Katlego Sekhu
Clicks is reportedly set to open a 24-hour pharmacy, and the announcement has sparked a broader conversation about convenience, labour and what a round-the-clock economy would actually mean for South Africa.
Siz The World with Sizwe Dhlomo weighed in, with the team exploring both the appeal and the complications of businesses that never close.
Sizwe Dhlomo noted that extended trading hours are already the norm in many parts of the world.
“In first-world countries, the shops open until very late, and some operate 24 hours,” he said.
But he was quick to flag the tension that comes with it. “The drawback is the people who service that economy. Is it fair on them so that you can be convenient? Where do we draw the line on what is fair and what the economy needs?”
Mbali Thethane shared a personal experience, pointing out that odd hours are already a reality for many workers.
“Depending on which industry you are in. I used to work from 7 pm until 5 am. It comes with the kind of lives that we are living.”
Sizwe added that some jobs are actually better suited to the quiet of night. “There are some jobs that are better when most people are asleep. If you are fixing the road, for example, the best time to do it is when there is no traffic or when everybody else is asleep.”
Mpho Maboi said she has long been an advocate for a 24-hour economy. “Then you will have an economy that never rests and it will become a norm for people that work at night and people that work in the day. There will not be a level of, oh, this is unfair.”
To hear the full discussion, listen to the Siz The World podcast.
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