News & Analysis: South Africa
“The country is now preparing to go on lockdown from March 26; however, South Africa’s notorious disparity in living standards could impede the government’s attempts to flatten the curve and avoid a health crisis.”
“The COVID-19 crisis is first and foremost a health and humanitarian crisis that we are all living through, which is likely to have lasting impacts on how we live. It is also likely to have a lasting impact, in the long term, on how we conduct our economic lives. In the short term, we need to urgently consider how we manage the economic impacts in a way that does the least long-term harm.”
“In South Africa - which declared a national state of disaster because of the pandemic last week - the working classes are navigating how to avoid contamination on cramped public transport on their way to meagre-paying jobs that often only help them live hand-to-mouth, while the more affluent classes empty large chain stores to stockpile as much food and toilet paper as they can.”
“Rwanda Air, and Air Mauritius are among airlines that have suspended flights to China. Morocco has suspended all international flights to and from its territory “until further notice” and Kenya Airways also suspended flights to countries affected by the virus… African airlines have recorded a loss of up to $4.4 billion in revenue since the virus surfaced.”
“Our study found that awareness of the new coronavirus outbreak is high across all countries studied, with 94% of all respondents being aware of the recent outbreak. High awareness is expected given high levels of media coverage of coronavirus even before it had impacted the studied countries. Before cases had been confirmed in each country, there had been media coverage of presumptive cases.”
“Economically, the effects have already been felt - demand for Africa’s raw materials and commodities in China has declined and Africa’s access to industrial components and manufactured goods from the region has been hampered. This is causing further uncertainty in a continent already grappling with widespread geopolitical and economic instability.”
A hub for information, analysis, and the global response to COVID-19’s impact on Africa