On Tuesday, the day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the 21-day shutdown, locals streamed to Tzaneen Lifestyle Centre’s stores to do “panic buying”.
On the other side of town, the CBD, Tzaneng Mall and Tzaneen Crossing were much quieter with business as usual.
ALSO READ: Tzaneeners locked down on cruise ship
Stores like Checkers and Food Lover’s Market had to deal with constantly replacing stock as more and more shoppers filled their trolleys with groceries. According to experts, panic buying is caused by the fear of the unknown and the need to have a dramatic response to a dramatic situation.
However, this can affect the country in the long run as observed in other countries. This type of behaviour can make shortages worse and lead to the increase of goods prices, experts say. News channels have been reporting on how panic buying has been distrupting markets across the world.
ALSO READ: Carpentry graduates grow into entrepreneurs
Even in countries like the US, stores have been running out of goods despite their strong food supply chain.
“To avoid causing more damage to the lockdown it is essential for people to abide by the rules set out by the President so that the country can be able to provide essential goods to everyone during this period,” said a customer.
