Tag Archive for: Flatten the Curve

Andrew Stegmann

South African Shoppers Stock Up On Liquor As Sales Resume

South African shoppers filled trolleys with cases of beer and cider and bottles of whiskey and wine on Monday as the government eased the coronavirus lockdown to allow the sale of alcohol to resume after a nine-week ban.

South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita in the world, banned the sale of liquor in late March to ease hospital workloads and prevent a rise in domestic violence related to alcohol abuse during lockdown.

Under looser restrictions, alcohol will be sold for home consumption from Mondays to Thursdays, a welcome relief for an industry on its knees due to the ban.

“There is a significant amount of profit lost, we were losing turnover every day,” Jimmy Constantinou, who has been managing a liquor store in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township for six years, told Reuters inside the busy store.

“It’s obviously good that we’re open again but in terms of business it’s going to take a while to get there.”

An estimated 117,600 jobs have been lost in the industry, with 13-percent of the craft beer sector in the process of shutting, while the wine industry was in severe distress, said Rico Basson, chief executive of Vinpro, a wine industry body.

A few kilometres from the township, more than 100 people snaked around the parking lot of Makro Liquor, owned by Massmart, with bottle store owners loading cases of beer and cider onto pick-up trunks.

Software developer Teboho Mofokeng waited in the queue for more than two hours for his six bottles of whiskey, saying his alcohol stock ran out during lockdown.

“I’ve been without liquor for some time now,” he said. “I’m over-excited and relieved.”

Retailers like Pick n Pay and Shoprite’s Checkers supermarket chain, had allowed customers to place pre-orders online for delivery from Monday.

Some retailers placed limits on purchases, with Checkers limiting online orders to 120 litres per order.

Online alcohol stores and delivery apps were dealing with high volumes of orders after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to further reopen the economy.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].



Andrew Stegmann

South African Home Affairs Approves Essential Travel for South Africans Who Want to Return to Countries Where They Are Based

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has, following consultations with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the National Coronavirus Command Council, approved essential travel for South Africans who want to return to countries where they are based. South Africans who wish to leave the Republic are permitted to depart only for the following reasons: 

  1. Work
  2. Study
  3. Family reunion
  4. Take up permanent residency
  5. Receive medical attention

South Africa, like many countries in the world, has implemented travel restrictions as part of the measures put in place to fight the spread of Covid-19. Travel between countries is allowed in special circumstances. South Africans wishing to return to the countries where they reside should have the following:

  1. A copy of their valid South African passport
  2. A letter confirming their admissibility under the current circumstances from the embassy or other diplomatic/consular representative of the country they want to travel to.
  3. If returning by road or connecting via flights, the proof submitted needs to include permission from each transiting country.
  4. Proof of means of travel such as air or bus tickets and the intended date of departure.

South Africans who fall in these categories and satisfy the criteria can send an email to Covid19travel@dha.gov.za. An email will be sent to travelers who meet the criteria to enable them to proceed with their travel arrangements. People applying as a group can send one email with the supporting documents for each member of the group. For public enquiries, call 0800 60 11 90.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

South Africa Moves to COVID-19 Lock-down Level 3 From 1 June

South Africa’s response to Covid-19 will significantly change under Alert Level 3 as all but high-risk sectors of the economy will be allowed to resume operating.

There was a general assumption under Levels 4 and 5 of the Covid-19 lockdown that almost all economic and social activities were prohibited, except for essential services and low-risk behaviour.

That will flip under Level 3, which President Cyril Ramaphosa announced will be implemented nationwide on 1 June 2020. While significant restrictions on social behaviour will continue, all economic activity except those deemed as high-risk will be allowed to resume.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Monday announced the country had 23,615 cases of Covid-19 and 481 deaths, a jump of 52 fatalities overnight.

The number of infections and deaths will continue to rise, but the rate of infection will now largely depend on how society implements hygiene and distancing guidelines as millions of people return to work and school.

The National Coronavirus Command Council is due to explain the Level 3 regulations in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, but here’s what we know so far.

The economy

As most people will be allowed to return to work, let’s start with the industries that will remain closed.

Restaurants, bars and taverns must stay closed, except for the delivery and collection of food. Conferences, events, entertainment and sporting activities, cinemas, theatres and museums also remain prohibited. Hairdressing, beauty services, gyms and fitness centres must stay shut.

A draft copy of the regulations said domestic workers can get back to work if their employers arrange and pay for private transport.

All other sectors are allowed to resume work. Ramaphosa specifically mentioned the resumption of operations in the manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, professional and business services, information technology, communications, government services and media services sectors. Domestic flights and accommodation will only be allowed for business travel.

If possible, you should continue to work from home. The president said anyone over the age of 60 or who has underlying conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer “should ideally stay at home”.

