IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Insights on African businesses’ reactions and outlook to COVID-19 - The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and International Economics Consulting Ltd., jointly carried out the first comprehensive survey on the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts across Africa in mid-April. There were 210 respondents, made up of a mix of micro, small, medium and large enterprises from across the 54 African countries. The results have highlighted the major challenges that firms are facing due to the current crisis.

Many companies have expressed their concern about the direct impact on company turnover, with the smallest firms expecting to be hit the hardest. The lack of operational cash flow, lower capacity utilisation, disruption in supply chains and decrease in demand may force some businesses to close down, with obvious adverse effect on workers, finds the survey. The survey also finds that access to credit is elusive to businesses of all size, with less than two fifths of requests being granted, while one to two thirds of loan requests are not even offered a response. The hardest hit, again, being the smallest companies. Across the board, enterprises have also signalled their disappointment with their own government responses to the crisis. 

However, the lack of external support has forced companies to come up with novel ways of conducting business. A number of effective measures have been adopted by businesses to mitigate the effects of operating in this new environment, such as adopting technology, working remotely and using e-commerce. Generally, while firms judge the short-term outlook on revenues to be severe, they are more optimistic over a longer time horizon (one year or more). (UNECA)

Key Words: COVID-19, ECA, Business Outlook

INTERNATIONAL

ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO, participated in a historic summit this week to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). – Convened by Africa investor (Ai), the Summit brought together the heads of global trade organisations and recognised the importance of pioneering partnerships and collaboration with the private sector and international organisations in restoring trade confidence and flows in the fight against COVID-19, and in building trade resilience in anticipation of future pandemics. The importance of accelerating the adoption of African eTrade, Paperless Customs and RegTech innovation also featured highly on the agenda.

“We are delighted to partner with Africa investor,” Mr Denton said. “ICC remains committed to addressing issues impacting the private sector in Africa through pioneering collaboration and our growing presence and outreach on the continent.”

The Summit was Chaired by Chaired by Hubert Danso, CEO and Chairman, Africa investor (Ai), Chairman, African Union Continental Business Network (CBN). Participants included Wamkele Mene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization (WCO), Yonov Frederick Agah, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Vinco David, Secretary General, Berne Union and Hennie Heymans, CEO, DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa.

The Summit, which took place on 30 April, highlighted the urgent need for harmonised regulation to help the African private sector – in particular SME’s – to digitise their businesses, to be able to trade and compete in the ‘Post COVID-19 Contactless Economy’, where ‘Trade and Customs Distancing’ will be the new normal. (ICC)

Key Words: AfCFTA, COVID-19, ICC

Former WTO chief: Globalization to look different after COVID-19 – Former World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy is not worried about "deglobalization" after COVID-19, but believes it will be different. What's inevitable is the impact of COVID-19 on globalization, Lamy said during an online webinar hosted by China Europe International Business School in April while sharing his views on how the global pandemic will change the world economy. He's also a distinguished professor at China Europe International Business School. He began his speech with four "more" and two "less." He said the world will face "more governments, more precautions, less growth, more digital, more inequalities among countries and less inequalities within countries." "I do not believe a post COVID-19 world will be deglobalized," Lamy used some strong words at the very beginning of the meeting, predicting that globalization is going to look a bit different. "There will be some reconfiguration of production chains," he said, adding that value chains will be shortened in the future and production will be more localized. (CGTN)

Key Words: COVID—19, Global Trade, Global Business

Schism: China, America and the Fracturing of the Global Trading System – Book Review – Schism dives below the foam and froth of the China-US bilateral rivalry to craft a critical understanding of China and its impact on trade and the international order. The book chronicles the gap between the way China and its one-party state manage its economy and the liberal internationalist prescriptions undergirding the WTO. Schism examines the WTO accession negotiations with the US government during the late 1990s and illustrates the personal efforts of such negotiators as United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and Chinese trade minister Wu Yi to reconcile the two-level game of multilateral trade negotiations and domestic politics. In Chapter Three, Blustein recounts how the Chinese leadership struggled to strike a deal with the Clinton administration while the US drove toward maximum concessions.

