The country’s new lockdown rules, seen on Wednesday by Reuters, will see sectors categorised into five groups, and with access to each opened up based on developments in the spread of Covid-19. The aim is to implement a more flexible response to the pandemic, where some sectors can be permitted to continue working to prevent a total economic standstill, while other, more at-risk industries continue with quarantine practices.

The news follows last week’s announcement by mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe that the majority of the country’s mining operations would be permitted to restart operations at 50% capacity during the lockdown, and is the latest step in a move towards a return to work across the country’s industrial sectors.

Read more about South Africa’s latest response to the pandemic here.