Employers will have to implement strict physical distancing and hygiene guidelines but, as the partial resumption of the mining industry has shown, where hundreds of infections have recently been recorded, it might be difficult to monitor compliance.

Trade union federation Saftu has accused the government of sacrificing the working class to bolster employers’ profits and warned it may strike against the Level 3 regulations.

Movement

The 8pm to 5am curfew will be scrapped under Level 3 but you should only leave home to go to work, buy goods and obtain services. You can exercise at any time of the day, just not in groups, but visiting family and friends will remain prohibited.

With up to eight million people expected to return to work, all public transport services will be able to resume, including trains, which officials have warned could lead to an increased spread of the virus. People will have to wear masks on taxis and wash their hands or sanitise when getting on or off vehicles. Taxis must be sanitised regularly.

Ramaphosa said there needs to be a partnership between commuters, taxi and bus operators, businesses and government to prevent the spread of the virus on public transport but he said the transport minister would detail how it would work. Businesses have been encouraged to take responsibility for transporting their workers where possible.

The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport has slammed Prasa’s plans for resuming Metrorail services under Level 3. On Monday it said it “could lead to a public transport disaster” as Prasa only planned to open one Metrorail line and its plans for safety and screening “were not reassuring”.

Education

Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners can return to school during Level 3 and higher education institutions can allow up to 33% of students back on campus. It’s still unclear when other students will be allowed to return. Ramaphosa said the 2020 school calendar will be revised to save the school year.

“Strict infection control measures and, where necessary, additional water and sanitation infrastructure are being put in place to enable social distancing, regular hand washing and learner safety,” said Ramaphosa.

Teachers’ union Sadtu has warned that schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo are not ready to open. School staff were supposed to return to work on Monday but the Department of Basic Education has said some teachers could not return as they were still waiting for deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE). There have also been reports of some PPE being stolen from schools.

Crucially, Ramaphosa said concerned parents can choose whether to send their kids to school: “It is understandable that there is some concern about the reopening of schools, and I must stress that no parent will be forced to send their child to school if they are worried about safety.”

Retail

The government was heavily criticised for the restrictions it announced on the sale of clothing under Level 4 of the lockdown and it has chosen to allow all retail activities (even the sale of open-toed shoes) under Level 3. 

You’ll be able to buy alcohol, but only on specified days and in certain hours, which are yet to be announced. The sale of tobacco products remains banned.

Gatherings

The ban on gatherings effectively remains. Funerals can still be held with a maximum of 50 people in attendance and meetings at workplaces are permitted. Religious gatherings remain prohibited, but the government is in discussion with the inter-faith community about how worshipping might be able to safely resume.

Differentiated response

The response to Covid-19 will differ in different areas. Ramaphosa listed various hotspots, defined as five infected people per every 100,000, on Sunday where teams of health experts and emergency personnel will be dispatched to provide increased prevention and care measures. Ramaphosa suggested that stricter regulations could be imposed in the hotspots, but for now, it appears they will still move to Level 3 come 1 June.

“Should it be necessary, any part of the country could be returned to alert Levels 4 or 5 if the spread of infection is not contained despite our interventions and there is a risk of our health facilities being overwhelmed,” said the President.

Level 3 infographics

To view some helpful level 3 infographics from the South African Department of Health, click here.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Ecobank Group and Google Collaborate to Deliver Digital Solutions for SMEs

Ecobank Group, the pan-African Bank, in collaboration with Google is helping to equip African SMEs with the necessary digital skills to navigate the rapidly evolving business world. The aim is to assist African businesses remain relevant and fulfil their potential by embracing digital capabilities.

As a longstanding pioneer in providing cutting-edge digital solutions for African businesses we are delighted to collaborate with Google to offer timely and relevant solutions, including Google My Business and Google Ad products. These are specifically tailored to meet the needs of our SME customers.

Josephine Anan-Ankomah, Ecobank’s Group Executive for Commercial Banking

“Our objective is to be the partner of choice for SMEs, by meaningfully supporting their success and growth. It is therefore a natural step for us to work with Google to help improve the capabilities of our SMEs customers. We are focused on helping them thrive by adopting technology, which is becoming increasingly essential for survival of businesses today.” Added Josephine Anan-Ankomah.

Ecobank’s invaluable eBanking product suite is increasingly relevant in this era of lockdowns and physical distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this robust platform, Ecobank provides 24/7 access to customers, conveniently meeting the evolving cash management, payment and collection needs of businesses. It is essential that African SMEs take full advantage of the commercial opportunities having a digital presence provides. It will ensure comprehensive engagement between SMEs and their customers as well as potential new customers. Ecobank’s digital banking suite, coupled with its collaboration with Google, will empower SMEs to win.

The digital packages are expected to be available to Ecobank’s SMEs customers across sub-Saharan Africa in May 2020.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].