Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a major role in most economies, particularly in countries classified as ‘emerging’ and ‘developing’ by the World Bank. In sub-Saharan Africa, MSMEs account for the lion’s share of the private sector businesses and provide a majority of the formal and informal jobs. SMEs represent an important driver of economic growth, and their success is a key indicator of a country’s overall economic health.

The past two years have presented unprecedented challenges for MSMEs – particularly in developing countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. Lockdowns, containment measures, and demand shifts in response to COVID-19 have pushed many MSMEs to the brink. At the same time, access to affordable funding has become more and more limited.

The Africa SME Pulse Survey

With these challenges in mind, GeoPoll and Africa 118 conducted a joint survey in December 2021, to assess the health and outlook of MSMEs in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The survey addressed a number of regionally and globally important topics, including:

• The impact of COVID-19 on small businesses
• Changes in employment and workplace dynamics
• Supply chain disruptions
• Optimism for the future
• Reliance and investment in technology
• SaaS adoption
• Preferred online marketing channels and platforms
• Planned marketing spend
• SME financing sources

The detailed report is free to download, here. In the 17-page report, we delve into every aspect of the survey, presenting the findings and adding comparative commentary from similar studies and the opinions of our experts.

Interactive Dashboard:

You can also interact with the results in full in the interactive dashboard below:

Sign up for Similar Reports

GeoPoll and Africa 118 will be collaborating on further studies covering the SME space in Africa. If you need more information about the survey and our capabilities, please contact us.

To be among the first to receive these reports as soon as they are launched, please sign up to our reports here:

The post Africa MSME PULSE: A GeoPoll and Africa 118 Study of MSMEs in Africa appeared first on GeoPoll.

Recently, the rapid withdrawal of US troops, change in government, and escalating humanitarian crisis in neighboring Afghanistan impacted not only Pakistan but the entire region. To assess the impact of the tumultuous past few months on Pakistanis, GeoPoll conducted a survey in October 2021, following up on our study from January 2021.

The survey gathers on the ground feedback from Pakistanis on a number of regionally important topics, including:

• Foreign influences on the economy, military, politics, and culture of Pakistan
• Perceptions on the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan
• Thoughts on immigration, security, and international aid
• The ongoing impacts of COVID-19
• Personal finances and the country’s economy

Findings from the survey show continued Pakistani support for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Most do not support Pakistan allowing more Afghan refugees, however, worrying about their impact on the economy and security. COVID-19 continues to present economic challenges as well, with most reporting a decrease in income compared to before the pandemic. Despite these hardships, several positive trends surfaced, including an increase in likeliness to take the vaccine as soon as possible and an optimistic outlook for Pakistan’s future.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report, or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive data dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s on-the-ground data from Pakistan using the dashboard below. Here, you can view all pieces of data from this study, filterable by Province, age group, gender, and question.

Conduct Research in Pakistan

This study provides on the ground data and insights on pressing topics of interest in Pakistan. GeoPoll can conduct research in Pakistan via 2-way SMS surveys, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) voice calls, mobile web links, and in-person research methods. To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Pakistan and around the world, please contact us.

The post GeoPoll Report: Follow-up Pakistan Study on Afghanistan, Immigration, and COVID-19 appeared first on GeoPoll.

COVID-19 continues to exert immense pressure on the world’s emerging markets, creating economic concerns that rival the health concerns. With a third or fourth wave of the virus gripping many countries, it is becoming increasingly difficult for governments to get a handle on either of those challenges.

As a followup to GeoPoll’s 2020 reports and April 2021 report on the impacts of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa, GeoPoll conducted a survey in nine countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to assess the ongoing effects of the pandemic on respondents’ finances, spending and health, their thoughts and concerns about the vaccine, and their hopes for the future.

The main topics covered include:

• Changes to consumer income and financial outlook
• Changes in consumer spending habits
• Perceptions about government response to the pandemic
• Concerns about and willingness to take the vaccine
• Adherence to public health measures and changes in emotional health

Findings from this study illustrate a world continuing to suffer the economic and societal impacts of COVID-19. Incomes continue to fall, particularly in emerging economies such as Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Brazil, while prices for food and other necessities increase. Many express concern both with paying their expenses and with the pandemic overall. Despite these hardships, several positive trends surfaced, including the likeliness to take the vaccine when it is available, emotional health improvements, and optimism for the future.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report, or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the ongoing economic and societal impacts of COVID-19 in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Egypt, Brazil, Colombia, and China using the interactive dashboard below. You can view all pieces of data from this study, filterable by country, age group, gender, and question.

