Zambia is Targeting 3 Million Tonnes of Annual Copper Output by 2031

At the Kansanshi copper mine in north-western Zambia, one of Africa’s largest copper-producing operations, expanding output means more than digging deeper into an established deposit. It requires new investment in processing facilities, reliable electricity and transport links capable of moving growing volumes of metal to global markets. The challenge facing Kansanshi reflects a wider ambition across Zambia’s mining industry: to raise annual copper production as demand for the metal grows with electrification, renewable energy and the expansion of power infrastructure.

Zambia is targeting annual copper production of at least 3 million metric tonnes by 2031 as the government seeks to attract mining investment, expand geological exploration and develop domestic processing capacity for critical minerals.

The target, outlined in the government’s Three Million Metric tonnes Copper Production Strategy, forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s mining industry through regulatory reforms, infrastructure investment and greater participation in mineral value chains.

Nyankhundi Phiri, country manager for SRK Consulting Zambia, said the government was implementing two policy frameworks to support expansion: the National Mineral Resources Development Policy, which prioritises geological mapping and exploration, and the copper production strategy.

“The production target is already influencing the attitude of investors, while reforms are underway to create a more efficient regulatory environment,” said Phiri.

The government established the Minerals Regulation Commission under the Minerals Regulation Commission Act 2024 to oversee licensing and regulation, while strengthening coordination with environmental authorities. Policy responsibilities remain with the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development, Phiri said.

Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer after the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been seeking to increase output as demand for the metal grows in renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, electricity transmission networks and data centres.

However, reaching 3 million tonnes annually would require a substantial expansion of mining capacity beyond existing operations, including the development of new deposits and increased investment in exploration.

Copper production has been approaching 1 million tonnes a year, according to SRK Consulting, leaving the country with a significant gap to bridge over the next five years.

A nationwide geological and geophysical mapping programme launched in 2024 is 94.2% complete, Phiri said, providing investors with information intended to identify new mineral deposits and support exploration.

“A countrywide geological and geophysical mapping programme was launched in 2024, and is almost 94.2% complete,” he said. “Making this information available to investors will undoubtedly help to unlock new deposits and support Zambia’s drive towards its production target.”

Exploration and mining activity is also expanding beyond the traditional Copperbelt mining region, according to Able Tunono, country lead and director of SRK Consulting Zambia.

“There is considerable movement in the mining sector currently, even in the non-copper commodities,” said Tunono. “This includes increased activity around tailings reclamation, old stockpile dumps and new deposits, particularly in north-western Zambia.”

The expansion reflects growing interest in recovering minerals from previously mined materials, as well as exploring new deposits in regions outside established mining centres.

Zambia is also seeking to diversify its mineral production beyond copper and cobalt. Its National Critical Minerals Strategy 2024-2028 identifies nickel, manganese, lithium, graphite and rare earth elements as resources with potential to support industrial development and participation in global supply chains.

The strategy aims to increase domestic value addition, local procurement, manufacturing and skills development rather than relying primarily on the export of unprocessed minerals.

“The strategy speaks not just to the extraction of these minerals, but to the important value addition that can be created – which brings industrialisation, job creation and sustainable development,” said Phiri.

Tunono said Zambia was seeking to position itself as a regional centre for mineral diversification and potentially battery manufacturing, using mineral resources from across Southern Africa.

The government is expected to promote regional mineral value chains at the Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka, scheduled for October under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Mining Landscape: Regional Value Chains, Shared Prosperity and Empowering Communities”.

Investment interest is coming from major mining companies, mid-tier producers, junior miners and local businesses, including joint ventures, said Desmond Mossop, partner and principal engineering geologist at SRK Consulting South Africa and director at SRK Consulting Zambia.

“There is interest from major mining companies alongside mid-tier and junior miners, local businesses and joint ventures,” said Mossop. “Infrastructure development is adding to the momentum, with transport corridors such as Lobito, TAZARA rehabilitation and Nacala offering alternative routes for minerals and supporting wider investment.”

The Lobito Corridor, which links mineral-producing regions in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Atlantic coast, is expected to provide an alternative export route to traditional transport networks serving ports in southern and eastern Africa.

Rehabilitation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority railway and improvements along the Nacala Corridor are also intended to strengthen regional transport connections and reduce logistical constraints facing mining companies.

However, expanding production will require investment in electricity, transport and other infrastructure, as well as measures to manage the environmental and technical risks associated with larger mining operations.

Mossop said deeper and larger mines increased geotechnical and water-related risks, making early investigation and responsible engineering design important to the viability of projects.

“Conducting larger scale mining responsibly requires that project owners include a range of down-the-line aspects in the up-front design,” emphasised Mossop. “Environmental, closure and technical considerations need to be incorporated from exploration through feasibility and construction.”

Electricity availability is another constraint facing the mining industry. Zambia’s open-access electricity policy allows mining companies to purchase power directly from independent producers and energy traders, potentially widening supply options and encouraging private investment in generation.

The government is also targeting additional electricity generation capacity to support industrial growth, while public-private partnerships and transport infrastructure projects are intended to address broader constraints on mining investment.

“For Zambia, the opportunity is therefore about more than producing more copper,” Phiri said. “It is about building the geological, regulatory, infrastructure, skills and value-addition capacity required to turn mineral wealth into sustained economic development — while ensuring that rapid growth remains technically sound and environmentally responsible.”

The National Critical Minerals Strategy links mineral development to Zambia’s ambition of becoming an industrialised, middle-income economy by 2030.

SRK Consulting Zambia officially launched its Kitwe office in March 2026, building on the consultancy’s decades of work in the country. The company provides geological, engineering, environmental, water and sustainability services to mining clients.

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