Johannes Loots was interviewed on RSG by Mariëtta Kruger. You can listen to the podcast below or read the transcript in English or Afrikaans.
Interview Saturday 16 May 2020 12:05 (Afrikaans transcript below)
The company Clear Strategy Company, began to monitor the South African’s interpretation and management of Covid-19 the day after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the lockdown on the 15th March. The continuous survey has produced more interesting data and for more on this we speak to one of the company’s project managers Johannes Loots.
Marietta: Good afternoon Johannes.
Johannes: Good afternoon Marietta.
Marietta: How many people have now participated in this survey of yours?
Johannes: Around 28 and a half thousand people, we are on our way to 30 000.
Marietta: That is quite a lot! It is interesting that the survey found that older people have less anxiety, why is that?
Johannes: We looked statistically at different age groups and from the start we found that this looked different with older people. At some point we talked a bit on Monitor Radio about the younger people and why there is anxiety in that group, but we did not get a good understanding of older peoples anxiety, I started reading wider and noticed that this is a trend world-wide. Statistics and research done in Britain and America indicate the same result, older people’s anxiety and stress around this situation is significantly lower, and that’s when I started to think we need to get a discussion going around this topic. Initially one thinks this age group is part of the high-risk group, they should be extremely anxious, our research shows this is not the case. The anxiety level is is significantly lower.
Marietta: I don’t know exactly what you mean with that age group, however I must say that this age group might have survived the 2nd World War, they have experienced the making of union/republic and the new South Africa, so I think they might have a different perspective than our younger generation.
Johannes: Yes, and we also need to keep in mind these people are people who have access to the social media, so in other words those who use Facebook and those type of platforms.
Marietta: And the ISM is high?
Johannes: Most probably, and we have started thinking the way you have mentioned, these people have come a long way, we are talking of the age of 65 and older. I spoke to one of our clients the other day and her mother is 80 years old. On a lighter note she commented that she cannot understand where the problem is, she taught them long ago to wash their hands, live in a hygienic manner and have faith.
Marietta: That is experience talking, the other question I wanted to ask?
Johannes: Sorry for interrupting, this old lady I mentioned comes from a township, so it fits in with what you said earlier about many of us that have been through a lot lately.
Marietta: I want to ask you, what did you find was the affect of the lockdown on children?
Johannes: We started the survey way-back before the lockdown when one of our biggest clients advised that because of the circumstances they have to put our work with them on hold. We advise clients on customer satisfaction and ways and means to understand their business better and that brought us to the realisation that we need to understand the South African market during these times, as it is new to us all. We have a standard questionnaire that people need to complete and from time to time we incorporate more questions, like what we did on employee/employer relations in order to advise clients from the survey results on what to communicate with their staff. We also touched on the tobacco question and the impact on children where we get feedback from the parents. What was interesting from the survey, and again many people have access to internet, was that 90% or more of people indicate that they were very concerned with the health and mental health condition of their children. What is more concerning is that in answer to our question on whether they are aware of assistance for children, 75% stated they were not aware of any assistance for children. This makes it even more concerning taking into consideration the group of people we are talking about, what is then the impact on the rest of the country or the country itself? Is this not something we need to focus on?
Marietta: I think it is very clever that your company has initiated this survey as it gives one a lot of insight into the emotional and psychological issues. Now, other issues that are interesting, how people keep themselves busy during the lockdown?
Johannes: We started asking the question about what do people do to relieve their anxiety during this time, and here I also had a look at the older people’s response. We ask questions on what keeps them busy around the house and responses are work from home, watch television, series and such. Among other things are sleep… here it is interesting that older people sleep a little more, they are slightly more active in the garden and regarding exercise the older people also seem to do better. Another interesting fact that emerged was that less of them indicate (it is now the older people) that they eat more to handle the stress.
Marietta: You mentioned the tobacco issue briefly, and I am sure the alcohol issue as well, what were the findings on those?
Johannes: Yes, it’s interesting many of the statistics we get resonates quite well with the other research we see and which emerges from the HSRC and STATS SA and certain newspaper groups, 40% of the people indicated that they smoke and then answering the question where they get tobacco from, more than 40% answered from the black market. Once again looking at this, these are people that are probably model citizens and keep to the rules. There are quite a few people that were forced to do things differently.
Marietta: Yes, you are going to find that they are probably absolute loyal citizens, they pay their income tax, they have a steadfast job, and they are godly and all such things, but the situation now forced them to the black market, something they probably never would have done under normal circumstances.
Johannes: That is a possibility.
Marietta: One question that was very interesting to me in your questionnaire was which media do you trust?
