While you were asleep: Covid-19: How unequal can we still get?

The Covid-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on all fronts – record infections, climbing death toll, overstretched health system, slugging vaccination rollout, depressed economy, high unemployment, the list goes on.

But a most worrying toll that’s largely gone unnoticed but will have a lasting effect on South Africa’s inequality gap is the future of our school-going youth. A new study shows that learner dropout rates are now at the highest they’ve been in 20 years. Reciprocally, school attendance is at the lowest level it’s been in 20 years.

BusinessLive reports that a fifth wave of study by the National Income Dynamics Study — Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (Nids-Cram) shows that half-a-million children in SA dropped out of school, and younger grades lost close to a full year of learning due to the pandemic and the closure of schools since March last year.

Together with school closures, a lack of access to technology is considered to be the biggest barrier for learning. And while educational programmes are available on television and radio, they are only accessible to those with access to a TV or radio. Similarly, online learning is only accessible to those with internet access.

Incidentally, inequality is also the biggest hurdle in our vaccine rollout, reports Bloomberg.

So, how committed is South Africa in addressing inequality? And are the commitments only on paper in the form of laws and policies? Our government has huge challenges, but surely this one must be bumped up to the top.

Here’s a roundup of the world’s top and most interesting headlines:

SA Business

South Africa’s most expensive suburbs – and how much it costs to buy a house there – Business Tech
SA taxpayers will foot bill for Zuma’s perks despite conviction, says law expert – EWN
Checkers, Pick n Pay swamped with delivery orders – Business Tech

Markets

Asian stocks hit 2-month lows as fast-spreading Delta variant shatters confidence – Reuters
Oil down, even as US fuel inventory fall indicates demand surge – Investing.com
MultiChoice slumps amid reports that its Nigerian bank accounts are being frozen – Fin24

Global Business

Tencent-backed alcohol delivery firm said to seek new funds – Bloomberg
US set to add more Chinese companies to blacklist over Xinjiang – Reuters
Elon Musk’s China battery partner is now richer than Jack Ma – Bloomberg

In-depth

Part 4: The Guptas’ criminal bedfellows in South Africa and abroad – Daily Maverick
How JZ was swayed to surrender – Mail & Guardian
Off the rails: Prasa bungles multimillion-rand plan to hire thousands of volunteers as ‘guards’ – Daily Maverick

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