
Preparing for a Post Covid-19 South Africa is certainly difficult as it is an unknown. The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 has hit the world hard, and South Africa has been no exception. Life as we all know it has changed dramatically in the first part of 2020 and while we all might hope that it was not the case the chances that things will be returning to normal in the near future are very slim .
There are hopeful signs. There are plans to get things moving again. The announced South African plan, which will begin on May 1, will phase in a relaxation of restrictions around things like domestic travel, the scope of exercise, and attending workplaces, even though people are still encouraged to stay at – and work at – home where possible.
However, beyond this, there is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis will leave longer lasting changes. Lots of people are looking into their crystal balls to try to predict the post coronavirus world with wildly varying results and opinions. And the fact is almost everything about this situation is uncharted territory.
However, there are some basics that it can be almost assumed will change going forward that will affect the way we live and work and the way we treat our health. Here’s a look at some of them.
Preparing for a Post Covid-19 South Africa
Remote Work Will Become Acceptable

Some people have been trying to persuade their employers to let them work from home at least part of the time for years, but met with resistance. Thrust into the situation unexpectedly, many companies in a wide range of niches are discovering that yes, for many positions teleworking is feasible and even effective.
It may even be that many office employees might never return to the office full time and that the work from home culture that some experts have been calling for to form for decades may well now become a reality.
Preparing for a Post Covid-19 South Africa
Health and Safety Will Get a New Focus at Physical Workspaces
There are lots of health and safety rules on the books for physical workspaces that were all but ignored before COVID-19. As those who do need to return to a physical workspace do so you can expect that to change.
Should people always have been washing their hands every time they exited the restroom? Yes. Were they? Probably not. Should they have always stayed home when they were ill, especially if they had a fever? Yes. Did they? No, and that was often because they felt their employer would penalise them if they did. You can expect that to change significantly as well.
In countries that have already advanced further into reopening, like China, employees’ temperatures are being taken every day when they arrive at work and they are under very strict instructions not to go to work ill. You can expect other countries will do the same, at least for the foreseeable future.
Preparing for a Post Covid-19 South Africa
Home Design Will Change

We are all spending more time at home, and discovering, in many cases, that our homes have serious limitations, so you can expect home design to change. For example, those who found themselves working in the kitchen the first few weeks of ‘lockdown’ if they have not already will likely move towards creating a real home office space, even if they will be returning to their ‘usual’ office.
That space is likely to be geared towards comfortable, healthy working, with ergonomic desks and chairs, good ventilation, adequate light and at least some real separation between it and the rest of the home. Or at least that’s the way it should be.
Other things to expect; people creating more spaces where single family members could ‘self isolate’ if needed and the creation of spaces to relax quietly alone to help shrug off stress like meditation or yoga areas.
Preparing for a Post Covid-19 South Africa
People Will Start Taking Better Care of Their Health
If the coronavirus crisis has underscored one thing it is the importance of everyday wellness. With a better understanding of how fragile – and precious – good health is – it is only sensible to assume we will all begin to take better care of ourselves.
Maintaining a healthy weight, improving our diets, getting more exercise and following proper check up schedules at our GP’s office are all things we were supposed to be doing all along, but are now far more likely to actually stick to, and that can only be a good thing all around, long after the current crisis is a footnote in history.
We would love to know your thoughts on how life in SA will change. It is up to us all to work together to make our country and our people strong and healthy.