Zambia trade profile: The copper curtain

Much ado has been made about the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). The trading agreement which came into effect in 2019 - is meant to create larger markets for citizens and entrepreneurs in Africa’s 55 states by reducing barriers to trade and so forth and so on.

Most have heard the rhetoric around it by now and me repeating it here would be unfair to 85% of readers. The 15% who have no idea what it is, should refer to our numerous articles on the trade agreement here. 

Over a series of articles, we will now be detailing the nature of trade in Southern African countries trying to establish the gaps that the oft-proposed trading agreement could fill once countries more actively enforce the pact. The first country we will look at in this regard is Zambia.

Economic profile

Zambia’s economic output has not only managed to recover from the COVID-19-induced lulls but also actually further grown from pre-COVID peaks - posting a GDP of 29.16bn in 2022 which is a national best for the Southern African state. When you look back though, the growth is only marginally above the previous peak of 28bn set back a decade ago (2013).