The 2027 Budget plans K284.8bn of spending, +12.5% on 2026, with K41.9bn borrowed and 23.7% going on debt service. What it spends, how it is paid for, and how past budgets held up.

KSJ Budget Analysis: The 2027 Budget

Zambia 2027 Budget Analysis

Zambia has become better at stabilising its economy. Whether it can turn that stability into growth is a much harder question.The proposed US$1.472 billion IMF programme puts that question at the centre of economic policy. After years of debt restructuring and fiscal adjustment, the country is being asked to sustain a primary surplus, rebuild fiscal buffers and attract the private investment needed to expand productive capacity.The difficulty is that these objectives do not automatically reinforce one another. Fiscal discipline can restore confidence, but if achieved by suppressing productive investment, it can also constrain future growth. Meanwhile, growth that fails to broaden the tax base leaves government with limited room to finance development without accumulating more debt.This is the central tension in Zambia’s next phase: the country must preserve the gains from stabilisation without allowing stabilisation itself to become a constraint on growth. Zambia is entering its next IMF programme from a very different position than it was four years ago.Inflation is down. Foreign reserves have been rebuilt. Debt restructuring has materially changed the country's financing profile. The economy is expected to grow by 5.6% in 2026.And yet the government's fiscal position weakened this year.That combination explains why the new US$1.472 billion, 36-month IMF Extended Credit Facility is more interesting than the headline suggests.This is no longer primarily a rescue programme.It is an attempt to lock in the gains from stabilisation while forcing Zambia to confront the next problem: how to generate faster, more productive growth without reopening the fiscal problems that produced the debt crisis.That is a much harder assignment. <h2>Zambia's fiscal problem did not begin with the IMF</h2>It is worth putting the new programme in historical perspective.For much of the past decade, Zambia's public finances were characterised by persistent deficits.The IMF's fiscal data show sizeable deficits through 2016–19, followed by the extreme deterioration associated with the pandemic and sovereign default. The fiscal deficit widened dramatically in 2020 and 2021 before consolidation began under the previous IMF programme.The important change since then has been the primary balance.Zambia has moved from large primary deficits into primary surplus territory. Under the previous programme, the IMF initially targeted an improvement in the primary balance from a 6% of GDP deficit in 2021 to a 3.2% surplus by 2025.That adjustment has largely happened.So when the new programme talks about reaching a 3% primary surplus by 2029, it is not proposing something Zambia has never done.It is asking Zambia to sustain a degree of fiscal discipline that has already been achieved — and to sustain it for longer.That distinction matters. <h2>But a primary surplus is not a balanced budget</h2>This is where the public debate can easily become confused.A 3% primary surplus does not mean Zambia will have a budget surplus of 3% of GDP.Interest payments are excluded from the primary balance.Zambia can therefore collect more revenue than it spends on everything from salaries and social programmes to capital projects, while still spending more overall once debt-service costs are included.The IMF's recent projections illustrate the point. Zambia's primary position has improved substantially, but the overall deficit remains.This is one reason the new programme should not be interpreted as Zambia suddenly becoming a surplus country.It is better understood as a country trying to maintain a sufficiently large pre-interest fiscal surplus to keep debt on a sustainable path. <h2>And here is the difficult part</h2>The IMF's own assessment identifies the central tension.With expenditure already being kept tight, maintaining primary surpluses above 3% of GDP could leave capital investment subdued unless Zambia succeeds in raising more revenue.That is the real policy problem.Zambia needs fiscal discipline.But Zambia also needs roads, electricity generation, irrigation, water infrastructure, digital infrastructure and human capital.Cutting investment can improve this year's fiscal number.It does not necessarily improve next year's productive capacity.The distinction between cutting waste and cutting investment will therefore become increasingly important. <h2>Revenue is the hinge</h2>This is why the new programme's emphasis on domestic revenue mobilisation deserves more attention than the US$1.47 billion financing figure.The IMF says non-grant revenues increased by 2.6 percentage points of GDP between 2022 and 2025, reaching 22.6% of GDP by the end of 2025.The next phase requires that trend to continue.If government can collect more through better tax administration, compliance and a more coherent tax system, it can maintain fiscal discipline without relying excessively on spending cuts.If revenue disappoints, the adjustment becomes harder.And Zambia has just been given a reminder of that risk. <h2>2026 is the warning</h2>The IMF says the fiscal position weakened this year because revenues underperformed, particularly VAT and fuel-tax collections.At the same time, expenditure rose sharply because the Food Reserve Agency spent substantially more than had been budgeted.This is more than a technical budget deviation.It illustrates the difficulty of running a tightly managed fiscal programme in an economy where government