The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Selected Business Sectors in South Africa

Abstract

Based on the BER's 2005 survey11 The survey was conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University and funded by the South African Business Coalition on HIV & AIDS (SABCOHA)., this paper provides a snapshot view of the nature and the extent of the impact of HIV/AIDS on selected economic sectors in South Africa, as well as their response to the epidemic. Whereas the focus of most of the previous surveys has been on “evaluating workplace responses”, this study also considers the economic impact of HIV/AIDS. With 1032 participants from the mining, manufacturing, building & construction, trade, transport and financial services sectors, it is the largest survey on the economic impact of HIV/AIDS in South Africa to date. The survey results suggest that the mining sector, followed by the manufacturing and transport sectors, are the worst affected among the sectors surveyed. The companies that are the most active in the fight against HIV/AIDS seem to be the ones that are the hardest hit by the epidemic. The survey results also confirmed that fear of stigma is a significant impediment to the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS