Since launching in early 2025 in partnership with Kagiso Connect, Time Out has quickly established itself as a popular and trusted guide to urban culture in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Time Out South Africa has appointed Aisha Mohamed as its new managing director. Image supplied
Now, with Aisha Mohamed leading the business, the brand is looking toward its next phase of growth — deepening its editorial authority, expanding its audience and unlocking new commercial opportunities in the local cultural economy.
In this interview, Mohamed shares her vision for the platform’s future and the role Time Out can play in shaping how audiences experience South Africa’s cities.
Time Out has successfully launched in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Under your leadership, what is the next phase of growth for Time Out South Africa?
The successful launches in Cape Town and Johannesburg have created a strong foundation, and the next phase is about deepening Time Out’s role as the definitive guide to city life in South Africa.
Our focus will be on strengthening editorial authority, expanding digital audience engagement and building meaningful partnerships with brands that want to connect with culturally curious audiences.
At the same time, we’re exploring how Time Out’s global model — which blends trusted editorial, experiences and commercial collaboration — can unlock new opportunities locally. Ultimately, the ambition is to build a platform that reflects our cities’ cultural pulse and contributes to their growth.
South Africa has a competitive lifestyle and cultural media landscape. How will Time Out differentiate itself while maintaining global brand standards and local authenticity?
Time Out’s strength lies in the balance between global credibility and deeply local storytelling. The brand has nearly six decades of experience curating the best of city life around the world, and that editorial rigour remains central.
But what makes Time Out distinctive is that each city is shaped by local experts who understand its culture, energy and communities. Our job in South Africa is to combine that trusted global framework with authentic local insight.
The most compelling city stories always come from within the city itself.
Time Out operates at the intersection of culture and commerce. How do you balance editorial credibility with the need to build strong commercial partnerships?
Editorial credibility is the cornerstone of the Time Out brand. Audiences trust our recommendations because they are curated by editors and cultural insiders who genuinely understand their cities.
Commercial partnerships, when approached thoughtfully, allow us to expand the reach of those cultural experiences. The balance comes from ensuring that partnerships align with the interests of our audience while protecting the editorial independence that makes Time Out trusted in the first place.
When that alignment exists, partnerships become less about advertising and more about enabling meaningful experiences.
Are there plans to expand into additional South African cities, and what determines when a market is ready?
Expansion is certainly part of the long-term vision for Time Out South Africa. The brand works best in cities with vibrant cultural ecosystems — places where food, arts, nightlife, entertainment and community experiences are constantly evolving.
South Africa has several cities with exciting cultural momentum, so there is definitely potential for expansion as the brand continues to grow.
Globally, Time Out has evolved beyond publishing into events and experiential platforms. Do you see similar opportunities in South Africa?
Absolutely! The way audiences engage with culture is increasingly experiential. Globally, Time Out has successfully expanded into events, experiential activations and Time Out Markets, creating physical spaces where audiences can interact with the brand in real life.
South Africa already has a strong culture of festivals, food experiences, music and nightlife. That creates a natural opportunity for Time Out to move beyond content and curate experiences that bring the best of our cities to life.
Our recent adaptation of The Joy Revolution study in a South African context produced interesting findings — particularly that locals are seeking connection again after a tough few years, with optimism fuelling that search. This shows that South Africans are ready to experience more, and we’re ready to help bring those experiences to life.
How important are brand partnerships and experiential activations to the long-term sustainability of the South African business?
They are central to the long-term sustainability of the business. Modern media platforms need diversified revenue streams, and partnerships and experiences allow us to create value for both audiences and brands.
For Time Out, these collaborations are not simply advertising opportunities — they are about creating culturally relevant moments that audiences genuinely want to be part of.
When editorial, experiences and partnerships work together, you create an ecosystem that strengthens the platform as a whole.
What commercial opportunities exist for local brands looking to align with Time Out’s cultural authority and city expertise?
Time Out gives brands access to highly engaged urban audiences who are actively searching for the best experiences in their cities.
That opens the door to a wide range of collaborations — from branded editorial and city guides to experiential activations and integrated campaigns. Because Time Out is built on trusted curation, brands have the opportunity to show up in ways that feel authentic and culturally relevant rather than purely promotional.
We’ve already seen how powerful that influence can be. Our first-look feature on Kloof Konbini led to goods selling out within three hours, while naming Pizza Connection as Cape Town’s best pizza resulted in bumper queues outside the door.
This is the kind of real-world impact we’re proud to deliver for businesses, and a mission we remain committed to.
What excites you most about leading Time Out in South Africa right now?
South Africa’s cities are incredibly vibrant, dynamic and creative, and there is growing global interest in the cultural energy emerging from the continent.
What excites me most is the opportunity to build a platform that celebrates that creativity while connecting audiences to the experiences that make city life so compelling.
At the same time, the media landscape is evolving rapidly, which creates space to innovate in how we engage audiences and collaborate with brands. This feels like a moment where culture, creativity and opportunity are converging — and Time Out is perfectly positioned at that intersection.