Johannes: We had a look at media from social networks, radio, newspapers, Again results in differences between older people and the rest. Whereas older people rely more on radio and television, the rest of the people (other groups) get their information from social media and electronic media.
Marietta: Any reference to newspapers as such?
Johannes: We did not really take printed media into consideration.
Marietta: This is really interesting, are you going to continue with the research?
Johannes: We want to continue, however we are also a business that along with the entire economy of South Africa has experienced the same as the rest. We planned for 21 days, now we’re at 60 days, but we need to cut the rib thin.
Marietta: This is true for all of us. Thank you for having shared this information with us, I find it very interesting.
This was Johannes Loots from Clear Strategy Company.
RSG Onderhoud Saterdag 16 Mei 12:05
Die maatskappy Clear Strategy Company het die Suid-Afrikaners se interpretasie en hantering van Covid-19 begin te monitor die dag na President Cyril Ramaphosa se aankondiging van die inperkingstyd op die 15de Maart. Die deurlopende peiling ontbloot net al hoe meer interessante gegewens en vir meer hieroor praat ons nou met een van die maatskappy se projek bestuurders Johannes Loots.
Marietta: Goeie middag Johannes
Johannes: Middag Marietta
Marietta: Hoeveel mense het nou al aan hierdie peiling van julle deelgeneem?
Johannes: So om en by 28 en ‘n half duisend, ons is vining op pad na die 30 000 toe.
Marietta: Jinne, dis ‘n hele hand vol! Dit is interessant dat die peiling gevind het dat ouer mense minder angs het, hoe so?
Johannes: Marietta, uit die aard van die saak kyk ons met die statistiek na ouderdomsgroepe, weet jy ons het van die begin af vinnig opgetel dit lyk anders by die ouer mense. Ons het op ‘n stadium op Monitor bietjie gepraat oor die jonger mense en hoekom daar angs is, maar ek self kon nie lekker begrip kry oor wat is dit by die ou mense nie, tot ek nou bietjie begin wyer lees het en sien dat hierdie is ‘n tendens wêreld wyd, Met die statistieke en navorsing wat byvoorbeeld in Brittanje en Amerika gedoen is, kry hulle dieselfde benadering van die ou mense se angs en stres rondom hierdie situasie wat beduidend laer is, en dis toe dat ek begin dink het ons moet ‘n geprek rondom hierdie aan die gang kry. Aanvanklik dink ‘n mens hierdie groep is deel van die hoë risiko mense en hulle moet geweldig angstig wees, totdat ons nou die navorsing begin kry het en toe sien ons hulle is nie. Soos ons dit meet, is die angsvlakke beduidend laer in hierdie groep mense
Marietta: Ek weet nou nie wat julle spesifiek bedoel met daai ouderdomsgroep nie, maar weet jy ek moet jou sê, ek dink hulle het dalk al die 2de wereld oorlog beleef, hulle het unie-wording/republiek wording, nuwe Suid Afrika beleef, so ek dink hulle het miskien ‘n ander perspektief as ons.
Johannes: Mairetta ja, ons moet ook net in gedagte hou hierdie mense is mense wat toegang het tot sosiale media, so met ander woorde mense wat Facebook en die tipe van platvorms gebruik.
Marietta: Die lsm is hoog?
Johannes: Waarskynlik ja… maar as ons nou regtig hieroor dink en ek dink jy sit dit mooi aan die gang, kom die mense al ‘n lang pad en ek praat hier van 65 en ouer. Ek praat nou die dag met een van ons kliente, Amanda sy is in die Oos Kaap, haar ma is 80 en dis amper op ‘n ligter trant….sê sy vir my haar ma kan nie verstaan nie, sy het hulle geleer om hande te was, higienies te leef en te glo, waar kom die probleem in al die goeters?
Marietta: Ja, dis oulik want dit is ervaring wat daar praat. ‘n ander ding wat ek…
Johannes: Askies, Maretha, die dame sit in ‘n township, so dit sluit aan by wat jy gesê het, baie van ons mense is deur baie goed die afgelope tyd.
Marietta: Ek wil jou vra, wat het julle gevind wat is die uitwerking van die inperking op kinders?
