Keypoints:
- Copper, cobalt, lithium output to surge
- Major mining projects set for 2025–2027
- Rare earths and tantalum exploration expanding
ZAMBIA’S Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, working with the British Geological Survey, has detailed the country’s extensive critical mineral resources in a new report, positioning the nation as a linchpin in global supply chains for decades to come.
The assessment highlights strategic commodities including copper, cobalt, manganese, nickel, graphite, lithium, rare earth elements and columbite-tantalite. With demand for many of these minerals projected to soar by 2040, Zambia’s deposits are increasingly central to the clean energy transition and advanced manufacturing.
Copper: powering the global grid
As the world’s tenth-largest copper producer, contributing three percent of global output, Zambia is aiming to raise production to three million tonnes annually by 2031. The surge will be driven by large-scale developments such as Sinomine Resources’ Kitumba Mine, Mimosa Resources’ Kashime Mine and KoBold Metals’ Mingomba Mine, all expected to come online by 2026.
Global copper demand is forecast to rise 25 percent by 2040, fuelled by renewable energy infrastructure, electric vehicles and urban expansion. Zambia’s planned production growth offers a major opening for investors.
Cobalt: refining a strategic edge
Six Zambian mines are currently producing cobalt alongside copper, with the country and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo jointly holding 58 percent of the world’s cobalt-bearing copper resources.
By the end of 2025, Africa’s first cobalt sulphate refinery will be operational in Zambia, led by Kobaloni Energy and backed by a $100mn investment from Vision Blue and the Africa Finance Corporation. US-based Terra Metals is also set to restart a copper-cobalt acid leach plant in the Kabompo Dome area in 2025.
Manganese: scaling up output
Zambia’s Luapula Province is the country’s manganese heartland. Musamu Resources’ Luongo Open-Pit Mine, the nation’s first large-scale manganese operation, began producing in 2022 and plans to reach one million tonnes a year by 2027. Kabundi Resources operates two washing plants in Serenje to support rising domestic and export demand.
Nickel: rising demand, growing output
Nickel production in Zambia has climbed from 2,500 tonnes in 2019 to 8,000 tonnes in 2023, led by First Quantum Minerals’ Enterprise Project and Mabiza Resources’ Munali Mine. With global demand expected to jump 70 percent by 2040, Zambia’s reserves offer an important supply diversification opportunity.
Graphite: fuelling battery manufacturing
Exploration in Petauke, Lundazi and Kapiri Mposhi has uncovered significant graphite prospects, including high-grade finds at Mvuvye and Njoka. Firms such as Malaika Exploration are moving to commercialise these deposits, aiming to tap into a projected 130 percent rise in global graphite demand by 2040, largely driven by electric vehicle battery production.
Lithium: powering the EV surge
In the Choma Belt of Zambia’s Southern Province, UK-based First Africa Metals has confirmed high-grade lithium at its Misika and Kandela projects. Additional exploration is under way across Tonga, Konayuma and Rock Valley. With lithium demand expected to grow by 350 percent by 2040, these deposits could transform Zambia’s export earnings.
Rare earths and tantalum: the next frontier
Zambia is stepping up rare earth exploration, with Antler Gold advancing its Kesya Project and x-RAM Traws progressing at Nkombwa Hill. Demand for these elements is set to rise 65 percent by 2040.
Meanwhile, columbite-tantalite — essential in electronics, aerospace and energy storage — is emerging as a major diversification play. Maamba Collieries and Malaika Exploration are leading exploration, with global demand for tantalum projected to increase by up to 525 percent by 2040.
