Workers’ experiences of COVID-19 challenges: A case study of Safari Court Hotel’s retrenched employees, Windhoek, Namibia
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Date
2025
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University of Namibia
Abstract
The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt not just as a worldwide health
issue, but also in Namibia's economy and employment rates. Various industries suffered
economically as a result of lockdown measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus.
The Namibian hospitality industry was one of the most impacted since it relies heavily on
foreign tourists; as a result, many workers in the hotel industry were laid off or had their
salary reduced. The study aimed to investigate and analyse the issues faced by workers
retrenched from the Safari Court hotel as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as
how their livelihoods altered as a result. Data was acquired through semi-structured
interviews with twenty individuals (15 retrenched workers and 5 relatives/friends of the
retrenched workers) using the qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used
to select the participants. Based on the findings of the survey, all workers had difficulties
as a result of retrenchment. Financial issues, health (including mental health), and
employment challenges were among the most significant challenges faced by workers.
Finally, the study recommends that the government and many companies should build
effective pandemic preparation strategies for the future
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Sociology
Keywords
COVID-19, Pandemic, Retrenchments, Hotel industry, Workers, Employment, Namibia, University of Namibia