Food delivery services halted during Covid-19 lockdown

Food delivery services such as Uber Eats and Mr Delivery will join in the closure of restaurants, bars and coffee shops during the 21-day national lockdown, tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has said. 

“Such service providers have not been included on the list of what has been deemed essential services during the lockdown, and will not be permitted to operate, and will thus need to be closed for the duration," she said.

“In addition, in compliance with the nation-wide lockdown all food deliveries will also need to be suspended for 21 days.”

Kubayi-Ngubane’s statement comes as other small businesses have taken to social media to say they would be offering delivery of their products during the lockdown.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced that SA was going into a 21-day national lockdown starting at midnight on Thursday to combat the spread of Covid-19. The lockdown will continue until April 16 and South Africans will only be allowed to leave their homes under strict conditions, such as to buy groceries and supplies, get medical care or collect a social grant.

All businesses except those in the food value chain, pharmacies and designated essential services will have to stop operations. 

Kubayi-Ngubane on Tuesday said the department of tourism  has set aside R200m to support small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in the tourism and hospitality sectors whose businesses will suffer due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The accommodation, hospitality and related services, and travel and related services sectors would qualify for the benefit. This includes hotels, resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants and conference facilities that are not attached to hotels, professional catering services, tourist attractions, tour operators, travel agents, tourist guides, car rental companies and coach operators.

quintalg@businesslive.co.za