Schism makes clear that Barshefsky and her colleagues understood China’s political challenges but were charged with prying open China’s vast consumer markets on behalf of US exporters, from Midwest soy farmers to Boeing. The Clinton administration worked to embed economic liberalism in China and bind it to the liberal international order. Analysts from both countries worried about the possibility of trade liberalisation shocks, but Clinton’s missionary zeal inspired an offensive negotiating strategy that placed market concessions above social stability. Few US policymakers anticipated that such a strategy would trigger the ‘China Shock’, the deep US trade deficit with China and the restructuring of the global economy in such short order. (LSE)

Key Words: COVID-19, LSE, Global Trade

PAN AFRICA

Continental Free Trade Area SG promise resolute determination - Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General Wamkele Mene has promised to serve the continent with resolute determination to make the world’s largest continental free trade area a success. Mene, who is a South African, was elected as the first ever AfCFTA secretary general during the 33rd African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government during their Ordinary Session held from 9 - 10 February 2020 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mene, who was sworn in on 19 March, has been given a four-year mandate and will be stationed at the headquarters of the AfCFTA Secretariat is in Accra, Ghana.

The Secretary General is expected to provide leadership and technical support to AfCFTA Secretariat and overall management of the day-to-day functioning of the Secretariat. He will be responsible for the management of the AfCFTA Secretariat, implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and strategic collaboration; stakeholders’ engagement; and resources mobilisation for the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement, amongst others. “Africa is open for business and mutually beneficial investment thereby creating decent jobs and improving livelihoods. Africa has a market of 1.2 billion people; it has a combined Gross Domestic Product GDP of US$2.5 trillion, and about 400 continental companies that earn annual revenues of US$1 billion or more,” said Mene. According to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, October 2019 at least the first half of the decade, seven of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies were in Africa. African industries are also projected to have the opportunity to double production to nearly US$1 trillion within a decade, with three-quarters of that growth coming from manufacturing to substitute imports and meet increasing local demand. (The Southern Times)

Key Words: AfCFTA, Regional Integration, COVID-19

How the AfCFTA will improve access to “essential products” and bolster Africa’s resilience to respond to future pandemics – Africa’s extreme vulnerability to the disruption of international supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to reduce the continent’s dependence on non-African trading partners and unlock Africa’s business potential. While African countries are right to focus their energy on managing the immediate health crisis, they must not lose sight of finalizing the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which can be a tool to help them do just that. Africa’s economy is highly dependent on international markets—for both its imports and exports. Given that an estimated 53 percent of African imports originate in countries that have been highly impacted by COVID-19, the pandemic is interrupting the region’s access to critical products. With two-thirds of African countries being net importers of food and medicine, global trade restrictions and cross-border blockages risk creating shortages and increasing the cost of items essential to mitigate the immediate effects of the pandemic. At the same time, global supply chain disruptions are expected to result in export earnings losses of $101 billion, with an estimated $65 billion for oil-producing countries and massive hits in other export sectors, such as the garment and cut-flower industries. Similarly, the pandemic has seriously disrupted key services industries on the continent, including tourism, transport, and logistics services.

The operational launch of the AfCFTA—originally scheduled for July 2020—is now postponed. The next round of negotiations, scheduled for May 30, will likely not happen before November or December. Wamkele Mene, the newly elected secretary-general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, has noted that remote negotiations were impossible, due not only to connectivity problems, but also the need to translate everything into the continent’s four official languages. (Brookings)

Key Words: AfCFTA, Regional Integration, COVID-19

Coronavirus pandemic won’t affect Africa-EU relations – The coronavirus crisis will not affect ongoing efforts to strengthen the relationship between Africa and the European Union, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ms. Vera Songwe, said Wednesday. Speaking during a webinar organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on whether COVID-19 was threatening relations between the two continents, Ms. Songwe said the relationship between Europe and Africa could only get stronger.

