Empty eateries and stalled supplies — how virus is hurting local businesses

It’s shortly after 8pm on a mild Cape Town summer evening as the kitchen doors swing open in the Sea Palace Chinese restaurant and a man emerges with a tray of food. It’s not destined for diners but for his family upstairs.

Chen is at the front line of SA businesses hard hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak that emerged in China late in 2019. China has borne the brunt of the epidemic, but the virus, called Sars-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, Covid-19, have rapidly spread. By March 8, Covid-19 had sickened more than 107,300 people and killed more than 3,640 people across 107 countries and territories, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.

As the world’s largest exporter, China contributes about a third of the world’s manufacturing output. Chinese authorities shuttered the “factory of the world” to contain the virus, with a knock-on effect on the myriad supply chains it feeds. Retail giant Shoprite projects a R100m knock in turnover due to difficulties sourcing products such as heaters and electric blankets from China, while Woolworths is expecting trouble procuring imported items in coming weeks.

Source: Holiday News (holidaynews.net)

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