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Copperbelt

Copperbelt is a province in north-central Zambia and one of the country's ten administrative regions. The provincial capital is Ndola, the nation's third-largest city. The province derives its name from the extensive copper ore deposits that underpin its economy and have made it the industrial heartland of Zambia since the early twentieth century. Copperbelt is the most densely populated and urbanised province in Zambia, with major mining towns including Kitwe, Chingola, Mufulira, Luanshya and Chililabombwe. The region sits on the southern portion of the Central African Copperbelt, a geological formation rich in copper and cobalt that extends northward into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mining and mineral processing dominate the provincial economy, with major operations including Konkola Copper Mines and facilities operated by international mining groups. The province also hosts smelters, refineries and related manufacturing industries that support the extraction sector. Copperbelt's economic significance to Zambia is substantial, as copper exports account for the majority of the country's foreign-exchange earnings. The province was formally established in 1969, though large-scale copper mining in the area began in the 1920s under colonial administration and expanded rapidly through the mid-twentieth century.

Copperbelt News


Stacks of copper
Zimbabwe secures funds for key commodity gateway upgrade
22nd September 2026 By: Reuters

Zimbabwe's government on Tuesday announced a funding agreement for the upgrade of the Chirundu border with Zambia, to reduce delays on a vital gateway connecting the central African copperbelt to... 


SRK Consulting Zambia’s Country Lead Able Tunono talks to Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer
SRK Consulting Zambia’s Country Lead Able Tunono talks to Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer
18th September 2026

Don’t miss this compelling At Top Level video interview in which SRK Consulting Zambia’s Country Lead and Director Able Tunono spells out the global expertise that SRK is bringing to Zambia, where... 


A haul truck at KCM in Zambia
Zambia's KCM signs $498m deal with Chinese firm for copper recovery plant
18th September 2026 By: Reuters

Vedanta's Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has signed a $498-million deal with China's NERIN Engineering to build a copper recovery plant that will add 70 000 metric tons of annual output by extracting... 


The above image depicts a plane in the process of an aeromagnetic survey
Botswana advances critical mineral, power diversification
18th September 2026 By: Lynne Davies

While mining industry employers association Botswana Chamber of Mines CEO Charles Siwawa believes Botswana’s diamond mining sector will re-emerge sometime in the future, he says it is important for... 


The FLS stand at Electra Mining Africa showcased the company’s broad portfolio of technologies and solutions supporting efficient, reliable mineral processing operations
Fls Reinforces Lifecycle Strategy For African Mining Following Electra Mining Africa
15th September 2026

The conversations at Electra Mining Africa highlighted a clear shift taking place across the continent's mining industry. Faced with ageing processing infrastructure, constrained capital budgets... 


M Bond Pumps mining and industrial logo
Balancing MEPS compliance, motor reliability in underground mining
30th July 2026

Explore how Southern African mines must balance VC 9113 MEPS compliance and IE3 efficiency with electric motor reliability in harsh, underground Acid Mine Drainage environments. 


VIDHYA SREELALAN
It is becoming increasingly difficult for greenfield projects to navigate the environmental, social and political risks and to get permits on time and within budget
Copper boom elevating Central Africa’s role as good grades proliferate
24th July 2026 By: Keabetswe Shilakwe

The global copper market is bracing for a significant positive shift driven by growing demand, with Central Africa emerging as a key player to step up supply, says analytics and insights firm Wood... 


HÉRA MPONDO 
Every tonne that moves from the informal to the formal economy is revenue for the State, bargaining power for communities and derisked supply for offtakers
Central Africa must embrace three key drivers, advisory finds
24th July 2026

Central Africa has entered a decisive phase in the global competition for critical minerals – one in which market access will increasingly be earned through three drivers: namely traceability,... 


Industries require reliable power, while developing the energy industry can create local demand
Africa needs power to accelerate industrialisation
16th July 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Power in Africa is not only an issue of infrastructure, but also an economic issue because industry requires reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. Industrial competitiveness is impossible... 


Copper cathode produced in the DRC
Congo taps Portugal’s Mota-Engil to revive copper rail link
13th July 2026 By: Bloomberg

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) approved a plan to partner with Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil SGPS on rehabilitating a key railway used for transporting copper and cobalt. The... 


The cranes at the Lobito Port in Angola
Corridor makes significant progress
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

The development and use of the Lobito Corridor – a multimodal logistics corridor that spans Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia – has progressed significantly over the past 12... 


A man underground wearing hard hat and light operating a hand drill
Mining boom drives African infrastructure growth
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

The increased interest in mining, to fulfil global minerals demand, has initiated the establishment of crucial logistics corridors as well as achieved a boost in investment in power projects in... 


A copper plant in Zambia
Zambia, US expand use of $491m grant programme to critical metals infrastructure
19th June 2026 By: Reuters

Zambia said on Thursday it had agreed with US agency Millennium Challenge Corporation to expand the use of a $491-million agriculture grant programme to support key critical minerals... 


Truck with copper ore in Zambia
Vedanta spin-off CopperTech yet to announce IPO value on NYSE
3rd June 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

The NYSE will soon welcome its newest mining company, in integrated copper and cobalt producer CopperTech Metals, with the company having filed a registration statement with the US Securities and... 


Samukelo Madlabane - Event Director – Mining VUKA Group
Africa’s mining future takes shape at DRC Mining Week 2026
29th May 2026

Few countries on earth hold the geological potential of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). From copper and cobalt to lithium, manganese, tin, and rare earths, the DRC is not only central... 


Lime production in Zambia
ZCCM-IH, Wonderful Group to invest $30m on reviving Ndola lime production facility
27th May 2026 By: Creamer Media Reporter

Zambia's State-owned mineral and energy investment holding company ZCCM Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) has entered into a joint venture (JV) with the Wonderful Group of Companies to develop and... 


Image of Lumwana operations
Lumwana Super Pit expansion project, Zambia – update
15th May 2026 By: Sheila Barradas

The first structural steel deliveries are expected in the second quarter. 


An image of the Kagem team receiving its award from the Zambian Minerals Regulation Commission
Gemstone miner focuses on stabilising operation
8th May 2026 By: Nadine Ramdass

Following a period of concurrent but transient challenges that weighed on near-term cash flow, gemstone miner Gemfields’ priority for this year is to focus resources on securing profitability... 


Critical minerals surge places infrastructure and energy at the centre of DRC’s mining future
Critical minerals surge places infrastructure and energy at the centre of DRC’s mining future
7th May 2026

As global demand accelerates, unlocking value in the DRC will depend on solving power, logistics and investment bottlenecks As global demand for critical minerals continues to accelerate, the... 


DRC Mining Week 2026: Where Africa’s Mining Future Takes Shape
DRC Mining Week 2026: Where Africa’s Mining Future Takes Shape
28th April 2026

Few countries on earth hold the geological potential of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. From copper and cobalt to lithium, manganese, tin, and rare earths, the DRC is not only central to... 


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pqt: 0.067s - ct: 0.116s - 275pq - 2rq
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