“If there is something that this crisis has shown us, it is that as a global world we are alike, we are similar. It is a pandemic that knows no boundaries and knows no economic classification,” she said, adding reinforcing links between the two continents was good for both sides. Ms. Songwe said while Africa was asking the EU and other partners for a two-year debt moratorium and a $100 billion stimulus package to inject liquidity into its economies, the continent was doing a lot by itself to fight the pandemic. “There’s a lot of work on the continent by the continent to address this crisis,” she said, adding the Africa of today was not the same as the Africa of the 1970s and 1980s where 75 percent of its nations were classified as heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC).

“The continent today is a continent that has really developed. When there was HIPC 75 percent of African countries were low income. Today only 25 percent of African countries are low income.  Our economic structure has changed fundamentally and the conversations we have must also change and align with this new Africa that has changed.” (UNECA)

Key Words: UNECA, Europe, COVID-19

How can Africa’s trade ministers help combat COVID-19? Lessons from Ebola – COVID-19 is disrupting lives in Africa, and the economic impacts are being felt in many ways. In the least developed countries (LDCs) here, trade ministers can immediately act to mitigate disruptions that are affecting both health and livelihoods, alongside international support and cooperation. African LDCs are vulnerable already, with their high rates of poverty, low literacy, food insecurity, limited health resources and poor infrastructure. With COVID-19 in Africa at more than 30,000 reported cases as of writing, many countries are locking down to prevent viral spread. With these sudden disruptions to vital commerce, trade ministers must also respond. For many underfunded LDCs, COVID-19 could rage like wildfire, with rapid transmission and mortality without adequate supplies of drugs, personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and disinfectants. Trade ministers must actively engage in the COVID-19 response as facilitators in local, regional and global trade.

Amid the pandemic, LDCs now face intense competition to access supply chains for health necessities and urgent commodities. COVID-19’s disruptions will likely cut global trade by 13-32% in 2020. Critical supplies must be secured during the low-level infection period to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Here, the West African Ebola outbreak and what Liberia learned from that can offer useful insights for trade ministers. Without active leadership, precious response time is squandered in bureaucratic infighting and political staging while people suffer. Heads of state must actively lead to avert this, while steering the focus of a twofold national response: health and safety alongside economic management. (Trade4devnews)

Key Words: Trade, Africa, COVID-19

EXIMBank to partner Tobinco to produce drugs for treatment of Covid-19 patients – The Export-Import Bank (EXIMBank) Ghana is set to collaborate with Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Center, a member of the Tobinco Group of companies, to produce Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin locally to treat Covid-19 patients. Covid-19 patients treated with Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin recover quickly but the drug is not produced locally on the large scale. Furthermore, the drugs’ value has shot up on the international market due to its potency in the treatment of Covid-19 patients. EXIMBank is highly impressed with Tobinco Group’s utilisation of previous grant facility extended to the group and, therefore, is ready to advance a new $5 million facility to help tackle the pandemic in the country. EXIMBank plays a major role as a partner of Ghanaian industries, especially SMEs, in their export efforts, by offering products and services at all stages of the production and distribution cycle, including import of technology, export of products, developing exports, production, marketing, pre- and post-shipment. (Joy Online)

Key Words: COVID-19, Eximbank, Manufacturing

Impact of Covid-I9 on international trade – Stalling operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement may be one of the major casualties of Covid-19 as discussions to postpone AfCFTA to January 2021 gain momentum. The rationale behind stalling AfCFTA in the face of the marauding Covid-19 is grudgingly acceptable as it sadly means delaying the onset of Africa’s industrialisation. AfCFTA is premised on the success associated with trade liberalisation which is also linked to trade facilitation. While in the short term, Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and women businesses may not benefit from trade liberalisation, it is in the long term that the country experiences welfare gains. This will be evident in growth of MSMEs, increased competition, economies of scale, reduced trade barriers, total growth of the economy, employment creation and positive flows to the fiscus. Women-owned businesses and MSMEs account for almost 70 percent of informal cross border trade.
Women have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 due to the multiple roles they play in the economy as workers, traders, tax payers and consumers. As cross border traders, women contribute significantly to food security which has come under serious threat due Covid-19. One of the protocols of AfCFTA is the Protocol of Free Movement of People although it is not an integral part of the agreement.  (The Herald)

