As global leaders gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum annual meeting, one of the most practical and consequential ideas shaping economic debate was not about new technologies or new capital but about better use of what cities already have: time. A newly released World Economic Forum paper on 24-hour cities and the night-time economy has put the spotlight on how extending economic life beyond traditional business hours can unlock growth, inclusion and resilience. The message from policymakers and business leaders is clear: time itself is an underutilised economic asset, and cities that organise activity across a full 24-hour cycle are unlocking new sources of productivity and opportunity.
South Africa’s growth challenge is often framed as a story of scarcity: too little capital, too few jobs, not enough infrastructure. Yet one of the most overlooked constraints on our economy is not what we lack but how we use what we already have. In particular, how we think about time.
Most cities, including our own, are still designed around “normal operating hours”. Infrastructure, public services and regulation largely assume that economic life winds down around 6pm. Roads are empty, public transport thins out, public services retreat and planning horizons narrow.
Read Full Article on Business Day
[paywall]
And yet an entire universe of activity comes alive after close of business. This is the night-time economy. This is not a debate about nightlife.
A 24-hour economy encompasses the full range of economic, social and civic activity that takes place after dark: goods moving through logistics networks, healthcare workers staffing hospitals, cleaners preparing buildings for the next day, security services protecting assets, manufacturers running shifts, transport systems moving people, hospitality and tourism creating livelihoods, creatives performing, and digital services that never switch off. These activities already exist in South Africa at scale. What is missing is not activity but intentional planning, co-ordination and support.
Every evening millions of South Africans continue to work, trade, travel and care for others. The economy does not stop after sunset. It simply becomes less visible, less supported and more fragmented.
The idea that cities shut down as the sun sets ignores an entire twelve-hour cycle that is fertile ground for meaningful trade and job creation. That fragmentation carries real costs. When the night-time economy operates despite the system rather than because of it, risks increase.
Workers face unsafe travel and insecure conditions. Businesses absorb higher operating costs. Communities experience greater insecurity.
Time, instead of being leveraged as a shared economic resource, becomes a source of exclusion. Global experience points to a different path. Across developed and emerging markets, there is growing recognition that cities designed to function effectively across 24 hours are more productive and inclusive.
Not because people work longer hours, but because existing assets are organised more intelligently. Transport, public space, services and regulation are aligned to how people actually live and work, rather than how planners assume they should. Countries and cities that have embraced the 24-hour economy are already seeing practical returns.
In the UK, night-time activity is treated as a core economic sector, supported by dedicated night mayors, streamlined licensing and co-ordinated transport, policing and safety services after dark, contributing meaningfully to GDP and employment. In Ghana, the government has adopted an explicit 24-hour economy strategy focused on manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and trade, aligning shifts, infrastructure and incentives to unlock productivity beyond daylight hours.
[/paywall]