is still expected to respond to agricultural, energy and social pressures.The FRA is a particularly useful example.Food security is a legitimate policy objective. But when agricultural interventions generate expenditure significantly above budget, the cost ultimately appears somewhere in the public finances.The new programme therefore places greater emphasis on FRA oversight, state-owned enterprises and public-private partnerships.That is fundamentally about controlling fiscal risks before they become another debt problem. <h2>The economy is now asking a different question</h2>The encouraging part of the IMF assessment is that Zambia is no longer being discussed primarily through the language of crisis.The IMF expects 5.6% growth in 2026, supported by agriculture, mining and exports. Inflation has fallen to 6.1%, while reserves have risen to US$6.1 billion.Those are meaningful improvements.But they should not be mistaken for structural transformation.Zambia can grow at 5–6% and still struggle to generate enough productive employment.Mining can expand while remaining relatively capital-intensive.Agriculture can perform strongly in a good rainfall year without substantially increasing productivity.And GDP can rise without household incomes improving proportionately.For Zambia, therefore, the composition of growth matters almost as much as the growth rate. <h2>Copper can lift the economy. It cannot transform it alone.</h2>Mining is likely to remain one of Zambia's major growth engines.That is not a weakness in itself.The problem arises if copper remains primarily an export commodity rather than becoming the foundation for a wider industrial ecosystem.The opportunity is to build more Zambian capability around mining: engineering services, equipment, logistics, fabrication, processing, technology and specialised business services.The same logic applies to agriculture.The economic opportunity is not simply producing more maize.It is developing irrigation, storage, agro-processing, cold chains, logistics, inputs and regional markets.That is what makes the government's language around value addition, production and exports important.The test is whether those words translate into investment. <h2>Electricity could determine whether the growth story holds</h2>There is an even more immediate constraint.Electricity.Zambia cannot seriously pursue industrialisation while energy supply remains unreliable.The IMF expects improved electricity supply to support medium-term growth.But fixing the power constraint requires capital at precisely the moment when fiscal policy is supposed to remain tight.That is why private capital matters.Government does not necessarily need to finance every new megawatt itself. But it does need to create conditions under which private investors can finance generation, transmission and related infrastructure at reasonable risk.This brings the new programme back to its most important phrase:private-sector-led growth. <h2>What does this mean for a Zambian business?</h2>This is ultimately where the IMF programme becomes real.For a manufacturer, it means whether electricity is reliable enough to operate.For an importer, it means whether the kwacha and foreign-exchange market remain sufficiently stable to price inventory.For a farmer, it means whether roads, storage, irrigation and markets allow production to become a profitable business.For a mining supplier, it means whether the expansion of copper production creates opportunities for local companies.For a household, it means whether economic growth eventually produces jobs and higher real incomes.Macroeconomic stability matters because it changes these conditions.But stability by itself does not guarantee them. <h2>The danger is becoming good at stabilisation</h2>There is a subtle risk in the new programme.Zambia could successfully maintain fiscal discipline, meet IMF targets and preserve macroeconomic stability — yet fail to change the underlying structure of the economy.That would produce a stable version of the same economy.And that is not enough.The previous programme was successful to the extent that it helped move Zambia away from the immediate consequences of default and macroeconomic instability.The next programme will be judged against a different standard.Did Zambia become more productive?Did private investment increase?Did exports diversify?Did electricity reliability improve?Did manufacturing expand?Did agricultural productivity rise?Did formal and productive employment grow?Did household incomes increase?Those are much harder questions than whether the fiscal numbers met an IMF performance criterion. <h2>The US$1.47 billion is therefore not the main story</h2>The financing matters.The IMF programme matters.Debt sustainability matters.But the bigger story is that Zambia is moving from an era of stabilisation to an era of execution.The country has made genuine progress in rebuilding macroeconomic credibility. The challenge now is avoiding the two extremes: returning to the fiscal excesses of the past, or pursuing such tight consolidation that investment and growth are weakened.The solution lies in the quality of the adjustment.Raise more revenue.Spend better.Control fiscal risks.Protect productive investment.Crowd in private capital.And use mining and agriculture as platforms for broader economic diversification rather than as ends in themselves.That is the economic bargain embedded in the new IMF programme.Zambia has spent the past four years repairing the balance sheet. The next four will determine whether that repair becomes a foundation for growth — or simply a more stable way of managing the same structural weaknesses.

