'I don’t want anybody else to go through this': SA's business cost of COVID-19 SMMEs are not coping with the effects of the pandemic, while fraud and suspicions hovering over temporary relief schemes has not given businesses much faith. Following the strict lockdown regulations currently in place in South Africa, many breweries and micro-brewers are struggling to keep their doors open. Owner of Just Brewing Co. Julian Pienaar had to close a restaurant he co-owned and let some of his staff go, but managed to keep three out of his eight employees, including the chef who now works in his brewery. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey-Makhaza