Zambia had its copper output fall for the third consecutive year last year. It stood at 680,000 tons. Meanwhile, the country seeks to bring it to more than a million tons per year by 2026 and triple it in the following years. 

The Luanshya copper mine is back online. President Hakainde Hichilema launched the revival works on April 11, 2024. The $500 million project is carried out by the China Non-Ferrous Metals Corporation (CNMC). After being dormant for nearly 20 years, the mine could produce 40,000 tons of copper with this revival project. 

Luanshya’s on the way to regaining its status in the premier league of mining communities. A significant milestone today with #CNMC’s $500Million revival of #LCM’s Shaft 28, which has laid dormant for nearly 20years. 3,000 direct & indirect jobs & biz opportunities loading…???? pic.twitter.com/zNvvW3KtMZ

— Hakainde Hichilema (@HHichilema) April 11, 2024

The revival is part of a government strategy to increase copper production, amidst recent declines. Within a decade, the authorities hope to raise the national output to 3 million tons, against 700,000 tons in 2023.  

President Hichilema, for his part, forecast that Luanshya’s revival would create over 3,000 jobs, thus contributing to Zambia’s economic growth and the living standards of the Zambian people.  

Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer, after the Democratic Republic of Congo. After many years of tensions between mining investors and the state under ex-President Lungu's regime, the country has been trying since 2021 to attract mining companies. Besides CNMC, Canadian companies Barrick Gold and First Quantum plan to invest several billion dollars to increase their production in the country. New investors, including the American firm KoBold Metals, have also entered the mining sector in recent months.

Emiliano Tossou