measures. | 6.75 | 1.00 | 4/10/2020 | 747 |
| Uganda | The Bank of Uganda decided to reduce the policy rate by 100 basis points to 8 percent on April 6, 2020, and took other measures in response to the economic impact of COVID-19. | 8.00 | 1.00 | 4/06/2020 | 54 |
| Zambia | Among other measures, the Bank of Zambia announced the establishment of a refinancing facility in the amount of K10 billion, revised loan classifications, and urged commercial banks to waive bank transaction fees. | 11.50 | - | 4/03/2020 | 45 |
| Zimbabwe | The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe further reduced the policy rate to 15 percent with effect from May 1, 2020. The Reserve Bank initially reduced the policy rate from 35 to 25 percent on April 2, 2020. | 15.00 | 20.00 | 5/1/2020 | 34 |
Last updated on May 7, 2020.
Sources: Central bank websites, monetary policy statements, and press releases.
See also: The IMF COVID-19 Policy Tracker.
By April 2, 2020, all African countries but two (Burundi and the Republic of Congo) had closed schools to slow the spread of COVID-19. These closures mean around 250 million students are currently out of school.
| Country | Date of Closure | Number of Confirmed Cases (Cumulative) on Date | Planned Date to Reopen (initial announcement) | Approx. number of primary school students affected | Approx. number of primary secondary students affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 3/12/2020 | 20 | 4/5/2020 | 4.4 million | Data unavailable |
| Angola | 3/24/2020 | 2 | 4/8/2020 | 5.6 million | 2.1 million |
| Benin | 3/28/2020 | 6 | NA | 2.2 million | 1.7 million |
| Botswana | 3/23/2020 | 0 | Until further notice | 350,000 | Data unavailable |
| Burkina Faso | 3/16/2020 | 3 | 4/30/2020 | 3.2 million | 1.3 million |
| Burundi | No school closure, as of April 6 | - | - | 2.2 million | 700,000 |
| Cabo Verde | 3/25/2020 | 3 | NA | 70,000 | 55,000 |
| Cameroon | 3/18/2020 | 10 | Until further notice | 4.4 million | 2.2 million |
| Central African Republic | 4/2/2020 | 8 | Until further notice | 800,000 | 150,000 |
| Chad | 3/20/2020 | 1 | Until further notice | 950,000 | 500,000 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 3/16/2020 | 4 | 4/15/2020 | 3.9 million | 2.1 million |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3/31/2020 | 98 | NA | 13.5 million | 4.4 million |
| Djibouti | 3/23/2020 | 1 | 4/9/2020 | 70,000 | 65,000 |
| Egypt | 3/15/2020 | 93 | 3/30/2020 | 12.6 million | 9.1 million |
| Equatorial Guinea | 3/18/2020 | 1 | Until further notice | 100,000 | Data unavailable |
| Eritrea | 3/30/2020 | 12 | Until further notice | 350,000 | 260,000 |
| Eswatini | 3/24/2020 | 4 | 4/14/2020 | 250,000 | 110,000 |
| Ethiopia | 3/16/2020 | 4 | 15.04.2020 | 16.2 million | 5.1 million |
| Gabon | 3/14/2020 | 1 | 3/30/2020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Gambia | 3/18/2020 | 1 | 4/8/2020 | 350,000 | Data unavailable |
| Ghana | 3/15/2020 | 2 | Until further notice | 4.4 million | 2.7 million |
| Guinea | Schools closed nationwide (date NA) | NA | NA | 1.8 million | 750,000 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Schools closed nationwide (date NA) | NA | NA | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Kenya | 3/15/2020 | 1 | 3/30/2020 | 8.5 million | Data unavailable |
| Lesotho | 3/19/2020 | 0 | 4/17/2020 | 370,000 | 150,000 |
| Liberia | 3/17/2020 | 1 | 4/1/2020 | 650,000 | 250,000 |
| Libya | 3/16/2020 | 0 | 3/30/2020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Madagascar | 3/23/2020 | 3 | Until further notice | 4.9 million | 1.6 million |
