Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa

The spread of COVID-19 over the span of over two year is a strong testament to the fact that we live in a truly integrated global community. The estimation of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is at an early stage but is significant, even catastrophic, for many emerging economies. The pr...

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Main Authors: Nkosivile Madinga, James Lappeman, Deon Nel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate 2022-04-01
Series:African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://137.158.157.31/index.php/ajims/article/view/940
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author Nkosivile Madinga
James Lappeman
Deon Nel
author_facet Nkosivile Madinga
James Lappeman
Deon Nel
author_sort Nkosivile Madinga
collection DOAJ
description The spread of COVID-19 over the span of over two year is a strong testament to the fact that we live in a truly integrated global community. The estimation of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is at an early stage but is significant, even catastrophic, for many emerging economies. The precise economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the measures taken by the South African government to mitigate the transmission of the virus is still unknown, and the effect of COVID-19 on South African businesses has not yet been widely reported in the literature. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the Western Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 1694 business executives in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The findings show how businesses in different industries, and of all sizes, adapted their business models to the changing environmental conditions within a short period. The results indicate that the crisis is causing major business changes, including loss of revenue, work-from-home arrangements, bridging finance, restructuring debt, retrenchment and closing of businesses. In addition, the crisis has led to a tentative digitalization.
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spelling doaj.art-ad88e401380e4f6a9086a2258a9031002022-12-22T01:52:18ZengResearch and Postgraduate Support DirectorateAfrican Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies2663-45972663-45892022-04-0141Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South AfricaNkosivile Madinga0James Lappeman1Deon Nel2University of Cape Town, South AfricaUniversity of Cape Town, South AfricaUniversity of Cape Town, South Africa The spread of COVID-19 over the span of over two year is a strong testament to the fact that we live in a truly integrated global community. The estimation of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is at an early stage but is significant, even catastrophic, for many emerging economies. The precise economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the measures taken by the South African government to mitigate the transmission of the virus is still unknown, and the effect of COVID-19 on South African businesses has not yet been widely reported in the literature. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the Western Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 1694 business executives in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The findings show how businesses in different industries, and of all sizes, adapted their business models to the changing environmental conditions within a short period. The results indicate that the crisis is causing major business changes, including loss of revenue, work-from-home arrangements, bridging finance, restructuring debt, retrenchment and closing of businesses. In addition, the crisis has led to a tentative digitalization. https://137.158.157.31/index.php/ajims/article/view/940COVID-19 pandemiceconomic impactcrisis managementgovernmentinterventions
spellingShingle Nkosivile Madinga
James Lappeman
Deon Nel
Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies
COVID-19 pandemic
economic impact
crisis management
government
interventions
title Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
title_full Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
title_fullStr Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
title_short Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa
title_sort coping with crisis a regional study on the impact of the covid 19 pandemic on consumer facing businesses in south africa
topic COVID-19 pandemic
economic impact
crisis management
government
interventions
url https://137.158.157.31/index.php/ajims/article/view/940
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AT deonnel copingwithcrisisaregionalstudyontheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconconsumerfacingbusinessesinsouthafrica