Mapping the coverage of stimulus measures in response to COVID-19: What risks remain?

The R500 billion stimulus package announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 21 April 2020 is almost certainly cheaper than not acting. While stimulus packages are complex to manage, the complexities of managing a messy set of rolling closures as a result of a crisis like COVID-19 would be worse. Experiences from previous crises indicate that early implementation of stimulus measures that stop short-term shocks from turning into systematic crises offer the best means to reduce the economic impact of the pandemic and avoid the resulting human suffering. This policy brief aims to assess whether the current stimulus measures are adequately aligned to the expected shocks resulting from COVID-19.