AFP/Louisa GOULIAMAKI

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Wednesday announcement that the restaurant industry can reopen is a case of too little, too late, with over 700 eateries having gone bust and thousands of workers now unemployed.

The lockdown has severely crippled the restaurant business and despite the reopening of the industry, the daily closures of restaurants have left approximately 80% of workers unemployed. In his address to the nation on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the further reopening of industries during the level 3 lockdown, including restaurants for “sit-down” meals instead of the regulated delivery or collection. But the industry is already destroyed, Restaurant Association of South Africa CEO Wendy Alberts said. She said she receives between 10 and 15 messages per day from restaurant owners who are shutting their business. The country had about 23,000...

Article Source: https://citizen.co.za/business/business-news/2305158/restaurant-industry-destroyed-80-of-workers-unemployed/