Johannes: Die studie het begin toe een van ons eerste kliënte vir ons gesê het voor die grendeltyd en inperking (hulle is een van die groot hotel groepe in die land) , dat hulle ons programme met hulle so biethie op sy sal moet sit.,Ons adviseer mense rondom kliënte diens, ons adviseer mense rondom om prosesse en goed in plek te kry sodat hulle hulle besigheid kan verstaan en ons kom toe af op die gedagte van ons wil graag die Suid-Afrikaanse mark verstaan in hierdie tyd, want dit is vir ons almal vreemd. Ons het ‘n standard vraelys wat die mense invul maar van tyd tot tyd bring ons verskillende temas by, onder andere op ‘n stadium oor die werknemer werkgewer verhouding sodat ons vir ons kliente kan se kommunikeer dit met jou mense, dit is wat ons uit die studie kry. So het ons bietjie oor die tabak storie en die laaste tyd het ons bygevoeg rondom die kinders maar ons kry die ouers se perspektief. En dit was nou nogal interessant dat weereens baie van hierdie mense het toegang tot die internet, maar almal van hulle of 90% het aangedui hulle is bitter bekommerd oor die gesondheids of geestesgesondheids toestand van hulle kinders. Maar wat vir my daarby kommerwekkend is, ons vra die vraag is julle bewus van enige hulp vir die kinders en daar het 75% vir ons gesê nee. En dit is vir my eintlik bietjie kommerwekkend en veral as jy in ag neem wie die groep is wat ons hier van praat, wat is die impak dan op die res van die land of die hele land? Is dit nie dalk iets waarop ons gaan moet fokus nie?
Marietta: Ja, ek hoor jou. Ek dink dit is baie slim dat julle maatskappy dit aangepak het want dit gee mens baie insig in emosionele en psigiese kwessies. Nou, ander kwessies wat interessant is, is hoe mense hulleself tydens die inperking besig hou?
Johannes: Ons het op twee manière dit begin doen, maar die belangrikste een is as jy nou vir die mense begin vra: “Jy het nou hierdie angs, wat is dit wat vir jou help dat die angs minder is?”. En ek het ook daar gaan kyk na hoe die ouer mense reageer. Ons vra dinge soos wat dit is wat hulle rondom die huis besig hou en dan gee hulle vir jou aanduiding van die werk by die huis, baie van hulle kyk televisie en series en die goete, Onder andere slaap….hier is dit interessant dat ouer mense slaap ‘n bietjie meer, hulle is bietjie meer aktief in die tuin en lyk vir my aan oefening kant doen die ou mense ook beter. En ‘n interesante een wat uitgekom het, minder van hulle dui aan (dis nou die ouer mense) dat hulle eet baie om die stress te hanteer.
Marietta: Jy het netnou vlugtig verwys dat julle ondermeer ook navraag gedoen het oor die tabak-kwessie en ek aanvaar seker ook oor die drank-kwessie, wat was julle bevindinge daar?
Johannes: Ja, dis interessant baie van die goed wat ons kry, gegewe ook die groep mense wat ons van kry, resoneer nogal met die ander navorsing wat ons sien en navore kom van die RGN en STATS SA en sekere koerant groepe, 40% van die mense het aangedui dat hulle rook en dan die meer as 40% daai vraag beantwoord waar kry jy sigarette – die swart mark. Weereens as mens vat hierdie is die mense wat al aanvaar het dat hulle deel is van die burgery wat nogal hou by die reels.. Paar mense wat gedruk is om goed bietjie anders te doen
Marietta: Nee, ek hoor jou..Ja, jy gaan agterkom hulle is waarskynlik absolute lojale burgers, hulle betaal hulle inkomstebelasting, hulle het ‘n standvastige werk en hulle is godvresend en al sulke dinge maar die situasie dwing hulle nou na die swart mark toe, iets wat hulle waarskynlik nooit sou gedoen het onder normale omstandighede nie.
Johannes: Dit is ‘n moontlikheid ja.
Marietta: Een vraag wat vir my baie interessant was in julle vraelys was watter media vertrou jy?
Johannes: Ja, wat ons gedoen het is om te kyk na die media van die sosiale netwerke, radio, koerante en op die ou end kom dit uit dat weereens is daar klein verskil tussen die ouer mense en die res, waar die ouer mense bietjie meer staat maak op die radio, heelwat eintlik meer as die ander en televisie, dis vir hulle die groter bron van inligting. Maar die gewone mense (die res van die groepe) kry baie van hulle inligting van sosiale media en elektroniese nuus.
Marietta: Enige verwysing na koerante as sodanig?
Johannes: As ek reg is het ons nie juis gedrukte media in ag geneem nie.
Marietta: Maar dis baie interessant, julle gaan aan hou met hierdie navorsing?
Johannes: Ons probeer maar ons is ook maar ‘n besigheid wat in die hele ekonomie van Suid-Afrika maar dieselfde ervaar as die res, so ons het beplan vir 21 dae , nou trek ons al op 60 dae, ons moet maar die rieme dun sny.
Marietta: Ai Johannes, dit is die waarheid vir almal van ons. Dankie dat jy hierdie inligting met ons gedeel het, ek vind dit vreeslik interessant.
Dit was Johannes Loots van die firma Clear Strategy Company
