In pictures: the night markets that keep the continent awake
When the offices close, a second economy lights up. Strings of bulbs, charcoal grills and fabric stalls turn the streets of African cities into markets after dark.
At six o'clock, the city changes shift. Office workers head home, and the vendors who have been setting up since the afternoon switch on their lamps. Across African capitals, night markets are where a large part of the economy meets its customers: after work, in the cool of the evening, under strings of bulbs.
The stalls sell everything: spices by the cup, grilled corn and fish, phone covers, school shoes, medicines and music. Many traders have worked the same spot for decades, and their customers are neighbours who know them by name.
Getting there is part of the show. Motorbike taxis thread through the traffic, carrying shoppers, traders and the goods of the next day. For many people, this is the most efficient transport in the city, and it keeps the markets supplied.
These markets are informal, but they are not marginal. They provide income, feed households and give young entrepreneurs a place to start. Cities that plan for them, with lighting, water and safe access, tend to see them thrive.
What cities can do
Planners who treat night markets as a problem to be managed usually miss what they offer: safe public space after dark, affordable food and a first rung on the business ladder. Simple measures, from better lighting and clean water to marked stalls and predictable fees, help traders and customers alike, and make the street safer for everyone.