Zambia’s New IMF Deal: Stability Has Been Bought. Can Growth Now Be Delivered?

<h1>Grow Zambia Has the Numbers. Now Comes the Hard Part</h1>Zambia has a new set of numbers to chase.10 million tonnes of maize.10,000 megawatts of electricity.Five million tourists.Three million tonnes of copper.Three million tonnes of soya beans.One million tonnes each of wheat and sugar.And a US$1 billion beef industry.Together, they form the headline targets of the Grow Zambia Agenda.The numbers are easy to remember.The economics behind them are considerably harder.The central question is no longer whether Zambia can announce ambitious production targets. It is whether the country can build the infrastructure, capital, productivity and institutions required to deliver them.That distinction matters. <h2>A target is not a strategy</h2>There is nothing inherently wrong with ambitious targets.In fact, one advantage of the Grow Zambia framework is that it puts numbers against a concept that is often discussed in vague terms: economic growth.But a production target is an outcome, not an explanation of how the outcome will be achieved.Take maize.Getting to 10 million tonnes is not simply a question of planting more hectares. It depends on yields, irrigation, fertiliser, financing, storage, roads, markets and weather.Copper presents a different version of the same problem.Three million tonnes requires mines to invest, expand and develop new deposits. It also requires electricity, transport infrastructure, skills and capital.Tourism needs airports, roads, hotels, attractions and international connectivity.The targets may look separate on paper.In the real economy, they are not. <h2>Zambia cannot grow without power</h2>Of all the numbers, 10,000 MW may have the widest implications.Mining needs electricity.Factories need electricity.Irrigation needs electricity.Cold storage needs electricity.Digital businesses need electricity.Households need electricity.But there is an important distinction between installed generation capacity and electricity that businesses can actually rely on.A megawatt on paper does not automatically mean reliable power at a factory.Transmission and distribution therefore matter almost as much as generation.The relevant question should be: how much reliable electricity can Zambia deliver to productive users, at what cost?That is the number businesses will ultimately care about. <h2>More copper is not the same as more wealth</h2>Copper is perhaps the clearest test of the agenda.Zambia wants to significantly increase production, with three million tonnes forming one of the central targets.That could substantially increase economic activity and export earnings.But tonnes alone do not tell the whole story.Who supplies the mines?Where is the equipment manufactured?How much is processed locally?How much tax revenue is generated?How many Zambian businesses become part of the supply chain?And how much of the additional value remains in Zambia?A bigger mining sector can be good for the economy while still leaving a large portion of the value chain outside the country.That is why value captured, rather than simply tonnes produced, deserves to become part of the national conversation. <h2>Agriculture has the same problem</h2>The agricultural targets are potentially more significant for ordinary households because agriculture reaches far beyond large companies.More maize, soya, wheat, sugar and beef can mean more activity for farmers, transporters, processors, traders and manufacturers.But producing more does not automatically mean earning more.If production rises without sufficient storage, processing and export markets, farmers can face falling prices.If farmers remain heavily dependent on imported inputs, the