…….post-COVID-19
Reading the news on Oxfam International closing 18 country offices has left me shocked. I work for a non-profit and our ability to function is based on donors and fundraising. Oxfam closing some of its country offices indicates that fundraising during the COVID-19 period will be extremely difficult. Some non-profits may have to shut down because of the inability to fundraise, and some of their donors re-directing their funds to other initiatives.
I cannot confidently say that I will have a job in the next month or so because funding in the organisation at my place of work is tightening up. Several projects we work on have halted because they require us to be physically present. However, some projects have continued because we have been able to adapt to the new changes.
‘On top of the stress of trying to survive a pandemic, I have to think about how I can restructure my skills to fit into the future of work.’
The pandemic has also disrupted the; hospitality, air travel, fashion, horticultural, entertainment and sex work industries. Every day we read stories of; people losing their jobs, companies forcing their staff to take their leave days, as well as some roles being declared redundant. The International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts that global unemployment will affect approximately 25 million people.
‘…no matter where in the world or in which sector, the crisis is having a dramatic impact on the world’s workforce’ — International Labour Organization (ILO)
However, It is not all doom and gloom as some industries are thriving during the pandemic period. For example, Jumia Foods, Uber Eats and Glovo are probably recording high profits, with most restaurants and supermarkets opting to deliver goods to their clients directly to their homes. Jeff Bezos the CEO of Amazon is laughing all the way to the bank because the pandemic could make him a trillionaire.
Other industries such as the entertainment sector are utilising the live features on YouTube and Instagram. Several artists have been live-streaming performances to fans across the world. A good example is the VerzuzTV Instagram page, started by music producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland. The two producers have been able to bring us performances by; Teddy Riley Vs BabyFace, Erykah Badu Vs Jill Scott, Bounty Killa Vs Beenie Man, Ludacris VS Nelly and many more. These are artists who were popular in the early 80s, 90s and 2000s, the VerzuzTV platform has probably increased their music streams.
So, What Will Change?
There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it, especially when it comes to working. Some professions may not be able to recover post-COVID-19.
However, some industries will:
- Realise
That they may not need to pay for permanent offices. The forced test run of working from home has proven to some organisations that they will not need to have their employees come to work every day. Allowing employees to be able to work from home and scheduling meetings with their teams on a need-to-need basis.
Global conferences may scale down the number of participants attending their events, now that virtual meetings on Zoom have proven successful. This would allow African participants who are often denied visas to attend global conferences in the West to participate virtually without worrying about being denied a visa. This would also be advantageous for persons with disabilities who are often left out of conferences due to mobility restrictions.
2. Adapt and Evolve
Some real estate companies that relied on Facebook to post images of vacant homes have started using YouTube, where they have been able to share home tours through video. This is efficient because it promotes social distancing, and their clients can select the homes they are interested in without having to physically view the house.
The tourism sector will have to evolve its dependency on foreign tourists. Going forward, the sector should develop campaigns to attract domestic tourists.
The hospitality industry which is slowly opening up in the country will continue to take precautions in ensuring that physical distancing is practiced in their establishments. An added advantage post-COVID-19 will be the high standards of hygiene in several eateries.
The future of how we work will not be the same post-COVID-19. The industries hard hit by the pandemic must rethink how they operate. As well as for the government to develop sustainable policies to protect businesses and job losses in the event of another pandemic or calamity that will destabilize the economy, for example:
- Disbursing monthly unemployment cheques/ cash transfers to unemployed Kenyans
- Tax and financial incentives for small businesses
- Partnerships with local hotels and parks to push affordable local tourism.
