Post COVID-19 recovery, renewal, and resilience strategies for township taverns : a case study of selected taverns in Soweto

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the recovery, renewal, and resilience strategies that township taverns in Soweto Township in Johannesburg in South Africa could implement post-COVID 19. The growth and development of small-to-medium and micro enterprises such as township taverns are crucial for the development of the country as they contribute immensely to employment creation, poverty reduction and the eradication of inequality. This study used a social constructivist research design to collect and analyse data from 20 tavern owners and 10 managers who were purposively selected to participate in the study. The data revealed that the majority of the township taverns in Soweto were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in both their businesses and their personal lives. The findings reveal that township taverns have implemented several recovery, renewal, and resilience strategies to stay afloat and continue operating. Some of the key strategies include efficient management of business and personal costs, the introduction of new products, diversification, and joint procurement. The study recommends that government should provide more support to the sector and that the operators of township taverns should find a way to procure in bulk as associations or buying teams.