Retail in Zambia

Who sells where, which chains are expanding, what each catchment holds and where shoppers are underserved.

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, 2024US$4.9bn20.4% of the economy · 6th largest of 16 in SADC

Real growth-0.3%a year over the last five years, at constant prices

Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$528m+133% on five years earlier · 7th in SADC

Deals in the last 12 months00 tracked in Zambia in all

Trade, restaurants and hotels added US$4.9bn to Zambia's economy in 2024

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

Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zambia has SADC's 6th largest trade, restaurants and hotels sector

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$49.9bn13.8% of the economy

AngolaUS$23.5bn20.5% of the economy

DRCUS$11.7bn16.7% of the economy

TanzaniaUS$8.3bn10.9% of the economy

ZimbabweUS$6.6bn15.2% of the economy

ZambiaUS$4.9bn20.4% of the economy

BotswanaUS$2.9bn15.9% of the economy

MauritiusUS$2.4bn18.5% of the economy

MozambiqueUS$2.0bn10.0% of the economy

MadagascarUS$1.9bn11.7% of the economy

NamibiaUS$1.7bn14.3% of the economy

MalawiUS$1.4bn12.3% of the economy

EswatiniUS$793m17.2% of the economy

SeychellesUS$341m18.7% of the economy

ComorosUS$317m20.9% of the economy

LesothoUS$198m9.6% of the economy

Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Population: Zambia against SADC

Population, people, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's retail page.

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Zambia's trade in retail goods since 2012

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

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Grocery and household goods in Zambia

Tracks: Supermarket and small-shop chains and their outlets, chains new to each country, packaged food and household goods imported and exported by value and weight, and growth in household spending.
Signals ahead: Growing suburbs with no supermarket within 15 minutes, mall announcements, chains' expansion guidance.

Chains new in the last year0since 2024-12

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

Trade in detail

Zambia exported US$508m and imported US$534m of grocery and household goods in 2024; exports up 147% on five years earlier, 5.8% of what SADC sells abroad.

Zambia's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Soft drinks (220210)US$123m

Detergents and surfactants (340220)US$80m

Bread, biscuits and pastries (190531)US$70m

Sugar (170114)US$59m

Soya oil (150790)US$28m

Zambia's trade in grocery and household goods 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.

Get IndividualCompare plans

Open these deals in the deals tracker

What Zambia sells abroad across retail

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

Grocery and household goodsUS$508m5.8% of SADC · +147% on five years earlier

Clothing, furniture and general merchandiseUS$15m0.4% of SADC · +79% on five years earlier

Pharmacy retailUS$3.3m0.6% of SADC · -5% on five years earlier

Fuel forecourts and convenienceUS$2.0m0% of SADC · -78% on five years earlier

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

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

No retail deals tracked in Zambia yet.

Sources and method