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. 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.
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.
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.
In Shanghai, city authorities deliberately built governance capacity around night-time trade, appointing district-level “night mayors” and industry “nightlife CEOs”, adapting regulations and investing in transport, public space and safety to support culture, tourism and commerce after dark.
What links these examples is not culture or wealth, but governance: deliberate decisions to plan for the night, co-ordinate across agencies, and treat after-dark activity as an extension of public life rather than a marginal afterthought.
For South Africa, this conversation could not be more relevant. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, fiscal space is constrained and municipalities are under pressure. In this context, the 24-hour economy is not a silver bullet, but one of the most practical growth levers available.
A well-governed night-time economy could help grow jobs faster, improve utilisation of existing infrastructure, support small and township-based businesses and reduce spatial and income inequality without placing major new demands on the public purse.
The opportunity is particularly strong in labour-intensive local service sectors such as food and beverage, logistics, transport, tourism, retail and the creative industries. These sectors are embedded in communities, relatively resistant to automation, and capable of absorbing young people into the world of work.
Better use of time also improves asset utilisation. Ports, transport corridors, public buildings and retail spaces already exist, yet many sit underused for half the day. Extending productive use requires co-ordination and planning, not necessarily new capital.
Importantly, the night-time economy is not confined to formal city centres. After dark, economic life flourishes in townships and peri-urban areas through local hospitality, informal trading and social spaces. These hyper-local economies are resilient and deeply embedded in daily life, yet they operate with limited support.
Poor lighting, unsafe transport, inconsistent regulation and uneven enforcement constrain their growth. A serious approach to the 24-hour economy would recognise these spaces not as peripheral, but as essential to inclusive urban development.
Transport illustrates the challenge clearly. If people cannot move safely and affordably after dark, businesses incur higher costs, workers face fewer opportunities and women and young people are disproportionately excluded.
Investing in reliable night-time mobility is therefore not simply a social intervention; it is an economic one. Without it, the promise of nighttime growth remains theoretical.
None of this is without risk. Poorly governed night-time activity can exacerbate safety concerns and strain already limited policing and municipal capacity. Extending trading hours without extending services simply shifts costs onto workers and communities. This is why governance matters more than enthusiasm.
A credible 24-hour economy requires predictable regulation, consistent enforcement, safe and well-lit public spaces, visible safety measures and data-driven accountability. These are not luxuries. They are the foundations of dignity, productivity and participation.
The discussions in Davos made one thing clear: the future of our cities will not be shaped by daytime alone.
Business has a critical role to play in this transition. Companies already benefit from night-time activity through logistics, retail, hospitality and services. The question is whether business remains a passive beneficiary or becomes an active co-builder of systems that are safe, responsible and inclusive. Growth is increasingly a shared project, requiring partnership rather than posturing.
At South African Breweries we experience the reality of a 24-hour city every day. Our role in beer, music, culture and culinary experiences places us at the centre of how people gather, celebrate and move through cities after dark.
That is why these insights resonate. The night-time economy creates real opportunity across the beer value chain, from logistics and licensed traders to hospitality and the creative industries.
But this opportunity only endures when it is matched by responsibility: responsible consumption, compliant trading and safer social spaces. This is not about corporate benevolence. It is about sustaining trust and legitimacy through responsible participation.
Reimagining the night-time economy is ultimately about reframing how we think about growth itself. Not always as something that requires more inputs, but as something that can be unlocked through better co-ordination of time, space and systems.
South Africa does not lack ideas. What it needs is execution at the seams: between departments, between levels of government and between policy intent and lived reality.
The discussions in Davos made one thing clear: the future of our cities will not be shaped by daytime alone. It will be determined by how we choose to unlock the value of the other 12 hours and whether we do so in a way that is safe, inclusive and fit for the realities of South African life.
• Lisa is vice-president: corporate affairs at South African Breweries
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