5 years since Covid-19 landed in SA – Has the South African economy fully recovered?

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GUEST – Duma Gqubule is research associate at the Social Policy Initiative.
It has been five years since South Africa, like the rest of the world, went into lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19. The economic impact was swift and severe, with businesses shutting down, job losses mounting, and GDP plummeting. While the country has since reopened and economic activity has resumed, the question remains—has South Africa’s economy fully recovered? In this interview, we take a closer look at the state of the economy today, the sectors that have bounced back, those still struggling, and the lasting effects of the pandemic.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African economy has shown signs of recovery, reaching pre-pandemic challenges including high unemployment, inequality, and vulnerabilities to external economic shocks.
6 Mar 2025 6AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

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