A few weeks ago, I was driving past the industrial area in Harare on a Saturday afternoon. You’d expect the place to be buzzing machines humming, trucks loading, smoke rising. But instead? Silence. Complete silence. It was so quiet you could literally hear the echo of my car.
For a second, I thought maybe there had been a workers’ strike, or perhaps ZESA had pulled its usual stunt. But then I looked at the time midday. Yes, MIDDAY! And every factory had closed shop, as if the economy was taking a siesta.
That moment made me ask: Who told us that work must begin at 8 AM and end at 5 PM?
Where Did This 8 to 5 Nonsense Come From?
Before electricity, people worked with the sun. When the sun rose, you went to the fields or workshop. When it set, you packed up not because you were lazy, but because working in pitch black darkness is basically suicide.
Then along came Thomas Edison with electricity, and the world was supposed to change. But here we are in 2025, still operating like villagers chasing daylight. We clock in at 8, clock out at 5, and then wonder why our economies don’t grow.
Meanwhile, New York is awake at 2 AM. Dubai is hustling even on Fridays. China? Forget it. Their machines don’t sleep. Their workers rotate shifts like clockwork, and production never stops.
But here in Africa? At 5:01 PM, our industries are snoring louder than a drunk uncle at a wedding.
The Harsh Truth
This “8 to 5 mindset” is killing African business growth. How can we compete globally when our factories rest more than they work? While we’re waiting for Monday, someone in Asia has already finished two production cycles.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying we should all become zombies and forget rest. But we need a 24-hour economy mindset: rotating shifts, extended hours, and industries that don’t treat weekends like public holidays.
Because here’s the truth:
- Money doesn’t sleep.
- Opportunities don’t respect business hours.
- And competition doesn’t wait for us to wake up.
So, the next time you proudly say, “I work 8 to 5,” remember: somewhere across the world, someone is wide awake, stealing the market you’re too busy sleeping on.
Africa, let’s wake up before our industries fall into a permanent coma.
By The Chartered Vendor
#AfricanBusiness #Entrepreneurship #24HourEconomy #BusinessGrowth #IndustrialRevolutionAfrica #TheCharteredVendor #MindsetShift #ZimbabweBusiness
