COVID-19 in Africa: socio-economic impact, policy response and opportunities

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and the policy response in African countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses discourse analysis to analyse the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in Africa.

Findings

The findings reveal that African countries have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and the effect was more severe for African regions compared to other regions. The rising pandemic affected social interaction and economic activities through the imposed social distancing policies that have different levels of strictness in several African countries

Practical implications

The implication of the findings is that social policies can affect the social and economic well-being of citizens. Secondly, the coronavirus outbreak has revealed how a biological crisis can be transformed to a sociological subject. The most important sociological consequence of the coronavirus outbreak for African citizens is the creation of social anxiety among families and households in the region. The outbreak has also shown how vulnerable African societies are in facing health hazards. Policymakers should enforce social policies that unite communities in bad times, to reduce social anxiety.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that explore the socio-economic impact of coronavirus and the policy response in African countries.

Citation

Ozili, P. (2022), "COVID-19 in Africa: socio-economic impact, policy response and opportunities", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 42 No. 3/4, pp. 177-200. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-05-2020-0171