The Forced Cancellations of Four Selected Annual Sport Events (ASES) Due to COVID-19 and Its Socio-Economic Influence on South Africa: A Literature Review

Abstract

During the first three months of 2020, the world was struck by the COVID-19 global pandemic. This resulted in governments around the world to adopt interventions aimed at containing and mitigating outbreaks of COVID-19. In a South African dispensation, the national government followed suit with the rest of the world which led to the halting and/or slowing-down of economic operations, particularly after enforcing a national lockdown. The foregoing resulted in the cancellation and/or postponement of events, including that of annual sport events (ASEs). Notwithstanding the South African President’s acknowledgement of potential economic shrinkage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to explore the possible socio-economic influences that forced cancellations of four selected ASEs might have on the country, albeit from a theoretical vantage point. This conceptual study was non-empirical and exploratory in nature; utilising a qualitative research approach. An extensive literature review was conducted which resulted in the analysing of secondary data, allowing for the study to fall within the interpretivist research paradigm. Considering the trends noted, it is highly probable that the forced cancellations of the selected four ASEs will have a significant adverse influence on South Africa, particularly from a socio-economic stance. As such, this study lays a framework for future empirical investigations pertaining to inter alia the exact adverse socio-economic influences of forced ASE cancellations due to COVID.

Keywords: Annual sport events, Tourism, Events, COVID-19, South Africa, Socio-economic influence