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Illuminating the World Cup Effect: Night Lights Evidence from South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Wahl, Fabian
  • Pfeifer, Gregor
  • Marczak, Martyna

Abstract

This paper evaluates the economic impact of the $14 billion preparatory investments for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. We use satellite data on night light luminosity at municipality and electoral district level as a proxy for economic development, applying synthetic control methods for estimation. For the average World Cup municipality, we find significantly positive, short-run effects before the tournament, corresponding to a reduction of unemployment by 1.3 percentage points. At the electoral district level, we reveal distinct effect heterogeneity, where especially investments in transport infrastructure are shown to have long-lasting, positive effects, particularly in more rural areas.
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Suggested Citation

  • Wahl, Fabian & Pfeifer, Gregor & Marczak, Martyna, 2016. "Illuminating the World Cup Effect: Night Lights Evidence from South Africa," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145938, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc16:145938
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    Cited by:

    1. Naito, Hisahiro & Yamamoto, Shinnosuke, 2022. "Is better access to mobile networks associated with increased mobile money adoption? Evidence from the micro-data of six developing countries," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6).
    2. Florian Dorn & Marie-Theres Gasser & Kevin Kloiber & Simon Krause & Carla Krolage, 2026. "Who Scores from Hosting Sports Events? Local Spending Effects of the EURO 2024," CESifo Working Paper Series 12555, CESifo.
    3. Joshua C. Hall & Josh Matti & Yang Zhou, 2020. "The economic impact of city–county consolidations: a synthetic control approach," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 184(1), pages 43-77, July.
    4. Russ, Jason, 2020. "Water runoff and economic activity: The impact of water supply shocks on growth," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    5. Jeremy Wood & Samuel Meng, 2021. "The economic impacts of the 2018 Winter Olympics," Tourism Economics, , vol. 27(7), pages 1303-1322, November.
    6. Valentin Lindlacher & Gustav Pirich, 2024. "The Impact of China’s “Stadium Diplomacy” on Local Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," CESifo Working Paper Series 10893, CESifo.
    7. Martin Thomas Falk & Markku Vieru, 2021. "Short-term hotel room price effects of sporting events," Tourism Economics, , vol. 27(3), pages 569-588, May.
    8. Daniel D. Bonneau & Joshua C. Hall & Yang Zhou, 2022. "Institutional implant and economic stagnation: a counterfactual study of Somalia," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 190(3), pages 483-503, March.
    9. Majdi Debbich, 2019. "Assessing Oil and Non-Oil GDP Growth from Space: An Application to Yemen 2012-17," IMF Working Papers 2019/221, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Nicolene Hamman & Andrew Phiri, 2022. "Using Nighttime Luminosity as a Proxy for Economic Growth in Africa: Is It a Bright Idea?," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 20(2 (Summer), pages 139-165.
    11. Daniel D. Bonneau & Joshua C. Hall, 2020. "Economic Activity, International Intervention, and Transitional Governance: A Comparative Case Study of Somalia," Working Papers 20-01, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    12. Lindlacher, Valentin & Pirich, Gustav, 2025. "The Impact of China’s “Stadium Diplomacy” on Local Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    13. Hisahiro Naito & Shinnosuke Yamamoto, 2022. "Is Better Access to Mobile Networks Associated with Increased Mobile Money Adoption? Evidence from the Micro-data of Six Developing Countries," Tsukuba Economics Working Papers 2022-001, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba.
    14. Firgo, Matthias, 2021. "The causal economic effects of Olympic Games on host regions," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Matti, Josh & Zhou, Yang, 2022. "Money is money: The economic impact of BerkShares," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    16. Lehmann-Hasemeyer, Sibylle H. & Wahl, Fabian, 2017. "Savings banks and the industrial revolution in Prussia: Supporting regional development with public financial institutions," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 18-2017, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    17. Teemu Makkonen & Timo Mitze, 2023. "Vive le Tour!? Estimating the place‐based benefits of hosting the Tour de France," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(5), pages 1131-1161, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H54 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Infrastructures
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R42 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government and Private Investment Analysis; Road Maintenance; Transportation Planning
    • Z28 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Policy

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