Unemployment and the subsequent loss of income remain key concerns for
South Africans and have a direct impact on food security, research by Ask
Afrika has shown.
It found that food security at a household level is low, and that one in
three adults went to bed hungry as they did not have enough food to eat in
their homes. A fifth of respondents lost weight during the Covid-19 lockdown
period because of a lack of food.
Food security is not only a concern for vulnerable communities, with
half of those in suburbs or metro areas noting that they are concerned about
the amount of food in their homes. Nearly 40% of adults in these areas also
reduced their portion sizes or meal frequencies due to a limited amount of food
in the home.
Qualitative feedback from the Ask Afrika Covid-19
Passageways results indicated that, at the onset of the lockdown, adults would
start eating less, or only once a day, in order to ration the amount of food
for the duration of the lockdown.
Ask Africa has been conducting weekly research since the beginning of
the coronavirus lockdown on 26 March. The main aim of the research is to
understand the socioeconomic impact the coronavirus lockdown and the gradual
reopening of the economy has on South Africans.
Over the past six weeks, quantitative research was done using a
10-minute questionnaire administered in English. A total of 2 446 interviews
were conducted and the quota structure aligned with the proportions of the
general South African population. The results for Week 6 were obtained from 4
to 10 May.
Borrowing money from friends, family
According to the survey, unemployment and the subsequent loss of income
remain key concerns and have a direct impact on food security. Many people will
not have the financial means to continue paying their rent or bonds, should the
current financial situation persist.
A large proportion of people are borrowing money from friends, family,
employers, or mashonisas (loans sharks).
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa had R1.75 trillion in
outstanding debt, and 25.7 million South Africans had a credit card, personal,
vehicle, home or retail loan.
High unemployment and low incomes force many people to take on debt to
maintain their daily living expenses, which drives many into unmanageable debt.
Further to this, four in 10 respondents made financial arrangements with
institutions for later payment, and 21% applied for a payment holiday.
A third of people are no longer able to pay their rent due to the
lockdown; another 34% will stop paying within three months.
Emotional well-being of South Africans is low
The highest fear remains the contraction of a severe form of the
coronavirus. Social distress remains high, with three in four people showing
concern about the livelihoods of their friends and family.
Exercise as a stress release: The relaxation of exercise restrictions
has given many people the opportunity to exercise outside of their homes, and
up to 50% of respondents have taken advantage of this.
Exercising outside gave them the opportunity to lower their levels of
stress, anxiety and other negative emotional states. Many respondents feel that
the exercise restrictions do not make sense, and that it will not keep South
Africans safe.
Nearly 50% of people observed high levels of congregation in public
spaces from 06:00 to 09:00 and believe that the restrictions should be relaxed
due to the high level of congregation.
Education is very inconsistent across communities: Role confusion
contributes to this sense of social distress, and nearly 60% of parents
experience increased levels of stress because of double roles at home,
including working and assisting their children with schoolwork during the day.
Many parents note that their children do not have the resources to
assist with schooling at home. Up to a third of parents note that their
educational facility did not make any arrangements with them to continue the
curriculum while staying at home.
A large proportion of parents agree that their children should repeat
the school year in 2021 as too much time has been lost due to the pandemic.
Concerns about their children’s education and being left behind are high.
How does Covid-19 affect South Africans’ emotional response?
After six weeks, about a quarter of citizens said that they were
“managing”, down from 52% in the first week. Levels of optimism are
now close to zero, after almost seven weeks of lockdown.
Young people show the highest levels of fear, depression, and
discouragement. Respondents older than 65 are the least likely to experience
depression and are the most comfortable.
Social distress remains high among respondents. Most people miss social
interactions, and long for engagement with friends and family. A large
proportion of people feel anxious most of the time and experience role
confusion, which contributes to social distress.
The fear of actually contracting the coronavirus jumped by 14% since 1
April and remains the biggest concern for many people, the survey has found. Further
to this, people are fearful that family members may contract the virus when
they go to work or the shops.
While concerns about contracting the virus remain the highest fear, the
fear of unemployment has tripled over the lockdown period.
Perceptions on how the government can assist township and rural
communities
The need for food parcels has dropped by 17% in three weeks. The need
for grants has risen. The need for education awareness is also on the rise.
Most importantly, it needs to be explained, in the different official
languages, how the virus came about and how to prevent getting sick and why the
government is taking drastic measures.
Many of the people in South Africa don’t understand how the virus came
about and why certain laws have been put in place. Consequently, they are not
obeying regulations.
People are also conflicted about the partial economic reopening: 35%
believe the gradual reopening will help contain the virus, while an equal
number (37%) will not comply with regulations if the country moved back to
Level 5.
‘Academic year should be repeated’
Seven weeks into lockdown, nearly half of all children have inadequate
or no teaching access. Parents struggle with home schooling and about half have
no resources or skills to help their children.
In addition, childcare is a paradoxical dilemma for parents. While half
don’t have childcare, they also don’t trust childcare facilities to open.
Parents significantly struggle in trying to home school and entertain
their children. Staggeringly, nearly two-thirds of parents think that the 2020
academic year should be repeated.
Read the latest report here:
Ask Afrika COVID Week 6 TOPLINE[1].pdf
The Ask Afrika COVID-19 Tracker Week 6 results (4 – 10 May 2020). Unpacking the significant social change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 1. 1. Executive Summary ©Ask Afrika 2020. 2. Executive Summary of Factors influencing our Emotional Wellbeing Emotional wellbeing of South Africans is low * …
