Insights into the impacts of and responses to COVID-19 pandemic: The South African food retail supply chains perspective

Background: With the observed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa, coupled with varying levels of national lockdowns, food retail supply chains in South Africa were adversely affected. The pandemic affected international travel, global logistics, supplier production and stockpiles at the supply end, which resulted in shortages at retailers and increased prices for basic food items. Objectives: The purpose of this article was to provide insights into and a synthesis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food retail supply chain models in South Africa. Method: A general review of both academic and grey literature (including commentaries) was studied to draw insights into the issues of food retail supply chain. This was combined with an examination of websites and annual reports of the major food retailers in South Africa to find their responses to the pandemic related to their supply chains. Results: It was found that the investment in supply chains and local supply development and the technology by the large food retailers in the country have paid off in the ways that they have been able to respond to and contain the shocks of the pandemic and point to the local versus the international when thinking about new supply chain models for the post-COVID-19 world. Conclusion: The insights drawn from this article may be useful in building more resilient food retail supply chains in the South African context. This article charts a way for more focused analyses using empirical data to thresh out more nuanced insights that will benefit the food retail supply chain and create a more resilient food system in South Africa. © 2022. The Authors.