
<p class="has-drop-cap"><strong>2020. Unexpected. Unprecedented. The year a virus tore through the core of our being and assailed our health systems and the wellbeing of our economies. Its effects ricocheted through every street, every alley of South Africa. FORBES AFRICA trained its lens on the new reality the year is leaving behind.</strong></p>



<p><em><strong>Photographs and Words by Motlabana Monnakgotla &amp; Chanel Retief </strong></em></p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-the-last-mile"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">The Last Mile</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="591" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-1024x591.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49381" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-1024x591.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-300x173.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-768x443.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-1536x886.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-2048x1182.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/The-Last-Mile-600x346.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>When Kagiso Ramphela (<em>above</em>) started Ramphela Funerals, a funeral parlor, just before Covid-19 struck South Africa, he never anticipated what was in store. Deemed essential services during the pandemic, his business, in a bizarre twist of fate, picked up.</p>



<p>“I don’t want to say business is booming, because it sounds like I am saying for business to boom, people must die. But what I will say is I think things have been fair to us,” Ramphela says, scratching his head, when we meet him at his office in Soweto, Johannesburg.</p>



<p>In this business, he always expects the unexpected, and this could mean calls in the middle of the night, from harried relatives requesting caskets for their loved ones. Ramphela needs to also ensure his staff is protected and safe from the virus at all times, whilst providing support to grieving families.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-coping-with-loss"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Coping With Loss</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="732" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-1024x732.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49377" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-300x215.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-768x549.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-1536x1099.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-2048x1465.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Coping-With-Loss-600x429.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>“There’s no closure,” says Charlie Mpogeng <em>(above) </em>standing by his brother&#8217;s grave at Westpark Cemetery in Emmarentia, west of Johannesburg. On the morning of July 17, he lost his 37-year-old brother, Herman Motlhabane, to Covid-19. “Everyone loved and respected him,” remembers Mpogeng.</p>



<p>“We were dressed in PPE gear to go see his body at the funeral home. We had to come out, take off the PPE, and get sanitized. And then immediately I had to get on to a call with the undertaker. There was no time to sit down and be like, ‘oh, snap I just lost my brother’.”</p>



<p>At the funeral, those in attendance had to observe social distancing and the ceremony only lasted a little over an hour. This is a familiar story for most who have lost a loved one to the pandemic this year. As of mid-November, South Africa recorded over 20,000 Covid- related deaths.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-a-brake-on-business"><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">A Bra<strong>ke On Business</strong></span></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="649" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-1024x649.png" alt="" class="wp-image-49376" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-1024x649.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-300x190.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-768x487.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-1536x973.png 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-2048x1298.png 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/A-Brake-On-business-600x380.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>With most of the country reverting to a new Work-From- Home reality in the wake of Covid-19, South Africa’s taxi industry took a hard knock. In June, taxi associations across Johannesburg announced that they would be increasing their fares from a minimum of R11 to R30 ($1) a trip, also lamenting the lack of adequate government relief. </p>



<p>New regulations stipulate that public vehicles are only allowed to carry 70% of their maximum capacity and to mandatorily practice social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitizing. </p>



<p>Public taxis are a popular mode of transport for daily wage earners and office commuters, especially in South Africa’s sprawling townships. Another business that braked to a screeching stop? The neighborhood car-wash facility.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-unemployment-woes"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Unemployment Woes</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49382" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Unemployment-Woes-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>According to the <em>National Income Dynamics Study-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey</em>, approximately three million South Africans have lost their jobs due to covid-19. Disgruntled unions came together in a nationwide protest (as in this image taken in the central business district of Johannesburg) on October 7 against unemployment, wage disputes, and job losses. Some demands were related to Covid-19 corruption, the failing economy, and the fact that due to a setback in the government’s wage agreement, workers may not receive salary increases in the next financial year. </p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-off-track"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Off-Track</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49378" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Off-Track-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>The pandemic also derailed the rail industry, with a reported surge in cable theft at railway stations. <em>Reuters </em>reported that during the lockdown – implemented in various stages in South Africa since march – organized, sometimes armed, criminal gangs stole valuable copper from the railway lines. As part of his economic recovery plan, President Cyril Ramaphosa has proposed the privatization of some of South Africa’s key train routes in a bid to improve transport access to millions of South Africans.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-butt-seriously"><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Butt Seriously </span></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49374" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Butt-Seriously-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>One of the most controversial lockdown regulations in South Africa was the banning of the sale of cigarettes. This forced many to either resort to more expensive, often ‘illegal ways’ to source their smoking stock, or quit altogether.</p>



<p>The Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, based at the University of Cape Town, and the South African Medical Research Council&#8217;s Dr Catherine Egbe, found that nearly a million people quit smoking during the lockdown.</p>



<p>On the other hand, British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) released a media statement in July saying that research shows 11 million smokers in South Africa are still able to purchase cigarettes from illicit suppliers. “These illicit suppliers are not suddenly going to become compliant and start obeying the law and paying taxes when the ban is eventually lifted. They evaded taxes before the lockdown, they’ve made billions tax-free during the ban and they will evade taxes after the ban,” said BATSA’s Head of External Affairs Johnny Moloto in July.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-something-to-wine-about"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Something to Wine About</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-1024x683.png" alt="" class="wp-image-49380" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-768x512.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-1536x1024.png 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-2048x1365.png 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Something-To-Wine-About-600x400.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>Another point of contention was the back and forth regarding the ban on alcohol during the lockdown. This impasse specifically had a negative impact on the country’s bars and restaurant businesses.</p>



