What’s to be expected this winter with Covid and Business

With COVID on the rise as we hit the pandemic’s 3^rd wave in South Africa, uncertainty lurks as business owners and employees wonder what the future has in store for their livelihoods.

With COVID on the rise as we hit the pandemic’s 3^rd wave in South Africa, uncertainty lurks as business owners and employees wonder what the future has in store for their livelihoods.

It’s been more than a year since we entered lockdown in South Africa, and from all the doom and gloom in 2020 there are silver linings that have emerged. We live in the digital age and we are able to reach clientele via the internet. Many businesses have managed to survive lockdown by adapting and even evolving their businesses to reach clientele through new means such as web sites, social media and mobile apps.

In the car dealership space, a year ago dealers where resuming sales under level 4 and managed to sell 12847 vehicles. This year May, new vehicles sales have increased by 197.8% and is up by 7.6% from April 2021.

The market slowly continues to recover through a number of challenges and opportunities. Interest rates remain at historical lows, providing some of the most affordable finance and consequently opportunities to purchase a new vehicle.

(Source: iol.co.za)

What’s to come during the winter months?

According to research released by the Covid-19 working group of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA).

Adam Lowe, a member of the ASSA Covid-19 working group, said historical parallels and emerging evidence from around the world indicate that the quicker the third wave follows the second wave, the less severe it is likely to be.

Lowe said South Africa could experience one of three scenarios:

• An early third wave in May – An early third wave is expected to be less severe than the second wave and is most likely to materialise in May 2021. Not only does historical precedent set by the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 and 1919 support this scenario, but it is also a realistic expectation given the public holidays and school holidays in April. This is seen as the most likely scenario.

• A delayed third wave – A third wave of similar magnitude to the second wave becomes more likely the longer the peak is delayed. A more severe third wave would be likely to peak in late winter (July/August) at the earliest. This is less likely than scenario one, but not impossible.

• Worst case scenario – A large and sudden third wave could be possible if available patterns and interpretations of patterns prove to be flawed. This scenario is seen as very unlikely.

(Source: businesstech.co.za)

We look to our government during these times to find a balance between our personal safeties without it affecting the economy too severely.

As we say at Mobility Club: We hope for the best, are prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” With all the information provided at our fingertips, do we choose to be unprepared for when the worst-case scenario hits, or do we sit back and hope for the best?

Take advantage of this time to provide your clients with reassurance that your showrooms are sanitized or even hand out free masks.

With online scams on the rise, be sure to have a solid online presence on Google and on Social Media to build trust and ensure your clients that you are in fact a reputable business.

It is never too late too late to take action and be prepared for what may or may not happen. Mobility Club urges all our dealerships to plan ahead for when we find ourselves in a stricter lockdown situation.

With COVID on the rise as we hit the pandemic’s 3^rd wave in South Africa, uncertainty lurks as business owners and employees wonder what the future has in store for their livelihoods.

It’s been more than a year since we entered lockdown in South Africa, and from all the doom and gloom in 2020 there are silver linings that have emerged. We live in the digital age and we are able to reach clientele via the internet. Many businesses have managed to survive lockdown by adapting and even evolving their businesses to reach clientele through new means such as websites, social media and mobile apps.

In the car dealership space, a year ago dealers were resuming sales under level 4 and managed to sell 12847 vehicles. This year May, new vehicles sales have increased by 197.8% and is up by 7.6% from April 2021.

The market slowly continues to recover through a number of challenges and opportunities. Interest rates remain at historical lows, providing some of the most affordable finance and consequently opportunities to purchase a new vehicle.

(Source: iol.co.za)

What’s to come during the winter months?

According to research released by the Covid-19 working group of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA).

Adam Lowe, a member of the ASSA Covid-19 working group, said historical parallels and emerging evidence from around the world indicate that the quicker the third wave follows the second wave, the less severe it is likely to be.

Lowe said South Africa could experience one of three scenarios:

• An early third wave in May – An early third wave is expected to be less severe than the second wave and is most likely to materialise in May 2021. Not only does historical precedent set by the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 and 1919 support this scenario, but it is also a realistic expectation given the public holidays and school holidays in April. This is seen as the most likely scenario.

• A delayed third wave – The third wave of similar magnitude to the second wave becomes more likely the longer the peak is delayed. A more severe third wave would be likely to peak in late winter (July/August) at the earliest. This is less likely than scenario one, but not impossible.

• Worst case scenario – A large and sudden third wave could be possible if available patterns and interpretations of patterns prove to be flawed. This scenario is seen as very unlikely.

(Source: https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/489467/3-scenarios-for-south-africas-third-covid-19-wave/)

We look to our government during these times to find a balance between our personal safeties without it affecting the economy too severely.

As we say at Mobility Club: We hope for the best, are prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” With all the information provided at our fingertips, do we choose to be unprepared for when the worst-case scenario hits, or do we sit back and hope for the best?

Take advantage of this time to provide your clients with reassurance that your showrooms are sanitized or even hand out free masks.

With online scams on the rise, be sure to have a solid online presence on Google and on Social Media to build trust and ensure your clients that you are in fact a reputable business.

It is never too late too late to take action and be prepared for what may or may not happen. Mobility Club urges all our dealerships to plan ahead for when we find ourselves in a stricter lockdown situation.