Skip to content
Insights Centre
Sectors · Mining across SADC

Mining in Zambia

Where the mines and projects are, what they produce, the power and corridors they need, and the processing gap.

See the city maps

Value added by mining and utilities, 2024US$4.2bn17.3% of the economy · 6th largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth+1.1%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$10.9bn+52% on five years earlier · 3rd in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months22 tracked in Zambia in all

Mining and utilities added US$4.2bn to Zambia's economy in 2024

Value added by mining and utilities, the industries in the national accounts closest to mining, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$1bn$2bn$3bn$4bn$5bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$4.2bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$3.2bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zambia has SADC's 6th largest mining and utilities sector

Value added by mining and utilities, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$37.5bn10.4% of the economy
AngolaUS$26.8bn23.4% of the economy
DRCUS$19.8bn28.2% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$8.6bn11.2% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$7.8bn18.0% of the economy
ZambiaUS$4.2bn17.3% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$3.3bn16.5% of the economy
BotswanaUS$2.3bn12.6% of the economy
NamibiaUS$2.3bn18.6% of the economy
MadagascarUS$769m4.8% of the economy
MalawiUS$397m3.5% of the economy
LesothoUS$327m15.9% of the economy
MauritiusUS$258m2.0% of the economy
EswatiniUS$101m2.2% of the economy
SeychellesUS$50m2.8% of the economy
ComorosUS$20m1.3% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Mineral rents: Zambia against SADC

Mineral rents, % of GDP, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's mining page.

0%10%20%30%DRC28.8%Zambia28.2%Zimbabwe4.2%Tanzania4.0%South Africa3.8%Namibia3.2%Botswana0.2%Mozambique0.1%Malawi0.0%Angola0.0%Comoros0.0%Eswatini0.0%Lesotho0.0%Madagascar0.0%Mauritius0.0%Seychelles0.0%median 0.1%

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zambia's trade in mining goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$5bn$10bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$10.9bnImportsUS$245m
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

11 in this pillar

Copper and cobalt in Zambia

Tracks
Mines and projects in the Congolese and Zambian copper belts, output, smelters and refineries, export routes, power demand, export rules.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

Zambia exported US$10.2bn and imported US$217m of copper and cobalt in 2024; exports up 49% on five years earlier, 24.8% of what SADC sells abroad.

Zambia's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Unrefined copper (blister and anodes) (740200)US$7.4bn
Refined copper (740311)US$2.3bn
Refined copper (740319)US$270m
Copper ore (260300)US$95m
Cobalt oxides and hydroxides (282200)US$82m

Zambia's trade in copper and cobalt every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

US$19 a month or US$190 a year. Subscribe on dotzedw.com and you come straight back to this page with Individual access. Already a member? Sign in with your dotzedw.com account.

Open these deals in the deals tracker

What Zambia sells abroad across mining

Zambia's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Copper and cobaltUS$10.2bn24.8% of SADC · +49% on five years earlier
Battery and critical mineralsUS$552m20.8% of SADC · +2504% on five years earlier
GoldUS$112m0.3% of SADC · -60% on five years earlier
Iron ore and manganeseUS$36m0.3% of SADC · -42% on five years earlier
CoalUS$18m0.2% of SADC · +760% on five years earlier
DiamondsUS$2.1m0% of SADC · +3% on five years earlier
Platinum group metals and chromeUS$877k0% of SADC
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

2 deals in the last 12 months involving Zambia, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method