South Africa’s economy has been put through the wringer over the past two years.
Covid-19 caused the already sickly economy to contract more than 6% in 2020. Since then, it has started to recover, but this process — frustrated by more waves of infections, a slow vaccine roll-out, fresh bouts of load-shedding and civil unrest — has been slow. And even as the economy tries to dig itself out of the slump, the job crisis has deepened.