The primary purpose of the study was to identify and explore the impact of the global COVID-19 crisis on consumers’ purchase behaviour in the context of South Africa.  A nonprobability convenience sampling technique was used to collect data using a structured questionnaire. The quantitative data analysis of the responses of 200 respondents reveals that the perception of the COVID-19 crisis significantly influences economic crisis and household consumption at P<0.05 and financial difficulties at the P<0.10 level. Moreover, analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests showed that responses on the perception of the COVID-19 crisis, economic crisis and household consumption are not statistically different across different income groups. However, responses to financial difficulties are statistically different across different income groups. It indicates that people with lower income levels have more financial challenges than those with higher levels of income and need to adapt their purchase behaviour accordingly to make ends meet. The study makes a contribution to the existing literature related to the pandemic and consumer behaviour. In addition, academics, marketers and decision-makers will benefit from a better understanding regarding consumer behaviour during the time of a crisis or pandemic.

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Acknowledgement:Shahedul Hasan, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000 who assisted in various aspects in completing the paper.