Surviving a fierce destruction: how the COVID-19 lockdown affected research and development in South African businesses

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our personal and professional lives. Uncertainty can sometimes compel us to achieve extraordinary things. John F Kennedy once stated that 'crisis' in Chinese was composed of two characters: one representing danger, the other opportunity. This ancient Chinese wisdom offers a fresh approach and a rich perspective in looking at the word. According to this philosophy, the word is like a double-edged sword. One side refers to danger the health system challenges and economic havoc. The other side, which is perhaps the sharper edge, refers to opportunity.