Key Words: COVID—19, AfCFTA, International Trade

Africa looks to build food self-sufficiency as COVID disrupts global supply chain – As Africa grapples with disruptions in the global supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some see it as an opportunity for the continent to become self-sufficient in food production. The continent currently is a net food importer, spending between US$35 billion and US$50 billion annually on the importation of foods, the majority of which can be grown in Africa. “The Covid-19 pandemic provides a golden opportunity for Ghana to optimize our potential for food production to meet domestic needs, grow our agricultural exports and create jobs for the youth of this country,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, told a media briefing in the capital Accra.

“In the wake of export bans in countries from where we import a large chunk of our food items like rice and poultry, it provides a ompelling situation for us to put strategic measures in place to ramp up production for all our key staples,” the minister added. “It also gives us the opportunity to intensify agro-processing, thus reducing post-harvest losses and ensure year-round food availability, whilst creating the needed jobs.” Vanessa Adams, vice president of Strategic Partnerships at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), agrees that the worldwide slowdown of agricultural activities caused by the pandemic provides a great opportunity for Africa to feed itself. “I’m a firm believer that a crisis is also an opportunity. We should use this crisis as an opportunity to build more resilient food systems,” she said in an interview with Devex.com. (GLP)

Key Words: COVID—19, Africa,

Options to keep Covid-19 crisis-hit businesses afloat – The outbreak of Covid-19 has undeniably affected both borrowers and lenders negatively, with the exception of a few players such as those in medical supplies, basic food stuffs and certain technology, e-commerce and entertainment providers. Businesses have been forced to confront the hard questions about how to continue running their operations seamlessly and keep afloat in the current global crisis. As the impact of the pandemic continues to unfold, almost all businesses have been forced to review their cash flow and liquidity positions to address a sudden and significant reduction in revenues. The unforeseen and dramatic fall in revenues and available cashflows will inevitably put borrowers under significant stress, particularly where substantial repayments are due in the next couple of months. 

To compound the situation, continued access to funds under revolving working capital facilities or other sources is also likely to be challenging if there is potential for or actual default under the facilities. Ironically therefore, some businesses may be unable to access new funding or further drawdowns of their loans just when they need them most. Borrowers should take proactive steps at this time including reviewing the terms of their existing facilities and where possible, engage with lenders at the earliest opportunity, to discuss the potential implications of the pandemic on their loans, particularly because it is difficult to predict with any precision how long the effects of the pandemic are likely to last. (Business Daily)

Key Words: COVID—19, Business, Trade

NORTH AFRICA

Le Monde: Morocco Major Global Exporter of Face Masks – Morocco’s face mask production allows the country to be an important exporter in the global market of protective medical gear amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reported French newspaper Le Monde on Friday, May 1. Morocco currently produces 7 million masks per day. The production exceeds national demand and allows the country to export masks to the hardest-hit European countries, such as Spain and France. In March, the Moroccan Ministry of Industry announced several textile companies would start exclusively producing face masks and protective gear to protect the public from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The initiative [was a source of] pride for Moroccans and admiration of politicians around the world,” Le Monde commented. Quoting Morocco’s Minister of Industry Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Le Monde revealed that 34 Moroccan companies are currently manufacturing face masks, including five that are exporting half of their production to Europe.

The Ministry of Industry will give more export authorizations to Moroccan production units in the coming weeks, given the number of requests from foreign countries, the newspaper added. After the launch of face mask production in Moroccan factories, the ministry quickly fixed their retail price at MAD 0.8 (nearly $0.1) per mask in Morocco to prevent fraud and speculation. The ministry also developed a supply plan to make face masks available in 66,000 sales outlets across Morocco and avoid any shortage.

