How Different Will Our Landscape Be Post-Coronavirus?

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future” (Niels Bohr)

Pandemics kill more people than wars – the introduction of the Black Death plague led to 14th Century Europe losing 40% of its population within two years. What will our world look like when normal life begins to return?

Predicting the future can never be an exact science, but the consensus seems to be that the following four main trends are, in line with historical precedent (except perhaps the 1918 Flu Pandemic which was dwarfed by the effects of the First World War) likely to await us –

1. Labour is stronger, capital is weaker
   
   A recurring feature of pandemics is that workers get higher wages for up to four decades after the end of the pandemic. Already, a strike at Amazon has led to better benefits for workers. In South Africa, we have seen health workers demanding better protective equipment.

   Research shows that this increase comes at the expense of capital which means lower returns for shareholders.

2. Globalisation will be weakened
   
   Coronavirus has exposed the flaws within global supply chains, such as an overreliance on China supplying key medical ingredients. Governments are reducing this risk by turning to local manufacture and services for such ingredients. Thus, globalisation will be clipped in favour of local production and services – creating opportunities for South African companies.
3. Slow recovery 

   The end of a war is accompanied by massive investment as businesses and infrastructure are rebuilt. This usually quickens economic growth. Pandemics result in no or anaemic growth – there is no scope for massive investment and economic recovery takes a while to reboot.

   This is exacerbated by people feeling down and exhausted after the pandemic. They are cautious and save money, contributing further to the economic malaise. This reduction in economic activity leads to low interest rates.

4. Victimisation
   
   Another thread running through post-pandemic times is people looking for someone to blame for the virus – often foreigners become the targets. Here with our record of xenophobia, this is something we need to guard against.

Whilst the historical evidence of events after a pandemic points to difficult times, there may be opportunities for your business in, for example, the reduced global supply chain. You will also need to keep an eye on your staff to keep their morale up.