Resilience and Coping Strategies in Rural South Africa during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Study of Livelihoods, Food Security, and Socioeconomic Determinants

Considerable attention has been given to the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily focusing on urban settings, while little research has examined the effects on rural communities. This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on livelihoods and food security in the rural area of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. We utilized a panel data set comprising 454 households from the Sustainability in Communal Socio-Ecological Systems (SUCSES) survey, conducted in 2019 and 2021. To identify the determinants of food security over time, we employed difference-in-differences (DiD) panel regression models for the two time periods, focusing on key indicators of food security, including household food availability, dietary diversity, food access, and overall food security. The analysis revealed significant adverse impacts of the lockdown on local off-farm employment (p < 0.05). In response, households increased their reliance on subsistence agriculture and natural resource use as coping mechanisms. Contrary to expectations, food security metrics improved during the study period. Higher levels of food security were associated with migrant employment, domestic assets, and the use of edible wild fruits and vegetables. In contrast, a high dependency on social grants was correlated with lower food security levels. The study highlights the diverse coping mechanisms rural households employed to adapt to pandemic-related disruptions, underscoring the importance of livelihood diversification. While short-term improvements in food security were observed, the decline in local off-farm employment poses risks to long-term resilience. These findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions that support the diversified livelihoods of rural households while strengthening social protection systems to sustain food security beyond crisis periods.