On April 7, after Morocco’s production of face masks became sufficient to meet national demands, the Moroccan government made wearing masks in public spaces and in the workplace mandatory. (Morocco World News)

Key Words: COVID—19, Global Export, Morocco

EAST AFRICA

Opportunities for business growth post Covid-19 - The Covid-19 pandemic despite disrupting businesses that depend on international trade has presented various opportunities that the businesses should develop on. Disrupted supply chain have seen markets lack various products but they have seen to rise and start producing on their own. Kenya for one has started producing and manufacturing protective gear to combat the virus, which the country usually imports. In a webinar hosted by the Kenya Chamber of Commerce, various business leaders noted the potential Africa has, that will provide opportunities post covid. “We need to diversify our supply chain to be able to bounce back in business by creating Special Economic Zones in Africa,” said Mark Priestley, Senior Director, Trade Logistics at Trade Mark East Africa. Nations such as China and Dubai where most people source raw materials could set up in the SEZs and provide supply in Africa so that we are not heavily dependent on them. “However we need to protect our existing investors, as we reevaluate our supply chain to be more regional,” said Priestly. However according to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), we are challenged by the competitiveness of our products. “To be able to maintain stable supply in Africa we need to heavily invest in logistics, power and labour to be able to compete globally,” said Job Wanjohi, Head of Policy and Research, KAM.

Intra-African trade was at around 15.2 per cent in the period 2018, indicating that trade across the region is low. “We need to integrate the Africa value chain, so as to prevent such disruptions in the supply chain of goods,” said Wanjohi. The Africa Free Trade Zone which is set to be operational in July will greatly help in boosting the reginal supply chain. "The free trade area will influence trade growth and enbale us capitalize on our supply chain in Africa," said Robin George, Partner and Associate Director; the Boston Consulting Group. (The Star)

Key Words: COVID—19, Intra Afric Trade, AfCFTA

Egyptian bank enters region through Kenya – Commercial International Bank (CIB), Egypt’s largest private sector lender by assets, is targeting more buyouts in East Africa after completing acquisition of Kenya’s Mayfair Bank Ltd (MBL). CIB is listed on both the Egyptian and London stock exchanges, and boasts an asset base in excess of $24 billion. The Egyptian lender acquired a majority stake (51 per cent) in Kenya’s Mayfair Bank by way of a $35 million capital injection. On April 24, Kenya’s Central Bank announced the conclusion of the CIB-Mayfair deal, having approved the transaction on April 7. MBL, which was licensed in June 2017, is classified by the regulator as a small bank with a market share of 0.17 per cent. It mainly serves high net worth individuals and corporate customers. The Egyptian lender focuses on individuals, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), institutions and corporates. “The Mayfair Bank-CIB partnership is expected to benefit customers and broaden trade between Kenya and Egypt,” says Mayfair chairman Anjay Patel in a statement. He adds that the injected funds will be added to the bank’s capital base, and that all existing shareholders will continue in the institution. CIB says it is attracted by East Africa’s openness to trade, increased adoption of digital banking, increased level of financial inclusion and the relatively stable political environment. “CIB management concluded that Africa — specifically East African countries — being a natural geographic extension to Egypt, presents lucrative growth opportunities for CIB,” chairman and chief executive, Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, says in the lender’s latest annual report. (The East African)

Key Words: COVID—19, East Africa, Regional Integration

Germany announces €120mln covid-19 fund for Ethiopia – Germany announced a €120 million support package to help Ethiopia face the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The information was revealed on April 30 by the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). The program is aimed at supporting the African country’s macroeconomic stability and safeguarding jobs in the textile industry. Part of the money will also be used to purchase medical products, in collaboration with the World Health Organization. According to the German Embassy in Ethiopia, the investment falls within the partnership signed in December 2019 between the two countries to support Ethiopia’s ambitious economic reform program. The partnership targets the sectors of infrastructure investment, agriculture, and energy.