The post GeoPoll Report: The Ongoing Impacts of COVID-19 Across Africa, Latin America and Asia appeared first on GeoPoll.

Although Pakistan has not recorded as many COVID-19 cases as India and other countries, lockdowns and other measures including the closure of schools to stop the spread of the pandemic have upended life for many in Pakistan in the past year. Actions related to COVID-19 combined with extreme weather events including drought, flooding, and locusts in the past years have also contributed to food insecurity in the country, particularly among the poorest populations.

In order to gather on-the-ground feedback from Pakistanis on their feelings towards the US troop removal from Afghanistan, foreign influencers, and how COVID-19 has impacted their lives in the past year, GeoPoll conducted a study via SMS in Pakistan with 408 respondents, the majority of whom were located in the Punjab region. The study was conducted in January 2021. While this study was not nationally representative, it provides some high-level insights into the views of Pakistanis and how they are looking to the future. Read a summary of results below or jump to the dashboard with full results.

Pakistan and the Great Power Competition

There are several factors that make Pakistan a geopolitically significant country, and as such foreign powers including the United States, China, and Russia have an interest in Pakistan. GeoPoll’s study asked several questions regarding foreign influences on Pakistan, and the responses demonstrate how different countries are influencing different aspects of Pakistan. Economically, China was the clear largest influencer, cited by 49% as the biggest influencer of Pakistan’s economy, likely related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an infrastructure initiative.

Respondents were more split on the largest influence on Pakistan’s military and politics, with 33% stating that China has the largest influence on Pakistan’s military, 20% stating the United States, and 21% stating India. Politically, the United States and India are cited as the largest influences, at 32% each.

Culturally, 50% of respondents stated that India was the largest influence on Pakistan’s culture, with other countries including the United States, China, and Afghanistan having under 15% of responses each. Russia was not listed as a significant influence in any question, though more respondents felt Russia influences Pakistan’s military (7%) than any other category. Afghanistan’s biggest perceived influence was in Pakistan’s culture.

Pakistan’s Views on US Troop Withdrawal

 Respondents were somewhat split on the United States’ recent announcement that they would withdraw troops from Afghanistan, with the largest group (43%) stating that they ‘strongly agree’ with the decision, while 33% strongly disagree with the decision. Although relatively small sample sizes, the oldest age group were most likely to state that they strongly disagree with the troop withdrawal, with 50% of those aged 35 and older strongly disagreeing with the removal. Females were also slightly more likely to disagree with the US troop withdrawal than males.

COVID-19 and Pakistan  

COVID-19 has had economic and social impacts on huge portions of the population in most countries, and Pakistan is no exception. In line with our findings from other studies, GeoPoll found that 41% in Pakistan stated that finances were their biggest challenge due to COVID-19, and 44% state that their income has decreased a lot compared to before COVID-19, with an additional 26% stating their income has decreased a little. Despite this, respondents expressed hope for the future, with 56% stating that they believe Pakistan’s economy will get better in the next year, and 55% believing that their personal finances will get better in the next year.

Additionally, a majority of respondents stated that they would get the COVID-19 vaccine once it is available to them, with 41% stating they will ‘definitely’ get the vaccine as soon as possible, and 25% stating they would ‘probably’ get the vaccine as soon as possible. The biggest concern surrounding the vaccine was the ability for everyone to get the vaccine, at 28%, followed by vaccine safety, at 21%.

Conduct Research in Pakistan 

This study provides some high-level insights into several topics of interest in Pakistan. GeoPoll can conduct research in Pakistan via 2-way SMS surveys, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) voice calls, web links, and in-person research methods. To learn more about our capabilities in Pakistan, please contact us.

The post Pakistan Study on COVID-19, US Troop Withdrawal appeared first on GeoPoll.

A micro-loan is often life-changing for financially excluded people because many use the loan to build small businesses that become their source of income. If it wasn’t for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), the opportunity to start a small business would be otherwise impossible for the financially excluded. However, interest rates on micro-loans are high, and it can be quite challenging for the indebted to repay their loans. On the other hand, MFIs are reliant on the high-interest rates of the micro-loans they provide and need steady payments to cover their costs.

The coronavirus pandemic has put significant strain on MFIs and may even cause many to close completely, which would re-erect the barriers to financial inclusion for vulnerable groups that MFIs have been working toward dismantling. This post will explain the challenges currently being faced in the microfinance sector and present forecasts for the future from experts.

