Alleviating Unemployment in South Africa: Harnessing Comparative Advantage in the Services Sector

Abstract

This article reviews the trajectory of employment in South Africa before and during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. Thereafter, we propose measures for the alleviation of unemployment through the development of a comparative advantage in services as a response to the environment created by existing policies and multiple crises. The policy is the best response to the consequences of existing measures in place. Threats – in the form of the pandemic, advances in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, online retail, and the July 2021 lootings – present the need for strategic investment and further protections for this sector.