domestic economic benefit can be reduced.And if production remains overwhelmingly rain-fed, climate variability remains a major risk.The question, therefore, is not simply whether Zambia can produce 10 million tonnes.Can it produce them consistently, competitively and profitably? <h2>Then comes the money</h2>There is another uncomfortable question.Who is going to pay for all this growth?Zambia's fiscal space remains limited.Government has committed to fiscal discipline and debt sustainability while simultaneously seeking greater investment in infrastructure.That means the private sector will have to play a much larger role.But private investment does not arrive simply because a government announces a target.Investors look at electricity, roads, financing costs, taxes, regulation, foreign exchange, skills and the predictability of policy.The Grow Zambia Agenda therefore depends partly on something that is not contained in the headline numbers:whether Zambia becomes a more predictable and commercially attractive place to invest and produce. <h2>And then there is the jobs question</h2>This may ultimately be the most important test.Suppose Zambia produces substantially more copper.Suppose agricultural output doubles.Suppose tourist arrivals increase.What happens to employment?What happens to household incomes?What happens to productivity?What happens to the cost of living?GDP can increase without every household experiencing the same improvement.A mine can generate billions of dollars in output without employing millions of people.Agriculture and agro-processing, by contrast, can potentially connect growth to much larger numbers of households.This means the composition of growth matters almost as much as its size. <h2>Watch the gaps, not just the targets</h2>The Grow Zambia Agenda will become much more useful as an economic management tool if the headline targets are accompanied by a public scoreboard.Not just:Target: 10 million tonnes.But:Baseline → annual target → actual production → gap → reason for gap → corrective action.The same should apply to electricity, copper, tourism and agriculture.That would turn the agenda from a political slogan into something closer to a management system.It would also make it easier to distinguish between a temporary setback and a structural problem.If maize misses its target, is the problem rainfall?Irrigation?Finance?Inputs?Storage?Markets?If copper misses its target, is it investment?Power?New mine development?Regulation?The numbers tell us what happened.Good economic management should help explain why. <h2>The real Grow Zambia test</h2>There is a temptation to judge the agenda by whether the headline numbers are reached.That is necessary, but it is not sufficient.A stronger test is whether Zambia becomes a more productive economy along the way.Are businesses investing?Are yields increasing?Is electricity becoming more reliable?Are exports becoming more diversified?Are local supply chains developing?Are more people moving into productive employment?Are household incomes rising faster than the cost of living?Those indicators will tell us considerably more about economic transformation than a single production figure.Grow Zambia has put some very large numbers on the table.Now comes the less glamorous part.Building the roads. Finding the capital. Expanding the power system. Raising productivity. Fixing bottlenecks. Attracting investment. Developing skills. And making the numbers move.The targets are ambitious.The real story will be in the gap between where Zambia is now and where it says it wants to be.That gap is where Grow Zambia will either become an economic transformation programme — or remain a list of targets.And that is the part worth watching.

