Zambia’s copper industry is gaining renewed strength, with production rising by nearly 30% in the first quarter of 2025. Output reached approximately 224,000 metric tonnes—up from 173,000 tonnes during the same period last year—according to Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe.
The surge is largely credited to revitalised operations and fresh investment at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and Mopani Copper Mines, two of the country’s flagship producers.
This strong quarterly performance builds on momentum from 2024, when annual copper output grew by 12% to about 820,670 metric tonnes, up from 732,580 metric tonnes in 2023.
The growth comes in spite of national energy constraints caused by drought-related hydroelectric shortfalls. Still, Zambia—Africa’s second-largest copper producer after the DRC—is doubling down on mining as a driver of economic transformation.
The government has reiterated its target of tripling annual copper production to 3 million metric tonnes within the next decade, underscoring its long-term commitment to the sector.
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