Coronavirus’ Impact on Microfinance Institutions

In response to the financial toll the coronavirus pandemic has had, and will have, on vulnerable populations, some governments and many MFIs have imposed moratoriums on loan repayments to provide protections to the people. Although a pause on loan

payments is an important protection for those indebted, many MFIs are struggling financially as a result. With payments paused, MFIs are stuck covering their operational costs throughout months without any income, which has been seen as disastrous by many experts in the space.

The outlook seemed especially grave earlier in 2020, when many experts warned that “a slip in repayment rates from just 95 percent to 85 percent would render many MFIs insolvent in less than a year…” Since then, the outlook has lightened a bit, although danger is still forecasted. A study conducted by CGAP later in 2020 showed that MFI portfolios are showing signs of trouble, yet capitalization is providing a buffer to the demise of MFIs, which is a good sign for the financial inclusion sector.

Microfinance and Coronavirus: Impact on Financial Inclusion

GeoPoll conducted a study on the Financial Impact of Coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa from June-July of 2020. The nationally representative data collected represents the populations of Côte D’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa. The results from this study showed: concern regarding paying expenses was high for all respondents; the negative financial effects of the pandemic were felt hardest for informal workers and those earning lower incomes; nearly half of respondents had taken out a loan specifically to cover coronavirus-related expenses; and 68% of loans that were taken out were for less than $500 USD. Each of these findings support the moratoriums imposed in many countries on loan payments, yet they also underscore just how essential access to credit is in low- to middle-income countries.

In these tough economic times, many low- to middle-income countries do not have the resources to provide financial safety nets to all of their people—especially when many of the people who need the assistance most are financially excluded. In this context, Microfinance Institutions are more necessary than ever to provide assistance to those that lack access to other sources of credit for survival. Despite micro-loans being difficult to repay for the people MFIs serve, countless lives will be put at even higher risk amidst the pandemic if MFIs are not protected. For this reason, a new coalition has been formed to bring awareness to the importance that MFIs survive this delicate time. The coalition serves as a call to investors in a request for help in building up liquidity that is essential for MFIs to continue helping the financially excluded.

As the pandemic continues and the financial situation for Microfinance Institutions develops further, the need for research will present itself again and again. At GeoPoll conducting research on topics related to financial inclusion and development is our specialty. We are known for our unique ability to reach respondents that are hard to reach through traditional research methods—like people with low incomes and people that live in rural or remote areas of the world. GeoPoll’s mobile-based research platform allows us to remotely conduct research projects with a rigorous methodology, quickly and effectively. For more information on how we can help you reach your research goals contact us today.

The post The Precarious Position of Microfinance During COVID-19 appeared first on GeoPoll.

Organizations such as the World Bank and the World Food Programme have been ahead of the curve, testing how different mobile methodologies compare to traditional F2F methods, or providing respondents recruited in-person with mobile phones for follow up studies. Others have used remote methodologies when in-person data collection was inadvisable, such as during the 2014-2015 West African Ebola outbreak, but have primarily relied on in-person methodologies where possible.

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues it is clear that for researchers, coronavirus may represent a tipping point in the adoption of remote research methods. Even with precautions in place, face-to-face interactions put both interviewers and respondents at higher risk of contracting a devastating virus, and yet there is a pressing need for data on both COVID-19 itself and the impact it will have across countries and sectors. The question has become not if researchers will need to transition to remote-based methodologies, but how we as a research community can make the most of this unanticipated shift to remote data collection.

Mobile-Based Research in Emerging Regions: Where We are Now

When GeoPoll began offering surveys via 2-way SMS in 2012, we encountered obstacles surrounding not only the buildout of our platform, but also a resistance to the idea that reliable, valid research could be conducted through remote surveys administered through mobile phones. Entering the industry as a mobile technology company, we did not recognize all the nuances and biases of gathering data through methodologies which had not yet been tested at scale.

We overcame questions surrounding the representativeness and quality of data collected through mobile by implementing strict quality control systems and running research experiments that expanded our knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of various mobile modes. One study we conducted found that select-all-that-apply style questions have a lower number of responses in SMS than forced-choice questions, while another found that drop-off rates increase for SMS questionnaires as they get longer.