Grow Zambia Has the Numbers. Now Comes the Hard Part

&nbsp;A new bond from Zanaco may sound like a story for bankers and pension funds. But its real significance could eventually be felt by businesses looking for money to buy equipment, expand farms, install solar power or build new infrastructure.Zanaco has announced a US$100 million Medium-Term Note Programme, starting with a planned US$50 million sustainability bond.It is the first sustainability bond issued by a Zambian bank, according to the Lusaka Securities Exchange.The idea is relatively simple: investors provide Zanaco with capital, and the money raised is intended to support projects with defined environmental and social benefits.That includes areas such as renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, energy efficiency, affordable housing, healthcare, education and financial inclusion.For Zambian businesses, the interesting question is not really what a sustainability bond is.It is whether it creates another source of money for productive investment.<h3>So, what changes for a business?</h3>Imagine a farming company that wants to invest in irrigation.The investment could improve production for years, but the equipment requires substantial money upfront. The same applies to a manufacturer wanting to install solar power, a property developer building more energy-efficient housing, or an SME investing in equipment that reduces its energy costs.Traditionally, such businesses might rely on conventional bank loans, shareholder capital or retained earnings.Sustainability finance introduces another possibility.Capital raised through the bond can be channelled into qualifying projects, potentially expanding the amount of financing available for businesses whose activities meet the relevant sustainability criteria.Zanaco's existing green-finance framework already identifies areas including renewable energy, resource efficiency, green buildings, climate-smart agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and waste management.<h3>But this is not a cheap-money announcement</h3>There is an important caveat.The US$50 million does not mean every SME will suddenly be able to borrow at lower interest rates.Businesses will still have to qualify for financing, and projects will need to meet the requirements attached to sustainability funding.For some companies, therefore, the immediate impact may be limited.The bigger opportunity is the possibility of more capital being directed towards particular types of investment.<h3>Agriculture could be one of the biggest beneficiaries</h3>Agriculture provides a good example of why this matters.Irrigation, storage, solar-powered equipment, efficient processing and other climate-smart investments can make businesses more productive and resilient. But many require significant capital before they start generating returns.If sustainable finance helps fund those investments, the benefits can extend beyond an individual company.A better irrigation system can increase production. Better storage can reduce losses. More efficient processing can create additional value from agricultural output.That is where financial-market developments begin to connect with the real economy.<h3>And SMEs should pay attention</h3>For a small business, the language of sustainable finance can sometimes sound distant.But the underlying question is familiar: Where can I get the money to grow?A sustainability-finance pipeline could become relevant to SMEs investing in energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture and other qualifying activities.Zanaco says the programme is intended to support entrepreneurs and SMEs alongside farmers and communities requiring social infrastructure.The eventual impact, however, will depend on the financing terms, eligibility requirements and how effectively the money reaches viable projects.<h3>Why the bond matters beyond Zanaco</h3>There is also a bigger story developing in Zambia's financial markets.The country needs capital for productive investment, while investors — particularly institutional investors — need opportunities to deploy long-term funds.A sustainability bond attempts to connect those two needs.Instead of capital simply moving through the financial system, it is tied to a defined set of environmental and social investments.The Lusaka Securities Exchange has described the transaction as a new chapter for Zambia's capital markets and indicated that it wants to work with stakeholders to develop a pipeline of future thematic bonds.That could eventually lead to more specialised financing instruments for sectors such as energy, agriculture, housing and infrastructure.<h3>The real test starts after the headline</h3>US$100 million makes for an impressive headline.But the more important story will be what happens after the money is raised.Which businesses receive financing?What are the interest rates and repayment periods?How many SMEs can actually access it?How much goes into productive investment rather than simply refinancing existing obligations?And does the financing generate measurable economic activity?Those questions will determine whether sustainability finance becomes more than a new label in Zambia's banking sector.For businesses, the message for now is straightforward: a new pool of capital is being created around projects that meet sustainability criteria.The opportunity will be in understanding the criteria — and positioning viable projects to qualify.For Zambia's financial system, meanwhile, Zanaco's bond marks an important shift: sustainability is increasingly becoming not just a development concept, but a way of organising and mobilising capital.

