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Politics, Policy, and Inequality in South Africa Under COVID-19

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  • David Francis
  • Imraan Valodia
  • Edward Webster

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated inequalities in South Africa. The question posed in this article is whether the pandemic and its associated responses offer the opportunity for a more egalitarian society in South Africa, or a more intensively unequal society. The future is contested. On the one hand, there is the consolidation of labor displacement, a growth in unemployment, and a deepening of inequality. On the other, there is the possibility of a turning point toward significant advances in the de-commodification of education, health, and transport. But as with much of the Global South, South Africa has relatively high levels of informality compared to the Global North, which has implications for the impact of the pandemic and the structure of the responses.

Suggested Citation

  • David Francis & Imraan Valodia & Edward Webster, 2020. "Politics, Policy, and Inequality in South Africa Under COVID-19," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 9(3), pages 342-355, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:agspub:v:9:y:2020:i:3:p:342-355
    DOI: 10.1177/2277976020970036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aroop Chatterjee & Léo Czajka & Amory Gethin, 2020. "Estimating the Distribution of Household Wealth in South Africa," Working Papers hal-02876974, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anda DAVID & Gibson MUDIRIZA & Joanna GROTTE & Ariane DE LANNOY & Murray LEIBBRANDT, 2023. "Developing a Youth Labour Market Index for South Africa at the sub-national level," Working Paper ba3e7ae3-f112-470b-baa9-9, Agence française de développement.
    2. Vincent Canwat, 2023. "Political economy of COVID-19: windows of opportunities and contestations in East Africa," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.

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