Tag: lockdown

As South Africa prepares to move from level 4 lockdown so more and more companies will be allowed to re-open. As part of this, there are a broad range of legal requirements that organisations now need to comply with. As of the 29th April 2020, government published a set of regulations specifically related to how companies should be managing COVID-19.

Okay, I have decided to nail my colours to the mast on COVID-19. And before you ask… No, I am not an epidemiologist or economist. Nor am I a politician with votes to garner, or a journalist who revels in sensationalism. I am just an opinionated individual with no power other than to express my opinion. And I am angry and saddened and sound it.

The Job Seekers Exemption Certificate (JSEC) idea has been around for a long time. It was first presented to President Thabo Mbeki, who passed it on to the Department of Labour. But nothing was done with it. It seems that it is only when you are unemployed that you can understand that it will be like holding a piece of gold in your hand.

Countless businesses have come to a grinding halt during lockdown and the fear that this will affect their employees on a personal level is very real. Many are struggling to pay their staff and are having to decide whether to implement salary cuts or begin retrenchment processes.

Yes. Now we know that working from home works, many employees will want to keep doing it when the coronavirus crisis fades. Many employers won’t mind because they have already invested in the costs associated with remote working such as cloud set-ups and connectivity and have had some proof that the concept works.

The scale of the national COVID-19 lockdown is unprecedented in living memory. The repercussions – personal, professional, national and international – will reverberate for years to come. As entrepreneurs, we need to be making the right decisions for right now to ensure that our businesses and our people’s livelihoods do not become another casualty of the virus. 

'Anything dead coming back to life hurts'. These words were written by Tony Morrison in her powerful book Beloved. The character was talking about a starkly different scenario, but I believe the principle stands true to our world today. We are very slowly entering a phase of coming back to life.

Tourism is a significant sector. It directly and indirectly supports 8,6% of South Africa’s GDP. Its economic activity encompasses all non-commuter passenger travel, car hire, a wide range of accommodation types, a vast array of activities and attractions, conference centres, retail and restaurants and services such as tour operators, travel agents, conference and event organisers and the like.

As the economy opens up, following the slow phasing out of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, many businesses are returning to work. For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who have lost out on eight weeks of trade, the process of reopening their doors and scaling up production is going to be difficult.

Businesses don’t always have to spend a fortune on advertising to gain exposure in the media during this critical period of lockdown and in future, public relations (PR) can help you drive your key messages and brand on a tight budget. Businesses with limited budgets can capitalise on the lockdown period, and the future, through cost-effective PR and media relations campaigns.