The Market Owns the Clock

When President Hakainde Hichilema and senior government officials intensified calls during the first half of 2026 for Zambia to transition towards a 24/7 economy, the proposal was presented as an answer to slow economic growth, unemployment and low productivity. Cabinet ministers subsequently encouraged both public and private institutions to embrace round-the-clock operations, arguing that more working hours would naturally translate into greater economic output.

The ambition is understandable. Zambia needs faster growth, more jobs and greater competitiveness. But the premise behind the policy warrant serious reconsideration. Prosperity is not created by extending the clock; it is created by producing goods and services that consumers actually demand. A government can encourage productivity, but it cannot legislate demand.

The idea of a 24-hour economy has often been misunderstood. Successful economies that appear to operate around the clock did not begin with governments mandating longer business hours. Rather, businesses extended operating times because sufficient consumer demand justified doing so. The sequence matters. Demand came first; longer hours followed.

This distinction is particularly important for Zambia.

A supermarket in a low-density residential area cannot profitably remain open throughout the night if only a handful of customers walk through its doors. A clothing retailer will not double its sales simply because it keeps its doors open until dawn. A manufacturing plant cannot continue producing if there are no orders to fulfil. Longer operating hours without corresponding market demand merely increase electricity bills, security costs, labour expenses and maintenance costs while reducing profitability.

Firms maximise output when marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost. If extending operating hours generates more costs than revenue, businesses will rationally choose not to do so. Government pronouncements cannot alter this economic reality.

Indeed, Zambia already has functioning examples of a genuine 24-hour economy. Hospitals never close because illness does not observe office hours. Hotels and lodges operate continuously because travellers arrive at all hours. Airports function day and night because flight schedules require it. Some mining operations run continuous shifts because shutting down machinery is more expensive than keeping it running. Fuel stations along major transport corridors operate throughout the night because freight movement creates constant demand.

These sectors are not open twenty-four hours because government instructed them to be. They are open because consumers require their services at all times and because doing so makes commercial sense.

The hospitality sector demonstrates this particularly well. Hotels, restaurants located in transport hubs, entertainment venues and tourism operators adjust their operating hours according to customer flows. During peak seasons, many extend service hours; during quieter periods, they reduce them. This flexibility allows businesses to remain profitable while meeting consumer needs. It is market signals, not policy slogans, that determine operating hours.

The same logic applies to healthcare. Emergency services cannot operate on an eight-hour schedule because human need is continuous. Demand determines supply.

This principle should guide national economic policy.

The government's role is not to decide when businesses should open or close. Its responsibility is to create conditions in which businesses can confidently determine those decisions themselves.

That begins with security. No retailer will willingly operate throughout the night if theft and crime remain significant risks. No investor will finance late-night operations without confidence that employees, customers and assets will be protected.

Reliable electricity is equally essential. Zambia's recent experience with electricity shortages has already increased production costs for many firms. Encouraging businesses to operate longer hours while reliable power remains inconsistent risks raising operating costs without improving productivity.

Transport infrastructure also matters. Workers must be able to travel safely during late hours. Efficient logistics must allow suppliers and distributors to move goods at any time. Digital payment systems must function reliably around the clock. Municipal services, including street lighting and waste management, must support commercial activity.

These are areas where government intervention genuinely improves economic performance.

Equally important is regulatory certainty. Businesses expand when they have confidence in tax policy, licensing procedures, contract enforcement and macroeconomic stability. Investors are attracted by predictable institutions, not prescribed opening hours.

International experience supports this conclusion. Cities frequently cited as examples of twenty-four-hour economies such as New York, London and Tokyo, did not achieve continuous economic activity through government directives. Rather, dense populations, reliable infrastructure, high purchasing power, efficient transport networks and strong security created sufficient demand for businesses to operate continuously. The market determined the hours; governments enabled the conditions.

Zambia's economic structure is fundamentally different. Household purchasing power remains constrained, unemployment remains relatively high and consumer demand varies significantly across regions. Imposing or even strongly encouraging a uniform 24-hour operating model risks placing unnecessary pressure on businesses that already operate on thin profit margins.

Economic policy should therefore focus on expanding demand rather than extending hours. Policies that raise household incomes, improve productivity, reduce business costs, strengthen export competitiveness and attract investment will encourage firms to extend their operations whenever it becomes commercially viable.

That is not merely better economics. It is better governance.