Shopping centres across South Africa were in a frenzy this week as people rushed to stock up their pantries.
Many shelves at major retailers, such as Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Checkers, were emptied.
Toilet paper, bread, milk and canned goods were some of the items that people stockpiled.
The shopping hysteria kicked off after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the outbreak a national disaster on Sunday.
READ: Wipe privilege: The psychology behind toilet paper panic buying
Ramaphosa said the government would enforce several strict measures to try to curb the spread of the virus.
In this episode of The Story, we speak to Business Insider South Africa’s Associate Editor Phillip de Wet.
He dials into the show to discuss consumer habits, ethical panic buying and whether stockpiling toilet paper and bread is the best way to handle the outbreak.
Listen to the episode on SoundCloud here.