The International Monetary Fund saw Ethiopia’s growth at 3.2% in 2019-20 due to the pandemic, after 9% in 2018-19. The latest official data from May 3, reported a total of 133 covid-19 cases in Ethiopia, with 3 deaths and 69 recovered patients (Ecofin Agency)

Key Words: COVID—19, East Africa, Investment Policy

Consumers to dig deeper into pockets for goods – The recent decision by Rwanda to clear all cargo being trucked in at the border crossing to curtail the spread Covid-19, is expected to increase the cost of transport from Dar es Salaam to Kigali. The changes, expected to be implemented immediately, are expected to increase prices of goods, as the extra cost will be passed on to the consumers. Rwanda has experienced a spike in the number of positive Covid-19 cases, registering 22 people on Monday, the highest number in a single day, all linked to cross-border truck drivers especially from Kenya and Tanzania. This prompted the government to take tough measures such as moving all its inland Customs cargo clearing services to border crossings. A statement issued by the Rwanda Revenue Authority on Monday, shows that it is now a requirement for every cross-border cargo truck to have two drivers, to make sure that the one from the departure point gets tested at the border and stays there, as the second one from Rwanda takes over. (The East African)

Key Words: COVID—19, East Africa, Business

WEST AFRICA

Ghana Ranked As Fifth Most Committed Country To AfCFTA implementation – Ghana has been ranked as the fifth most committed country to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by the policy and advocacy think tank, AfroChampions. But Ghana did not feature in the top 10 with respect to implementation readiness, according to the group’s AfCFTA Year Zero report.  In the combined ranking of Commitment and Implementation Readiness, Ghana was in the sixth spot. The reported noted that some of the most committed countries such as Ghana, Mali, Togo and Uganda “are not necessarily the most prepared in terms of trade infrastructure, customs efficiency and access to credit for industry.” “Conversely, some of the least committed countries (such as Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania) performed very strongly in terms of implementation readiness,” the report added.  

The most AfCFTA committed country is Rwanda which scores 83.93 percent on the commitment scale, and the least committed country is Eritrea with a score of 0.85 percent. The country with the best implementation readiness is South Africa, with a score of 68 percent. In the combined ranking of Commitment and Implementation Readiness, Rwanda emerged top of the table. The report further noted that none of the three largest economies on the continent; South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria, feature in the top ten overall country performance. “Of the three, Nigeria remains a special case. The Lagos Plan of Action in 1980 and the Abuja Treaty of 1991 already give the impression that Nigeria has been both an important country and player on the path to continental unity. It is thus intriguing to see Nigeria still at the signing phase of the Agreement,” it explained. In the aggregate, overall average percentage score for AU Member States in relation to their level of commitment toward AfCFTA is 44.48 percent.  (Modern Ghana)

Key Words: COVID—19, AfCFTA, Ghana

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Southern Africa’s agricultural producers fear export losses from Covid-19 – From Angola to Zimbabwe, Southern Africa’s fragile economies are rattled by the coronavirus pandemic. Countries in the region have declared states of emergency and imposed lockdowns, shutting borders, sea ports and reducing daily business activity in order to curb the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable communities. The impact on agricultural producers and informal traders is likely to be severe.

South Africa, the backbone of Southern Africa’s economy, had confirmed over 3,300 cases, the second highest on the continent, at time of writing. To curb the spread of the virus, the South African government instituted a strict six-week lockdown which has kept all but essential workers confined to their homes. While the lockdown and an effective testing regime are likely to bring much-needed relief to the country’s fragile healthcare sector, which can ill-afford to deal with a pandemic, the restrictions mean that South Africa is at risk of slipping into a severe recession. The pandemic was the last straw for ratings agency Moody’s, which finally downgraded South Africa to junk status in late March after months of prevarication.

The IMF expects the economy to shrink by 5.8% this year, a tough blow for a country desperate for economic growth to alleviate unemployment, and slowly acclimatising itself to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s gradual reforms. (African Business)

Key Words: COVID-19, Namibia, E-Commerce