For a period of several months Covid-19 has been keeping much of the world on the edge. Throughout the African continent, the number of infections is still relatively low. While the opinions of experts differ as to how the pandemic will develop in Africa, a number of political and economic effects of the crisis are already being felt.

The measures taken by African governments to contain the pandemic have far-reaching consequences for economic productivity and the daily lives of many people. The African Union, the World Bank and others have developed scenarios that not only attempt to quantify the consequences for the economy, but also identify the specific African challenges in dealing with the pandemic and make recommendations for action.

This issue of Afrikapost Aktuell intends to provide an insight on this chosen topic and not a comprehensive assessment of Covid-19’s impact on the continent. It presents data, facts and scenarios on the significance of the corona pandemic for the African continent and provides an overview of the support measures already initiated. Finally, the interview with Nicholas Opiyo, the German Africa Award winner 2017, focuses on the consequences of the pandemic from the very personal perspective of a Ugandan intellectual.