Shopping centres across South Africa were in a frenzy this week as people rushed to stock up their pantries.

Many shelves at major retailers, such as Woolworths, Pick n Pay and Checkers, were emptied.

Toilet paper, bread, milk and canned goods were some of the items that people stockpiled. 

The shopping hysteria kicked off after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the outbreak a national disaster on Sunday.

READ: Wipe privilege: The psychology behind toilet paper panic buying

Ramaphosa said the government would enforce several strict measures to try to curb the spread of the virus.

In this episode of The Story, we speak to Business Insider South Africa’s Associate Editor Phillip de Wet.