Studies by other organizations have examined response and completion rates, and the sample skew of various modes. Research on mobile samples has found that mobile phone owners tend to be more educated than general populations, and that the population reached varies depending on the mode uses. Studies have also looked at how to improve SMS opt-in rates, finding that higher incentives don’t lead to higher response rates, but that sending reminders can improve the participation of older and less educated respondents. The World Food Programme has shown that mobile surveys can accurately demonstrate food security trends at a lower cost than face-to-face interviews, and The World Bank has conducted various studies during health crisis or conflict which demonstrate the usefulness of mobile surveys especially during rapid-response situations.

The Future of Mobile-Based Research in Emerging Region

Although mobile-based research in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has increased in the past few years, it has often supplemented in-person research. For fully-mobile studies such as those being conducted during COVID-19, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing, live voice calls conducted from a call center or remotely, has emerged as a favored mode as it allows for longer interviews than SMS, is interviewer-administered, and can reach illiterate populations.

While limited research is available that directly compares results from CATI studies to face-to-face research, studies have found CATI to have higher response rates than other mobile modes, and that CATI is better at reaching older populations than SMS or IVR, an automated voice-call method. During COVID-19, CATI is being used by multiple academic and governmental groups who are looking to balance the need for remote data collection with research requirements. GeoPoll itself has seen a huge increase in demand for CATI surveys, resulting in the completion of nearly 100,000 CATI interviews in the month of July alone.

In research, there is often a fear of the unknown, but the benefits of remote data collection – namely the relative speed, wide reach, and relatively low cost – often outweigh the methodological challenges. During a time when in-person research is impossible, researchers have the ability to test these methods at scale so they can be used not only during times of crisis, but incorporated as part of a viable research approach in all projects. Research is ever-evolving, and at a moment when many are being forced to experiment with new methods, we have the opportunity to document learnings that will benefit the industry even after the pandemic has subsided.

The post COVID-19: A Tipping Point for Remote Research appeared first on GeoPoll.

Now, with the global coronavirus pandemic and oil crisis that are expected to push SSA into a recession, the steps taken to stimulate the region’s economies are even more critical than they were only six months ago. The pressure on sub-Saharan Africa has drastically increased. An area that has focused on growth alone must now face a daunting economic recovery.

To face such a challenge, SSA will need to use the limited resources available as efficiently as possible. This need for efficiency is what has electrification on development experts’ minds as a critical tactic for sub-Saharan Africa to pull itself back up economically. In this post, we will explore why the electrification of SSA is more crucial than ever before.

Unreliable Electricity’s Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite progress in the electrification of SSA, more than 600 million people are still without electricity, and the available electricity is costly and unreliable. According to Energy for Growth, an organization focused on energy poverty, African companies average being without power for 50 hours per month. Such outages have cost companies as much as 31% in their sales.

The lack of reliability at this capacity increases business costs and creates uncertainty surrounding overhead expenses for business owners; this makes being a business owner less accessible and desirable. In turn, it affects how many jobs business owners can provide. A World Bank report on Africa as a whole claimed that power outages in the continent limited employment opportunities in highly skilled jobs by 35-41% and limited self-employment by 32-47%. Additionally, research has shown that costly and unreliable energy is one of the primary limitations for job creation for almost every country in Africa.

Electrification for Industrialization

Although electrification can create job opportunities that are crucial for economic recovery, this is due primarily to electrification’s role in industrialization. Industrial processes require human labor, but, more importantly, industrial processes require large amounts of energy to function.

Reliable and cost-effective energy for manufacturers would positively impact SSA’s economy because it would allow for increased production volumes, profit margins, and job availability. Additionally, industrialization can bring an increase in self-reliance for economies and present opportunities for international trade—both of which are positive for economic recovery. Beyond this, manufacturing can also help a nation accumulate capital, which can be re-invested back into long-term economic growth tactics.

Electrification for Healthcare

Electrification is necessary to stimulate job creation and capital accumulation for economies in SSA, but without a healthy population of citizens, electrification can only go so far in aiding economic recovery. In order to combat the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare facilities in SSA need electricity. Only about 60% of healthcare facilities in the region have electricity. Out of the minority of facilities with electricity, only 34% of hospitals and 28% of other healthcare facilities have reliable electricity. Even if a vaccine for the virus is just around the corner, healthcare facilities without reliable electricity will not be able to keep vaccines cold—which will mean coronavirus can threaten the lives of populations in SSA until the problem is solved.

