Abstract The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis wreaked havoc across the globe, disrupting social life, destroying economies, overwhelming health care systems and limiting the enjoyment of human rights. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the coronavirus pandemic exposed not just the shortfalls in social policy resilience, but weaknesses in the democratic commitment and governance systems. In order to contain the spread of the virus and ameliorate the economic and social consequences of the pandemic, many countries in SSA applied restrictions, frequently violating domestic constitutional guarantees for the enjoyment of human rights. This chapter discusses the impact of governments’ measures to combat coronavirus on social and economic rights in SSA. To illustrate this, while citing examples from across SSA, the chapter applies a human rights perspective to the Zambian government’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter takes a futuristic approach to propose how African countries could develop pandemic preparedness anchored in respect for human rights.