Zanaco’s $100 Million Sustainability Bond: What It Could Mean for Zambian Businesses

For many university students, finding academic material can sometimes be almost as difficult as studying it.A past examination paper may exist somewhere. A lecture note may have been shared months ago. A quiz might be sitting on someone's phone. But finding the material can mean searching through WhatsApp groups, asking classmates, checking Google Drive folders or calling someone who may—or may not—have the document.That frustration is what led two students at the Copperbelt University to start building UniData, a digital platform designed to bring academic resources and other elements of university life into one place.The platform currently brings together past examination papers, lecture notes, quizzes, timetables and other academic resources, while newer versions have expanded into personal study timetables and university events.As of September 20, UniData says it had recorded more than 4,500 downloads on Google Play, with more than 3,500 active users across its platforms. It currently has a presence at the Copperbelt University, the University of Zambia and Mulungushi University.For co-founder Newton Katete, the idea started with a problem the founders were experiencing themselves.<h3>A problem students already knew</h3>“We found it hard to find useful academic material,” Katete told KSJ.According to him, the material students needed was often scattered across WhatsApp groups, individual phones and Google Drive accounts. In some cases, students knew a past paper existed but spent considerable time trying to find someone who had it.“Some who were not strong even gave up looking for that paper,” he said.That experience became the starting point for UniData.Rather than approaching the problem as outsiders trying to understand student life, the founders were themselves students dealing with the problem every day.The result was a simple proposition: put academic resources in one organised platform.It also produced the company's slogan: “For students, by students.”<h3>Starting with an APK</h3>UniData did not begin with a large technology infrastructure or a substantial startup budget.The founders first tested the idea among classmates, distributing an Android APK through Google Drive.They uploaded academic materials, watched how students responded and gradually improved the product.The application eventually made its way onto Google Play.Katete says one of the biggest lessons from that process was that developing software is only one part of building a technology company.“You also need the market, the people that need it, trust it and find value in it,” he said.That has influenced the way the team approaches development.The UniData of today, he says, is not exactly the same product they imagined at the beginning because users have continued to influence what gets built.<h3>Growing beyond CBU</h3>The platform's strongest initial concentration was at the Copperbelt University.It has since expanded to the University of Zambia and Mulungushi University.UniData says it currently covers about 10 programmes at CBU, approximately 13 at UNZA and three at Mulungushi University, although the founders acknowledge that coverage is still incomplete.For the team, the numbers represent early validation rather than a finished expansion story.“There are many programmes and universities we have not covered yet,” Katete said.The team says it has also been receiving requests from students at other institutions to bring their universities onto the platform.<h3>The reality of being student founders</h3>Building a startup while studying creates a particular set of constraints.There are product issues to solve, users to support and growth to manage—but there are also examinations and assignments.“There are instances where UniData needs serious attention and we have an examination or test in the morning,” Katete said.Funding is another challenge.The founders have had to make decisions around what they can build with the resources available rather than what they might build with unlimited capital.One example is iOS.UniData currently has a web version for iPhone users, while an iOS application remains constrained by the cost of getting onto Apple's App Store and maintaining the platform.For the team, this has become part of the startup education itself: building around available resources while continuing to move forward.They have also learned that getting someone to download an application is different from giving them a reason to keep using it.“The product downloaded should add value to the user,” Katete said.<h3>More than the founders</h3>UniData is not being built by its two co-founders alone.The wider structure includes a board made up of students, teams working at UNZA and Mulungushi University, a social media manager and student ambassadors.The university-based teams play an important role in identifying whether the same problems experienced at CBU exist elsewhere.For Katete, this distributed structure is part of what has allowed UniData to grow.Each person has a defined role, but the platform itself is intended to be bigger than its original founders.That will become particularly important as the current founders eventually leave university.The team is already looking at ambassadors as part of the next generation that can continue building UniData's presence on campus.<h3>The K20 question</h3>UniData uses a freemium model, allowing students to access parts of the platform without paying while offering additional features through a premium package.The current premium price is K20 per month.For a student-focused product, monetisation presents an obvious balancing act.The platform has costs: servers, development, marketing, expansion and the people working behind it. At the same time, pricing cannot become so high that students are excluded from a product designed around their needs.For the founders, sustainability therefore matters as much as affordability.The challenge is finding a point where UniData can generate enough revenue to keep operating while remaining accessible to its primary users.<h3>When software becomes useful</h3>For the founders, the most meaningful measure of progress is not necessarily the number of features in the application.It is what happens when a student actually uses one.Katete points to moments when students tell the team that they found a past paper on UniData, discovered a question through one of its quizzes or used material from the platform to prepare for an assessment.“That is the moment tech stops being code and becomes useful,” he said.It is a useful description of the journey the platform has taken—from an idea discussed among students to a product being used by thousands of them.<h3>AI beyond the chatbot</h3>The team's next technological frontier includes artificial intelligence.But Katete says the intention is not simply to add a chatbot because AI is fashionable.The bigger opportunity, in his view, is using AI to help students move from finding information to actually understanding it.That could mean systems that understand what a student is studying and provide more relevant academic support rather than generating generic responses.For UniData, the question is therefore less about whether AI can be added and more about how it can be applied meaningfully to the academic experience.<h3>Building through UpSurge Technologies</h3>UniData sits within a broader venture, UpSurge Technologies.The long-term ambition is to make UniData a familiar part of university life in Zambia before potentially expanding beyond the country.The founders want academic resources, revision, academic support, timetables and university events to be areas where students naturally consider UniData.But Katete says UpSurge's ambitions extend beyond one application.The broader objective is to build practical technology around problems the team understands first-hand.Over the next three to five years, he says he would rather see the company have a small number of products that people genuinely use than a long list of applications without a clear need.That philosophy perhaps captures the story of UniData itself.It did not begin with an attempt to build the next big technology platform.It began with students looking for a past paper.And somewhere between WhatsApp groups, Google Drive folders, examinations and limited startup resources, that small inconvenience became a product now being used by thousands of students.For Katete and his fellow student founders, the larger lesson is straightforward: meaningful technology does not necessarily have to wait until graduation.“Students in Zambia should not have to wait to graduate and do something meaningful. We start now, learn now, fail now at some things and hopefully build something meaningful in the end.”Founder: Newton Katete, Co-Founder, UniData / UpSurge TechnologiesPlatform: <a href="https://unidata-website.vercel.app/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UniData</a>

