ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has united the world through its common challenge of being a global pandemic. The whole world is affected, although in reality it all boils down to the strength of a country's resources and the extent of its development. As COVID-19 knows no boundaries, it has uniquely demonstrated that its impact on an unequal society is overwhelming. The devastating nature of the pandemic has caused most developed countries to declare that their attention would be directed to their population: that is, there will be minimal or no aid for developing or underdeveloped countries. South Africa is a developing country with a large percentage of its population depending on social grants. As this is the most vulnerable group in South African society, it is the most affected by COVID-19. As such, the South African government has put in place mechanisms to combat the effects of COVID-19 that have already started to engulf the vulnerable. Social work as a profession focuses its commitment on social justice for the vulnerable groups that are in distress from circumstances beyond their capabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to highlight the psychosocial and economic challenges brought about by the pandemic. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.