But Hichilema defends his record, saying that when he came to office things were a mess and he has laid the foundations for success.
“We inherited a broken-down country… the economy was declining,” Hichilema told the BBC in Lusaka.
When he took office in 2021, Zambia was in debt distress and had been failing to make its payments.
The subsequent restructuring of more than $13bn (£9.7bn) in external debt has, according to the president, produced annual savings of roughly $1.9bn.
“That’s the money we’re putting in the economy… into investment expenditure such as free education.”
The free education policy – covering primary and secondary levels – has brought millions of children back into classrooms.
Thousands of teachers and health workers have been hired. Constituency development funds have been sharply increased.
Copper production, the backbone of the economy, has recovered strongly, foreign reserves have climbed to record levels and investor confidence has returned.
Supporters point to tangible openings.
“I think opportunities have been increased, looking at the number of people who have been employed – it has increased amongst civil servants. And, opportunities have just increased,” one young woman, who is hoping to become a teacher, said.
The unemployment rate as measured by the statistics agency has registered a slight fall from 13% to 11% over the last four years.
Critics counter that the benefits have yet to reach enough families.
There are also concerns from civil society groups that despite Hichilema’s promises of running a more open democracy, some opposition figures have been silenced after being convicted of hate speech.
The political landscape shifted dramatically with Lungu’s death on 5 June last year.
The courts had ruled that he could not run again, after having won two elections, but his passing removed the opposition’s most recognisable figure and initially appeared to create a smoother path to victory for the incumbent.
Lungu’s PF party fractured, with some politicians and supporters shifting to other opposition groups.
This accelerated the consolidation of a split opposition around Mundubile, a 55-year-old lawyer, accountant and former government chief whip under Lungu.
In a matter of weeks from filing his nomination papers in May, Mundubile’s popularity grew as the presidential candidate of an opposition grouping, the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance, running under the previously unknown NRPUP banner.
Makebi Zulu – a lawyer closely associated with the Lungu family – is his running mate.
The alliance has capitalised on lingering loyalty in former PF strongholds and on public frustration with the cost of living.