South African VP urges citizens to take advantage of pandemic to boost domestic economy
South Africa should use the global COVID-19 pandemic as a motivation to boost its domestic economy, said deputy president David Mabuza.
Mabuza made the remarks in response to written questions from the National Council of Provinces.
“It is a reality that trade globally has been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is upon us to strategically use this challenge to grow our domestic economy and prepare citizens to be able to take up opportunities that may arise as global conditions for trade and investment are eased, including investing in the expansion of the country’s e-commerce capacity,” he said.
Like many countries around the world, South Africa’s economy has taken a big hit due to the health crisis that has forced governments to impose restrictive measures in efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
South Africa is the worst affected country by the pandemic in Africa, having reported 529,877 confirmed infections and 9,298 deaths.
The South African government imposed one of the strictest lockdown in late March, only allowing grocery stores, pharmacies and essential service suppliers to operate. The restrictions have been eased gradually, but the government urged citizens to remain vigilant in the fight against the disease.
