President Hakainde Hichilema says Africa must move beyond the exportation of raw materials toward value addition and industrialization to ensure local populations fully benefit from the continent’s natural wealth.
The President emphasized the need for continental collaboration and the development of regional value chains to transform Africa from a resource-rich continent into a global economic leader.
Delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, held under the theme; “Stronger Together: Progress Through Partnerships,” President Hichilema said Africa must harness its skills and experience and act as a united force to achieve sustainable development.
He stressed that mining must go beyond profit-making and deliver tangible social benefits, including job creation, value addition, and the funding of public services such as free education.
“This forum truly symbolizes Africa’s shared aspiration for prosperity and transformative partnerships. We just have to look at that carefully and we will see the window of opportunity that is there on our continent with regards to mining metals,” President Hichilema said.
“Yes, we have individual national interest, it is only logical but it is a building block. So for us to be more successful, we have to collaborate. We have to work together. I am convinced about that.”
He noted that the theme of this year’s Indaba reflects Africa’s reality that meaningful progress can only be achieved through strong partnerships.
“We all have capabilities, we all have endowments, we all have skills, experiences, but they are not enough to deliver a total package for all our people, our economies, and our continent, which is said to be the least developed, yet, is the most endowed. That is a paradox we have to solve and I think we can do it together,” he added.
Turning to Zambia’s mining sector, President Hichilema said the country’s disciplined reform journey has yielded significant results, including the resolution of legal disputes surrounding Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), with Mopani Copper Mines now contributing strongly toward national production targets, debt restructuring, and a more assertive engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where the country sets its own growth-oriented agenda.
“We inherited a sector in difficulty. We have been planting the seeds of reform. Over US$12 billion in new investment has followed. Kansanshi, Lumwana, Mopani, KCM —are all back on track. Copper production rose 12% for 2024 and another 8% for 2025,” he said.
“But we are not stopping there, our target is 3 million tonnes within a decade. Our geological survey is opening up new exploration areas and new investors are entering Zambia. We are building the infrastructure and institutions to make it happen.”
The President revealed that Zambia is expected to reach the psychological milestone of one million tonnes of copper production this year for the first time in the country’s history.
He further highlighted Zambia’s macroeconomic turnaround, noting that the country has moved from a declining economy with minus 2.8 percent GDP growth to a projected 6.4 percent growth this year, while inflation has been reduced from over 22 percent to single-digit levels.
President Hichilema reiterated that African countries must design their own economic programmes and engage institutions such as the IMF to support nationally defined visions, rather than having development paths dictated to them.