| Malawi | 3/23/2020 | 0 | Until further notice | 4.4 million | 1.1 million |
| Mali | 3/19/2020 | 0 | 4/8/2020 | 2.5 million | 1.1 million |
| Mauritania | 3/15/2020 | 1 | 3/23/2020 | 650,000 | 250,000 |
| Mauritius | 3/19/2020 | 0 | Until further notice | 90,000 | 130,000 |
| Morocco | 3/16/2020 | 28 | Until further notice | 4.3 million | 2.9 million |
| Mozambique | 3/23/2020 | 1 | 4/23/2020 | 6.6 million | 1.3 million |
| Namibia | 3/16/2020 | 2 | 4/16/2020 | 500,000 | Data unavailable |
| Niger | 3/20/2020 | 0 | 4/6/2020 | 2.6 million | 800,000 |
| Nigeria | 3/26/2020 | 50 | Until further notice | 25.6 million | 10.5 million |
| Republic of Congo | No school closure, as of April 6 | - | - | Data unavailable | 90,000 |
| Rwanda | 3/16/2020 | 5 | Until further notice | 2.5 million | 700,000 |
| Sao Tome & Principe | 3/19/2020 | NA | Until further notice | 40,000 | 30,000 |
| Senegal | 3/14/2020 | 19 | 4/6/2020 | 2.2 million | 1.1 million |
| Seychelles | 3/20/2020 | 6 | 4/6/2020 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Sierra Leone | 4/1/2020 | 1 | Until further notice | 1.4 million | 500,000 |
| Somalia | 3/19/2020 | 1 | 4/6/2020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| South Africa | 3/16/2020 | 51 | 4/16/2020 | 7.6 million | 5.1 million |
| South Sudan | 3/20/2020 | NA | 5/5/2020 | Data unavailable | 70,000 |
| Sudan | 3/15/2020 | 1 | 4/13/2020 | 4.9 million | 2.2 million |
| Tanzania | 3/17/2020 | 1 | 4/16/2020 | 10.1 million | 1.9 million |
| Togo | 3/20/2020 | 1 | Until further notice | 1.5 million | 750,000 |
| Tunisia | 3/14/2020 | 16 | Until further notice | 1.2 million | 1.1 million |
| Uganda | 3/18/2020 | 0 | 4/20/2020 | 8.9 million | Data unavailable |
| Zambia | 3/20/2020 | 2 | Until further notice | 3.1 million | Data unavailable |
| Zimbabwe | 3/24/2020 | 2 | 4/19/2020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Last updated on April 6, 2020.
Sources: The Center for Global Development’s Open-Access School Closure Database, UNESCO’s Global Monitoring of School Closures, and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS).
Note on school enrollment data: For many countries, school enrollment data are incomplete or out of date. The UIS data in the table are from 2018 or the latest year available—as far back as 2013 for Zambian primary schools, 2014 for Guinean secondary schools and for primary and secondary schools in the DRC and Kenya, 2015 for Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan (primary and secondary), and so on. Rounding decisions were made in favor of rounding up, due to population growth and ongoing improvement in school attendance in recent years.
A hub for information, analysis, and the global response to COVID-19’s impact on Africa
Nationwide Social Distancing Measures
Many African government have acted quickly—even before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in their countries—to implement nationwide social distancing measures.
Table: Social Distancing Measures in Place Across Africa in Response to COVID-19
*curfew extended on April 4 (1,251 confirmed cases)
*lockdown extended on April 10 (314 confirmed cases)
*Lockdown extended on April 14 (16 confirmed cases)
*Stay-at-home lockdowns began in Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun states on March 30 (96 confirmed cases nationwide) and were extended on April 14
(343 confirmed cases)
*Lockdown extended on April 9 (1,845 confirmed cases)
*lockdown was extended on April 14 (54 confirmed cases)
Last updated on April 17, 2020.
Sources: See links in table.
See also: ICNL’s COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker