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You Don’t Have To Be Perfect To Start — Zambia’s 24-Hour Economy And The Power Of Momentum ( slightly long read but worth it)

It’s 23:00 in China, and I’m walking through the brightly lit corridors of Beijing’s SKP Mall—a place that refuses to sleep. The energy is electric. Shops are open, people are moving, transactions are flowing like it’s midday.
My phone rings.
“Boyi, are you still in China?”
“Yes,” I reply, “just doing some last-minute shopping. I’m back in two days.”
“Awe, check for a lens for me. I’ll send money to your account.”
And just like that—at 23:00, business is happening. Money is moving. Value is being created.
But this isn’t just a China story. It’s closer to home than we think.
In almost every Zambian community, there’s that Rwandese shop at the corner. Open by 06:00. Reliable. Consistent.
A mother rushing to prepare her child for school realizes there’s no bread or sugar—she runs to that shop, and it’s open.
Fast forward to 21:00. A bachelor gets home, tired, and decides to make a quick supper—bread and eggs. Again, that same shop is open.
Meanwhile, many local shops are still operating on a different rhythm: opening at 09:00, closing at 18:00.
And then we ask the question:
“How come foreigners come and do better than us?”
- Maybe the answer is not capital.
- Maybe it’s not even strategy.
- Maybe—it’s mindset.
The Shift Zambia Is Being Called Into
The conversation around Zambia’s newly announced 24-hour economy is bigger than policy. It is a call to rethink how we see time, opportunity, and productivity.
A 24-hour economy is not just about staying open late. It’s about structuring life and business in cycles instead of limits.
It means:
- Someone is always producing
- Someone is always selling
- Someone is always serving
Time stops being a boundary, and becomes an asset.

What We Can Learn from Global Economies
In cities like Shanghai, London, and New York, the economy doesn’t pause—it rotates.
Factories run in shifts.
Transport systems operate deep into the night.
Restaurants, pharmacies, and convenience stores serve people at all hours.
Digital platforms process transactions while people sleep.
The result is simple but powerful:
More hours = More productivity = More income = More growth

What This Means for Zambia
If implemented intentionally, a 24-hour economy could unlock real transformation:
1. Employment at Scale
Extended business hours mean more shifts, and more shifts mean more jobs. From retail to manufacturing, from logistics to hospitality—this is a direct pipeline to employment.
2. Stronger Local Businesses
Markets and SMEs can multiply their earning potential. One location, same inventory—but double the selling time.
3. Growth in Security and Public Services
With increased activity comes increased demand:
More police recruitment
Expansion of private security services
Investment in safer, well-lit communities
Security becomes part of economic infrastructure.
4. Transport and Mobility Expansion
Taxi drivers, bus operators, and delivery services will no longer be limited by the clock. Movement becomes continuous—and so does income.
5. Creative and Night-Time Economy Boom
Entertainment, food, music, and culture will thrive beyond weekends and daylight hours. This is where youth innovation and income can scale rapidly.
The Hard Truth: It’s Not for Everyone, Yet

A 24-hour economy will favor:
- The disciplined
- The adaptable
- The opportunity-driven
But it will challenge:
- Businesses without structure
- Systems without security
- People without balance
That’s why this shift must be supported by:
- Policy
- Infrastructure
- Worker protections

The Real Opportunity: A Mindset Revolution
Before infrastructure… before policy… before investment…
There is mindset.
The Rwandese shop owner at the corner is not waiting for a national policy to start a 24-hour economy. They are already living it—in their own small way.
They understand something powerful:
Convenience creates demand. Consistency builds trust. Availability drives income.
What if we, as Zambians, adopted that same thinking?
What if we stopped asking, “What are the official business hours?”
And started asking, “When is my customer in need?”

My Final thought
That moment in Beijing wasn’t just about a late-night errand. It was a glimpse into what happens when an economy decides not to sleep.
Zambia stands at that same doorway.
We don’t need perfect systems to begin.
We don’t need everything figured out.
We just need to start.
Because the future belongs to those who are available when opportunity calls—even at 23:00.
Let’s shift our minds.
Let’s shift our systems.
Let’s build an economy that moves—always

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