Constructing an “infrastructure of care” – understanding the institutional remnants and socio-technical practices that constitute South Africa’s Covid-19 response

ABSTRACT

The WHO recently praised the South African state’s urgent response to the Covid-19 crisis. It has promoted ascience-led response coupled with financial mechanisms to offset economic hardship. The decisive approach taken by the state, however, contradicts the heterogeneity of livelihoods that define the functioning of its socio-economic fringes. This paper focuses on acommunity-led initiative, connecting neighborhoods through relations of care. Focusing on this third mode of existence gives insight into the limited reach and efficacy of the data strategies, policies and legislative adaptations that make up the first mode: the state-led response to the pandemic. It also reveals the interrelationships between all three modes, that could potentially contribute to an “infrastructure of care”, illustrating the diversity yet contextual embeddedness of the elements of progressive socio-technical change.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• pandemic
• smart
• South Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. At the time of writing, 101 590 cases were reported, with 1991 deaths. (https://mediahack.co.za/datastories/coronavirus/dashboard/)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation under Grant 10001AM_173332.