Before the city awakens, COMESA Market pulses with whispered negotiations and the scrape of crates on concrete. Photographer Chanda Mwale spent two weeks documenting the predawn rituals that stock Lusaka’s kitchens.
In one frame, Agnes Lungu sorts bruised tomatoes into grade piles, rejecting fruit that will not survive the afternoon heat without refrigeration. Another image shows young men unloading cabbages from trucks that travelled overnight from Chongwe.
The series titled “First Light, Last Hope” has been exhibited at Henry Tayali Visual Arts Centre, drawing audiences unfamiliar with informal market labour. Curator Nchimunya Banda said the photographs challenge stereotypes of disorder by revealing meticulous organisation.
Market committee chair Joseph Banda noted that traders contributed access fees to support the exhibition, hoping dignitaries would witness their contribution to national food security. Several images are available for licensing, with proceeds funding a community cold-room pilot.
View the full gallery of 24 images in our photo-focus section, with captions in English and Bemba.
