Mining Reforms Attract $12 Billion in Investment

President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that reforms in Zambia's mining sector have attracted approximately $12 billion in investment over the past four years.

Speaking at the 2026 Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa, the President said the reforms are now delivering tangible results for the country.

"These reforms have enabled the recapitalisation of mines that were facing operational challenges, while also facilitating the opening of new mining projects," President Hichilema told delegates at the premier mining conference.

The President highlighted the turnaround of Konkola Copper Mines and Mopani Copper Mines as success stories that will be crucial to Zambia's ambitious target of producing three million tonnes of copper by 2031.

Both mines had faced significant operational and financial difficulties in recent years before the government's intervention and policy reforms.

Beyond investment figures, President Hichilema pointed to institutional changes that have improved how the sector is managed.

He cited the establishment of the Mines Appeals Tribunal and the Cadastre Department as key steps that have strengthened governance in the mining industry.

The announcements underscore the government's strategy of placing mining at the centre of Zambia's economic recovery, with the sector increasingly seen as vital to job creation and revenue generation for social programmes.