Takeaways of Reliable Electricity Access for Economic Recovery

Sub-Saharan Africa faces an upward battle to recover from the economic impact that coronavirus has had on the region. Experts have spoken out on the various tactics SSA could use to grow economically for years now, but the recession has increased the pressure to change quickly. When seeking solutions to economic recovery, the increase in access and reliability of electricity presents multi-prong benefits that make the tactic a potentially powerful use of limited resources.

At GeoPoll, we specialize in remote data collection in areas of the world that are hard to reach through traditional methods. For this reason, we conduct monitoring and evaluation campaigns for a variety of development organizations. Projects like these track progress of development initiatives, like the expansion of electricity access and reliability. To learn more about our research capabilities, contact us today.

The post Electrification as a Tactic for Economic Recovery from Coronavirus in Sub-Saharan Africa appeared first on GeoPoll.

The economic impact of COVID-19 is being felt globally, but economies classified as ‘emerging’ and ‘developing’ by the World Bank, which includes those in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America, are likely to be hardest hit. The combination of largely informal workforces, a decrease in export demand, and existing economic instability is expected to result in an outsize impact in countries such as South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia.

In sub-Saharan Africa, it has been predicted that coronavirus will result in the first recession in that region for 25 years. Most countries in the region have not yet experienced their peak in COVID-19 cases, and it’s possible that coronavirus-related measures and the related economic impacts will continue for some time.

Coronavirus’ Effect on the Economy, Employment and Income in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite these predictions, we don’t know yet how the economic impact of COVID-19 varies based on country, job type, income level, and other factors. In order to provide a more complete picture of the economic impact of COVID-19, GeoPoll has conducted a study in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Mozambique, and South Africa. The main areas of GeoPoll’s study are:

• Ability to work and income change since the outset of COVID-19
• Concern over expenses and the ability to pay for basic needs
• Usage of loans, savings, and income to pay for expenses
• The impact of COVID-19 on loans and mobile money services
• Receipt of aid and opinions of government priorities

The study was conducted by SMS from June – July 2020, with 500 respondents per country or 2,500 total, and a nationally representative sample by age, gender, and location. To download the full PDF report, a 16-page report including breakdowns and analysis by country, job type, income level, and more, please click below. You can also view the results in our interactive dashboard.

Data: COVID-19’s Economic Impact

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The post Report: Economic Impact of COVID-19 Across sub-Saharan Africa appeared first on GeoPoll.

Economic impacts of COVID-19

The economic shocks following the coronavirus pandemic are predicted to disproportionately impact countries with the least robust financial safety nets, which includes the emerging markets found in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America that rely on global trade as a source of income. These same countries often rely on outside funds to grow, yet risk-averse investors are more likely to assist economies that show stronger potential for a quick return on investment—such as those in established nations. For less-established economies, COVID-19 is likely to bring struggle due to decreased demand for exports and decreasing options for external assistance as all countries around the globe begin to feel the economic impacts of the pandemic.

Microfinance and financial inclusion

In addition to the struggle for many countries to secure loans in the wake of coronavirus, millions of the most vulnerable people in the world struggled to secure loans or other forms of credit before coronavirus for the same reason; banking institutions tend to avoid high-risk, low-reward models which may not pay off in the short term. As such, small loans with high interest rates provided by microfinance institutions, or MFIs, are one of the few options for these vulnerable individuals to obtain credit or access to savings.

MFIs play an integral role in the financial inclusion movement. The money MFIs lend is often used by the otherwise financially excluded to pay for personal expenses or to start a business. Without MFIs there would be even fewer resources for the financially excluded to invest in a small business for long-term income generation, and in turn, social mobility would be even further from accessible.

Financial Inclusion and Coronavirus

The economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic that are anticipated by economists will likely negatively impact the financial situation of people reliant on micro-lending. COVID-19 related restrictions are preventing the most vulnerable populations around the world from earning money and the global economic recession is anticipated to tighten wallets around the world. These impacts of coronavirus will mean more people than ever will need financial assistance, while at the same time those with outstanding micro-loans will find it difficult to repay their debts.

For the MFIs funding small loans, a dip in repayment rates can easily result in their demise. Due to the high-risk and low-reward of microlending to people who cannot always repay debt, MFIs are in a fragile financial state in which they need a steady income from debt holders to stay afloat. According to CGAP, “A slip in repayment rates from 95 to just 85 percent would render many MFIs insolvent in less than a year.”

