Effects Of Government COVID-19 Regulations In South Africa

Abstract

Covid-19 has introduced a new normal for everyone globally. This pandemic has affected the lives of all people regardless of race, economic status, education status, or religious belief. South Africa had to follow the queue on other countries to stop the spread of the virus. The South African government introduced regulations to save the lives of the people and to stop excessive infections. These regulations were designed specifically to address the impact of the pandemic. This is a new normal and these regulations are new, therefore, few studies address the effect of government regulations on the daily lives of the people. The objective of this study is to show the effects of government Covid-19 regulations on the daily lives of the people. Further, the effect is discussed from the economic angle particularly in the working class and the poor. In general, discussions are for the effects of regulations on all economic classes. This study applied secondary research methodology to reach conclusions because the data is available on various platforms such as newspaper articles, all forms of media, and government platforms. This study found that the regulations have contributed to saving the lives of people however, many people suffered economically, small businesses collapsed, people lost employment, poverty rate went up. This had implications in the overall economy of the country which also affects the interest rates and economic rating of the country. South Africa as a developing country finds it hard to recover from the economic loss that was caused by Covid-19 regulations and the inactivity of the economy.