As thousands of Zambians anxiously waited for the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to announce official election results, an unexpected trend emerged on the commission’s Facebook livestream – the comments section turned into a bustling online marketplace.

Instead of discussing the electoral process, many Facebook users seized the opportunity to advertise their products and services to the thousands following the live broadcast.

Among the advertisements spotted in the comments were promotions for cakes, smartphones, shoes and clothing, with some entrepreneurs urging viewers to place orders while they waited for the long-awaited announcement.

One user, Sandra’s Cakery, wrote: “Cakes available upon order, bento cakes from as low as K200, those in 10 Miles patronize me.”

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Another commenter, Uwen Kafunda, advertised “Layby available for the Nike techs, inbox me when u done,” while Dindaa’s iGadgets and Crocs promoted “iPhones XR K3,000, iPhones 11 K4,000.”

Other users found humour in the situation.
“People are advertising businesses here… interesting,” wrote Samson Anderson, while another commenter joked, “Guys u even start selling phones.”

Alongside the advertisements were messages from frustrated viewers repeatedly asking when the ECZ would release the results.

Comments such as “We’re tired of waiting,” “We wait for 22,” and “17hrs you came, 18hrs now it’s 22hrs?” reflected growing impatience among those following the livestream.

The unusual mix of election discussions, jokes and commercial advertisements highlighted how social media users transformed the waiting period into a marketing opportunity, with the ECZ’s Facebook page attracting a large audience during one of Zambia’s most closely watched electoral events.

Recent delays in announcing results followed disruptions to the vote-counting process, which kept many citizens glued to the commission’s online platforms awaiting official updates.

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