<p>The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA) CEO Wendy Alberts says the hard lockdown put a strain on several restaurants that have had to permanently close their doors.</p>



<p>RASA ran a survey in which 23,000 restaurants across South Africa participated (during alert level two of the lockdown). Of that, 30% stated they have shut down while 50% said they do not know if they will be able to reopen due to massive overheads and debt.</p>



<p>“I am very heartsore for those restaurants that have lost their businesses and staff that have lost their jobs. So although this appears to be a win, there is no win in this space because people have lost, and people have been hurt,” says Alberts.</p>



<p>With lockdown restrictions now eased, the restaurants and bars are slowly returning to life. In this image, taken at SOD in Soweto, the South African summer seems to have revived conviviality in outdoor spaces.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-art-of-the-matter"><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color"><strong>Art Of The Matter</strong><br></span></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="618" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-1024x618.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49375" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-1024x618.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-300x181.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-768x463.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-1536x927.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-2048x1236.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-400x240.jpg 400w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Art-Of-The-Matter-600x362.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>A child rides past a mural painted in August by South African artist Graham Mckuur, known as ‘Dimms’, on Kremetart Street in Eldorado Park Ext 3. The work is in tribute to Nathaniel Julius, a 16-year- old allegedly shot and killed by police in Johannesburg&#8217;s Eldorado Park. </p>



<p>The teenager had Down Syndrome, which sent shockwaves on social media. According to <em>BBC Africa</em>, the family said Julius was shot for not answering police officers’ questions. News reports say that three officers have been arrested on charges of murder.</p>



<h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="h-room-for-change"><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Room For Change</span></strong></h2>



<div class="wp-block-image is-style-default"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49379" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/room-for-change-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



<p>2020 definitely changed the way we work. the hard lockdown in level one of the pandemic saw emptying office spaces, until around alert level three when most companies gradually had staff trickling in to work. But with Covid-19 still a sore reality, most office-goers have slipped into the work-from-home mode for longer, or indefinitely. </p>



<p>This has also amplified digitalization and the need for companies to quickly streamline technology to enable better workflow processes. The International Labour organization has also been reporting on the rise of the flexible workforce’. The final word on the future workplace is still being scripted.</p>


00 Opening

The Year That Changed Everything


<p><em> A pick of some of the weirdest, coolest tech that could come hurtling our way this year.  </em></p>



<ol><li><strong>A bot that delivers
toilet paper</strong></li></ol>



<p>Forgot to instal toilet paper in the loo? The Charmin RollBot is designed to carry a roll of toilet paper on two wheels. With the press of a button on your phone, the RollBot will help with your sanitary requirement.</p>



<p>Using Bluetooth, the bot will commence its mission; an infra-red sensor able to navigate its way to you. According to <em>Business Insider</em>, there&#8217;s no price or release date for RollBot, nor is it clear if it will ever be released as a consumer product. Charmin calls RollBot a &#8220;conceptual prototype”. The brand unveiled the bot last month at the CES 2020 expo in Las Vegas.</p>



<p>2. <strong>The Cyrcle phone</strong></p>



<p>If for any reason you got bored of your rectangular handset, the circular phone is always an alternative offering a different view and take. According to the makers, the phone was designed with the Generation Z, female audience in mind. It’s round and features two headphone jacks. The device was designed by a US-based startup delivering a shape that it says is more “sensual”. The company reckons it will be ready to launch in a year’s time.</p>



<p>3. <strong>A smart bed</strong></p>



<p>There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep. But it’s not always possible to have the best sleep every day. Or is it? There is a bed that’s guaranteed to give you your beauty sleep the way you want it.</p>



<p>Sleep Number Climate 360 has a mattress with features that warm your feet to help you sleep faster. It will also help you stay asleep by cooling your body, and balance your temperature with your natural wake and sleep cycles.</p>



<p>But what’s most intriguing is the fact that the bed also gives you a Sleep IQ score for personalized sleep insights. It measures your heart rate, breathing and movement, tracks your circadian rhythms and can show how your heart rate varies. The smart bed received the CES 2020 <em>Best of Innovation</em> award and is only expected to be available in 2021.</p>



<p>4. <strong>Self-changing trash can</strong></p>



<p>For those who dread taking out the trash, this device is possible a no-brainer. Apart from its motion sensors to detect when you need to throw trash, when it’s full, it will automatically seal the trash bag and line the bin with a new one, all with a press of a button.</p>



<p>Even if the bin is overflowing, the top compartment will lift up so it can still seal the bag shut without any mess. The bin, called the Townew bin, was designed by a Canadian company, Knectek Labs.</p>



<p>5. <strong>Vertical TV</strong></p>



<p>Just when we were getting used to wider TVs, it seems taller screens may soon be coming to your living room. Samsung’s Sero TV vertical-oriented will soon be hitting markets.</p>



<p>The TV can not only work in the traditional horizontal format, but is also able to turn on its side for playing vertical videos in portrait style.This might come in handy when watching videos from social media platforms such as TikTok or Instagram that deal primarily with vertical videos.</p>



<p>It sits on a stand that prevents it hitting the floor when turning, and can be paired with a phone so that it automatically orientates it correctly based on what’s beamed from the handset. According to <em>TechRadar.com</em> the pricing and availability are yet to be revealed, but the Sero will be leaving Korea and is headed to the US and “several global markets” later this year.</p>



<p></p>


Tag: 2020

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

The Year That Changed Everything

The Top 5 Emerging Crazy Tech