This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, low-income earners in Sub-Saharan Africa are bearing the brunt of its economic impact. According to a recent survey conducted by GeoPoll, a staggering 60% of employed individuals in the region have not been able to work due to the pandemic, with nearly half unsure if they will have jobs to return to.
Published on July 16, 2020, the survey, which polled 2,500 respondents across five nations, including Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa, found that four out of five individuals reported a decrease in income during the pandemic. The informal sector, which accounts for over 80% of the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa, was particularly hard hit, with 88% of informal sector workers reporting reduced earnings.
"The closure of borders, restrictions on movements, and suspended education and hospitality sectors has wrought financial havoc across the African nations studied, with those in informal employment being hardest hit," said Roxana Elliott, VP Marketing & Content, GeoPoll.
While the lifting of restrictions is unlikely to repair the damage quickly, the survey found that only 57% of previously employed individuals still have work to return to once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Moreover, just 6% of respondents reported having sufficient funds to cover their household expenses for more than five months, with most relying on credit or savings to get by.
As the pandemic continues to take its toll on low-income earners, it is clear that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. "With many sub-Saharan Africans still excluded from borrowing, the impact of the pandemic on income and employment, which has hit the lowest income earners the hardest, will make paying for basic expenses such as food and rent a challenge for millions over the coming months," said Roxana.
