South Africa retailers feel pain from coronavirus pandemic
A South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier commands a man to wear a face mask inside a supermarket in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, on May 1, 2020, during a joint patrol with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
South Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, went into strict lockdown at the end of March, with people only allowed to shop for essential items such as food, medicine and winter clothing.
Restrictions have been gradually rolled back since June. Alcohol and tobacco sales were allowed to resume this week and, generally, business is now almost back to normal.
Since the start of lockdown, South Africa's second-largest supermarket chain Pick n Pay has had to budget for protective equipment, a voluntary severance programme taken by 1,400 of its 9,000 employees and bonuses for front-line workers.
Johannesburg,
South Africa's retail industry is feeling the pain from the coronavirus pandemic on two fronts -- store closures during lockdown and the sharply reduced purchasing power of households.
