Zambia has attracted over US$12 billion in mining investment over the past four years, signalling renewed confidence in the country’s economic direction and the reform agenda of President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration. The announcement, made during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka (ZAMII) in Lusaka, marks one of the most significant periods of resource-driven investment in the nation’s recent history.
President Hichilema credited the influx of capital to an improved policy environment and regulatory stability, which he said have fostered a more conducive atmosphere for both local and international investors. “Zambia is ripe for business,” he declared. “The growth we have witnessed in the mining sector is the direct outcome of the reforms we have implemented, and we remain steadfast in ensuring that this progress translates into tangible benefits for our people.”
The Zambian leader reaffirmed his administration’s vision of transforming the country’s mining landscape from one dependent primarily on copper to one defined by diversification and value addition. He urged investors to expand into the extraction and processing of other strategic minerals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium, which are crucial to the clean energy transition. This call aligns with Zambia’s long-term development blueprint — the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) — which emphasises sustainable industrialisation and equitable resource management.
President Hichilema also underscored the role of innovation and technology in modern mining, highlighting the installation of advanced water-pumping systems at China Nonferrous Mining Corporation’s Luanshya Copper Mines (Shaft 28) as an example of international collaboration driving operational efficiency. He stressed that Zambia’s mining sector must embrace global best practices not merely to enhance output but also to ensure environmental responsibility and social inclusion.
Although mining continues to be Zambia’s economic backbone — contributing nearly 70 percent of export earnings and roughly 10 percent of GDP — Hichilema acknowledged that the sector’s developmental impact has not yet matched its economic scale. He reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring that mining revenues are channelled toward public goods and community development, particularly in education, health, and infrastructure.
The President highlighted the ongoing aerial geological mapping programme, a multi-year initiative supported by the Geological Survey Department, as crucial to unlocking Zambia’s untapped mineral potential. The exercise is designed to strengthen data-based decision-making and attract further exploration in underdeveloped regions, thereby widening the country’s mining frontier.
Reaffirming his administration’s targets, Hichilema projected that Zambia could achieve 1 million metric tonnes of copper production by the end of 2025, and 3 million tonnes annually by 2031, should current investment and production trends persist.
Mines and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe echoed the President’s optimism, noting that policy consistency over the past four years has been central to rebuilding investor confidence. “We have demonstrated that Zambia can be both an investment destination and a partner in sustainable development,” Kabuswe stated, emphasising the importance of predictable taxation and transparent licensing regimes.
The 2025 ZAMII, held under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s Wealth: Advancing Sustainable Mining, Beneficiation, and Value Addition,” gathered a diverse array of investors, policymakers, and industry experts. The event showcased cutting-edge mining technologies from across the globe, with strong participation from Chinese enterprises seeking to deepen cooperation in equipment, exploration, and environmental management.
Zambia’s mining revival is emblematic of a broader pan-African shift in how the continent engages with its natural resource wealth. Across Africa, governments are increasingly advocating for value addition, beneficiation, and local participation in global supply chains. Zambia’s approach, focusing on structural reform and inclusive growth, represents a departure from traditional extractive models shaped by external interests.
This repositioning underscores a distinctly African-centred narrative — one that situates the continent not as a passive supplier of raw materials but as an active agent in shaping the future of sustainable industrialisation. As Zambia’s mining transformation continues, it stands as a reminder that the continent’s wealth lies not only in its minerals but in its capacity to define its own developmental path.
