Zambia’s government is engaging mining companies to address challenges that have affected the sector over the past decade and restore investor confidence, Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary Hapenga Kabeta has said.
Kabeta said the government was working with industry players to identify regulatory, operational and investment obstacles that could undermine mining growth and create uncertainty for investors.
Speaking at a mining roundtable in Lusaka on Monday, held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, he said the engagement provided an opportunity for companies to present their concerns directly to government and help improve the investment climate.
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He said the government had benchmarked Zambia’s mining policies against those of Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and Botswana to draw lessons on fiscal regimes, regulatory frameworks and local content policies.
The findings had informed the development of a balanced mining fiscal framework aimed at attracting domestic and foreign investment while maintaining Zambia’s competitiveness, Kabeta said.
He said the measures had helped attract more than $12 billion in mining investments over the past five years, including reinvestment in existing mining assets.
The roundtable was held as part of the Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka 2026, under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Mining Landscape: Regional Value Chains, Shared Prosperity and Empowering Communities.”
Kabeta said expanding the mining sector was central to the government’s target of increasing annual copper production to three million metric tonnes.
He said mining expansion would also support job creation and stimulate economic activity in other sectors, helping Zambia achieve its broader development ambitions.
These include increasing annual maize production to 10 million metric tonnes, soybean production to three million metric tonnes and electricity generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts.
The government also aims to attract five million tourists, export one million metric tonnes of sugar and increase beef exports to $1 billion.
Kabeta said continued engagement with investors and industry stakeholders would be crucial in mobilising the capital needed to achieve the country’s economic targets.
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