The sixth iteration of QoL was run between October 2020 and May 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns in South Africa meant that data collection for QoL 2020/21 could not begin as originally intended in April 2020. The resulting delay of six months allowed for a set of questions to be included in the survey that asked how COVID-19 may have impacted households or shifted their perceptions about their lives. A report released at the launch of QoL 2020/21 contains a summary of the key findings from the COVID-19 questions that were asked (de Kadt et al., 2021). This Data Brief examines the responses to COVID-19-specific questions in more detail and looks at some of the broader impacts on households, society, the economy and governance.

Results from QoL 2020/21 highlight the substantial and profound impact that COVID-19 has had on overall quality of life, health and well-being of residents in Gauteng (de Kadt et al., 2021). By comparing the results of this most recent survey to previous iterations, the data allows us to understand where shifts and changes may differ from trends that were occurring before the pandemic. It is not always possible to show that the changes are as a result of the pandemic or other stressors and events that happened, but it does allow a deeper understanding of how the changes have happened and who has been impacted. This information is crucial to enable evidence-led policy and to direct efforts to help with recovery.