Recover and Adapt: Context-Driven Policy Options in a Post-COVID-19 Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the economic landscape in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is not yet clear how the effects will differ across countries and what that means for policymakers and the development community tasked to respond.

Countries are impacted differently depending on their dependence on the external sector, their ability to raise capital to respond and the capacity of the economy to recover. Mapping economies in SSA across these three dimensions renders four clusters of countries across which to compare the likely implications of the pandemic.

This framework will be applied to discuss context-relevant policy options for Africa to adapt – and not just respond – to a post-COVID 19 world.

The interactive panel discussion will critique the cluster framework, consider how the dimensions play out in different country contexts, and debate the corresponding imperatives and choices for adaptation – from the government, industry, development partner and financial sector perspectives, respectively:

Panelists:

• Herman Singh, CEO, Future Advisory
• Judith Tyson, Financial Sector and Capital Markets expert, Overseas Development Institute
• Hopestone Kayiska Chavula, Macroeconomic Policy Division, UN – Economic Commission for Africa
• Jean Bosco Iyacu, Director of Programs, Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR)
• Hennie Bester (moderator), Director, Cenfri