A steady decrease in MFIs would slow down the financial inclusion movement and re-erect barriers for the most vulnerable people to overcome during the global financial and public health crises. Due to the imminent threat to MFIs, other methods for progressing financial inclusion, like accessibility and widespread use of mobile money, are more important now than ever before.

Conducting research on the use of mobile money and other financial services is one of the things GeoPoll’s data collection platform is extremely useful for. GeoPoll’s reach and targeting options allow for comprehensive research studies across socio-economic classes. One example of a study we conducted on the use of financial services is available for free download and can be found here. For more information on our capabilities, experience, and more, contact us today.

The post Financial Inclusion in the wake of COVID-19 appeared first on GeoPoll.

Coronavirus Testing and Healthcare Behavior Changing

Although there has been a slow ramp-up of testing in many African nations, with tests per thousand people varying widely by country, GeoPoll’s data finds that reported testing has increased; 16% of respondents said they knew people who had tested negative for coronavirus, up from 12% in our first round of data collection, and 11% knew someone who had tested positive, up from 8%. There is also a slight increase in perceived risk of exposure; 66% say they believe they are at risk of being exposed to coronavirus, up from 63% in the earlier round of data collection.

In our last report, we noted that the percent who said they would go to a hospital if they exhibited mild symptoms of COVID-19 was quite high, at 58%, compared to just 13% who stated that they would stay home with mild symptoms. This subsequent round of data collection shows shifting attitudes towards healthcare-seeking behavior, with 51% stating they would go to the hospital, 18% reporting they would stay home, and 27% stating they would go to a doctor. This may indicate increased communication and awareness around treatment for mild cases of coronavirus in the countries studied.

Respondents report almost identical levels of preventative measures being taken when compared to the previous round of data collection, suggesting that respondents have not changed their habits much over the past few weeks, and a large portion are still avoiding public places and increasing hygiene. A slightly higher percentage than previously reported say they are now fully self-quarantining; 73% are self-quarantining now compared to 70% in the previous round of data collection.

We also found that the actions being taken by businesses to protect their consumers have shifted, with 34% now reporting that staff are in protective gear compared to 25% in the previous round, and 28% stating that store traffic is being limited, versus 25% in the previous round. A slightly lower percent, 53%, report that sanitizer is being offered in stores than the previous 57%, although this could be due to sanitizer shortages.

Shifts in Food Purchasing Behavior in sub-Saharan Africa

There is a strong likelihood that populations in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions will experience heightened levels of food insecurity due to COVID-19 and related restrictions on movement and market operability. Our last study showed high levels of concern over food availability, and 81% of respondents remain concerned over having enough food to eat. Additionally, we observe some shifts in food buying habits even within the past few weeks. While respondents indicate that food markets are gradually reopening in some areas, with 22% stating that most markets are open compared to 18% in the previous survey round, a slightly larger percent of respondents now report shopping for food more often than usual.

There are also shifts in the amount of food being purchased; while the previous round of data collection found that 22% said they were buying smaller packsizes than usual and 43% were buying larger packsizes than usual, the latest data shows that 28% are buying smaller packsizes and 39% bigger packsizes. This could indicate that towards the beginning of the crisis people were buying larger amounts of food, or could suggest that people are unable to afford large quantities of food, so are now purchasing smaller packsizes. Similar trends are seen in the brands being purchased; 79% of those who stated that they had worried about food availability report switching to a cheaper brand of food, versus 72% who said the same in the previous round.

Media Consumption During Coronavirus

We have looked at how information sources and media consumption are changing due to coronavirus in several of our reports; In Kenya, we found average television viewership had increased during COVID-19, and in Uganda, that news viewership specifically had risen. Our last round of data collection in 12 African nations also found that 66% reported an increase in media consumption. This round of data collection had similar results, with 65% reporting an increase in media consumption, although a slightly higher percent – 17% versus 15% from the first round – said they were consuming less media. Television and social media remain the top information sources overall, but on social media we find that more people are now turning to health organizations to get their news, with 25% stating they are getting information on social media from health organizations, compared to 22% in the previous round.

Results Dashboard

Future Studies on Coronavirus in Africa

GeoPoll will be running additional studies on how COVID-19 is impacting live throughout sub-Saharan Africa and other regions. To sign up for updates when we release a new report, please fill out the form below. To request pricing for custom studies related to coronavirus around the globe, please contact us.

The post Coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa: Data shows changing food habits, increased testing appeared first on GeoPoll.