Pandemic affects South Africa supply of industrial oxygen

The impact of COVID-19 has had a significant negative impact on businesses across all sectors and taken a toll on healthcare systems and facilities in South Africa.

In recent weeks, there have been news reports of a high demand for medical oxygen, putting immense pressure on oxygen suppliers and affecting industrial supply.

In an attempt to assess the scale of the oxygen shortage, the Steel and Engineering Federation of South Africa, surveyed its member companies to investigate companies establish their experiences around oxygen shortage within the metals and engineering sector and to understand the impact of the shortage on their production levels and whether alternative supplies were being sought regarding input supply chains.