Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/248327 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2021/113
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe economic consequences in Southern Africa, resulting in an unprecedented decline in production and employment. Similar policy responses have emerged across the region, centred on temporary and inadequate relief for workers and businesses; very limited fiscal and monetary stimulus efforts; and vague and under-resourced commitments to accelerate industrialization and infrastructure investment. Responses to the pandemic recession have underscored the region's limited power on global financial markets, which has constrained both relief programmes and fiscal policy. Moreover, limited manufacturing capacity in most countries has meant that increased infrastructure and industry investment could just fuel imports. Limited policy responses have also reflected the depth of inequality in Southern Africa. Both businesses and policy-makers could largely protect themselves from the pandemic's economic and health impacts. That made them less likely to act urgently or decisively to address the consequences for less-privileged groups.
Subjects: 
Southern Africa
case studies
COVID-19
economic policy
development policy
JEL: 
N17
N57
O23
Q34
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9267-053-5
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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