The economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be the deepest since
records began. In Africa, trade volumes are projected to decrease by 8% for exports and
about 16% for imports for 2020, compared with previous historic trend estimates (WTO,
2020a). Managing the pandemic has generated a unique blow to the world economy,
simultaneously affecting supply, demand and trade. Supply has been affected directly
through the suspension of operation of economic units across multiple activities. The …