KoBold Metals has officially commenced the development of the Mingomba Copper Project in Zambia, aiming to bring it into production by the early 2030s. The company is now fully advancing the permitting process, with key shaft-sinking operations expected to begin in early 2027.

Zambia is courting global investors, including from the United States, as it aims to more than triple its copper output to 3 million metric tons by 2031, its mines minister said on Tuesday.Africa’s second-largest copper producer after Democratic Republic of Congo is seen as one of the countries Washington is keen to partner with as the US escalates efforts to loosen China’s grip on materials crucial to advanced manufacturing.

Zambia is seeking global mining investment to increase its copper production to about 3 million tonnes by 2031. The country produced around 890,000 tonnes in 2025, missing its initial one-million-ton target. Officials say discussions are ongoing with international investors to expand the mining sector.

Zambia's mining minister said on Tuesday that the country was actively attracting global investors, including those from the US, with the goal of more than tripling copper production to 3 million mt by 2031.Zambia's copper production last year was 890,346 mt, falling short of the annual production target of 1 million mt. Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer, behind only the DRC. Copper is a key material for EVs and renewable energy infrastructure and is critical to the transition to a low-carbon economy.

(Bloomberg) -- Flooding severed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s main copper-export corridor after a key bridge collapsed just south of the Zambian border, disrupting shipments from the world’s second-largest producer of the metal. Transporters should use alternative routes, as the damage has affected traffic flow to and from the Kasumbalesa border with Zambia, the Zambia Revenue Authority said in a notice on Sunday.

Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, will use larger-than-expected mining revenues to start a stabilization fund this year, a senior treasury official said, ensuring the government has a buffer when a red-hot rally in the metal fades.

[Zambia's Copper Production to Grow by 12% in 2024 Due to Recovery in Major Mines' Output] According to foreign media on January 22, Zambia's copper production is expected to grow by 12% in 2024, driven by a recovery in output from major mines, as the government relies on the sector to boost economic growth. Zambia's Minister of Mines, Paul Kabuswe, said on Wednesday that production would reach approximately 820,670 mt, up from 732,580 mt in the previous year.

Zambia’s mining regulator said it had suspended operations at Mopani Copper Mines’ Mufulira mine after it failed to account for all its underground stuff.

[First Quantum: Not in a Hurry to Sell Stake in Zambian Copper Mine] According to foreign media reports on February 12, Ryan MacWilliam, Chief Financial Officer of First Quantum Minerals, said on Wednesday after the company’s Q4 earnings release that the company is not in a hurry to reach an agreement to sell a minority stake in its Zambian copper mine. He stated that the company hopes to find a long-term partner for its Zambian mine and that there is no "specific timetable" for selling the copper mine stake. (Webstock Inc.)

[Zambia Considers Emergency Increase in Electricity Prices] Zambia's energy regulatory body is considering an application from the state-owned power company to raise electricity prices by up to 156% as an emergency measure to cover losses caused by drought. In a statement posted on its website on August 16, the country's Energy Regulatory Board said that the price increase would help Zesco Limited raise USD 14 million from retail electricity customers. Zambia's power shortage has rapidly worsened due to the El Niño-induced drought, which has caused the water levels of hydroelectric dams that supply about 85% of the country's electricity generation to plummet. Zesco stated that at the largest Kariba, the country would run out of its water allocation by the end of September. The emergency increase in electricity prices may further exacerbate the country's inflation level, which already reached 15.4% in July.