‘COVID kills, and it's not joking around’: Perceptions and experiences of COVID-19 in Soweto, South Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing social and gender inequalities, disproportionately affecting Black women living in communities like Soweto, South Africa. This paper primarily draws on qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews conducted in 2021, complemented by descriptive survey data from 204 women collected between 2020 and 2021. We employed inductive thematic analysis guided by the socio-ecological model to examine how intersecting individual, interpersonal, community and societal factors shaped women's experiences during the pandemic. Women played vital caregiving roles, supporting families and communities despite considerable personal stress linked to fears of infection, violence, isolation and economic hardship. On an interpersonal level, stigma related to COVID-19 severely disrupted social bonds, causing mistrust and exclusion within communities. At the societal level, pre-existing distrust in government institutions worsened, contributing to vaccine hesitancy. The widespread looting and unrest observed in Soweto during lockdowns are interpreted as collective resistance reflecting the community's perceived right to survival and fair treatment amid structural neglect. We argue that public health responses must adopt multi-level strategies that recognise women's crucial caregiving roles, address stigma through community engagement, rebuild institutional trust and promote economic justice.