From WhatsApp Groups to One Platform: How Students Are Building UniData

Applications are now open for the GreenCode Hackathon Zambia, a 48-hour technology and sustainability-focused programme set to take place in Lusaka from 30 October to 1 November 2026.The hackathon will bring together up to 100 developers, entrepreneurs, designers, sustainability experts and other problem-solvers to develop technology-driven responses to environmental and economic challenges.Organised around Garage48’s rapid-prototyping model, participants will move from idea validation and team formation to product development and pitching within the three-day event. Participants can arrive with an existing concept or join a team and develop an idea during the hackathon.The programme will also provide access to local and international mentors during the build process.Beyond the hackathon, six winning teams will receive follow-on support from Garage48 and BongoHive and share a €6,000 award fund. The programme is also positioned as an entry point into the wider Twin Digital Foundry pre-seed ecosystem.Garage48 describes its hackathons as intensive 48-hour events designed to take ideas towards viable prototypes, with teams working through structured checkpoints, mentoring and final demonstrations.The GreenCode Hackathon Zambia will be held in Lusaka from 30 October to 1 November 2026, with applications closing on 20 October 2026.Interested applicants can register through <a href="https://garage48.org/events/greencodezambia?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Garage48’s GreenCode Zambia application page</a>.

GreenCode Hackathon Opens Applications for Zambian Innovators

A Winning Fiscal Strategy for Zambia: From Ministry-Centric Budgeting to Provincial Equity

Zambia’s fashion industry is increasingly being discussed not only as a creative sector, but as part of the broader economic conversation around jobs, enterprise development, cultural exports and access to international markets.Those issues were at the centre of the FashionEVO Summit held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, which brought together fashion entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry practitioners from Zambia, Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent.The discussions focused on a question that has become increasingly relevant to African creative industries: how can fashion move from a largely fragmented collection of small businesses and designers into a more structured industry capable of competing beyond domestic markets? <h2>From Creativity to Industry</h2>The Summit examined the role of innovation, sustainability, investment, policy and market access in strengthening Africa’s fashion ecosystem.The programme's keynote address by Kangwa Chileshe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, highlighted the wider economic potential of the creative industries and the importance of positioning African fashion for global competition.But competitiveness extends beyond the visibility of individual designers.For fashion businesses to scale, entrepreneurs need access to finance, reliable production and supply chains, skilled labour, intellectual property protection, market information and distribution networks.These structural issues featured prominently throughout the Summit.Panel discussions examined how Africa can build a fashion economy capable of competing internationally, while also preserving the cultural identity embedded in its creative industries. <h2>The Market Access Problem</h2>For many African fashion businesses, producing a product is only one part of the challenge.Getting that product into international markets can require knowledge of export regulations, logistics, branding, pricing, retail networks and consumer preferences that smaller businesses may struggle to access individually.The Summit therefore considered pathways for African brands to move beyond local markets and develop commercially sustainable international businesses.This also raises a broader question for Zambia: whether local fashion enterprises can build the production capacity and business systems required to participate consistently in regional and global value chains. <h2>Culture as an Economic Asset</h2>Fashion also occupies a space between commerce and cultural expression.African designers frequently draw on local textiles, patterns, craftsmanship and cultural references. Protecting that creativity therefore has an economic dimension as well as a cultural one.Discussions at the Summit included intellectual property protection and the need for supportive policy frameworks that can help creators protect and commercialise their work.For emerging designers, the ability to establish ownership over designs and brands can be critical as their businesses gain visibility. <h2>Building the Accessories Economy</h2>Another area discussed was Africa’s premium accessories market and the need for stronger value chains.Accessories such as leather goods, jewellery, footwear and other products can create opportunities beyond the traditional designer-clothing model.But developing a competitive accessories industry requires more than creative talent. It depends on access to quality raw materials, manufacturing capacity, specialised skills, quality standards, finance and distribution.Strengthening those links could allow more value to be captured within African markets rather than concentrating production and higher-value stages of the supply chain elsewhere. <h2>A Broader Economic Question</h2>The FashionEVO Summit ultimately highlighted a challenge shared by many African creative industries.The continent has no shortage of creative talent. The harder question is how that talent can be connected to the capital, infrastructure, policy, skills and markets required to build durable businesses.The speakers and moderators—including Ejiro Amos Tafiri, Mariam Musa, Lilly Alfonso, Blessing Ebere Achu, Faith M. Kabende, Kiki Okewale, Chisanga Kapumpa and Annie Oti—brought perspectives from different parts of the African fashion ecosystem to the discussion.Closing the Summit, FashionEVO founder Dr Yetty Ogunnubi said the platform was established to encourage collaboration and create opportunities for the growth of Africa’s creative industries.The event concluded with a networking and industry mixer, extending discussions beyond the formal programme.For Zambia, however, the more important conversation may be what happens after the conference.If fashion is to become a meaningful contributor to the creative economy, attention will have to move from showcasing talent to building the systems around it—production, finance, intellectual property, market access and regional trade.That is where the industry's economic potential will ultimately be tested.

The inaugural FashionEVO Summit Zambia 2026 successfully convened fashion industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, creatives and development partners for a day of transformative dialogue focused on advancing Africa's fashion industry.

FashionEVO Summit 2026 Sparks Bold Conversations on the Future of African Fashion

On 16 June 2016, the first guests arrived at Ila Safari Lodge. At the time, it was a single lodge on the banks of the Kafue River, built on a bold belief: that luxury tourism could be a force for conservation, community development and meaningful connection with nature. No one could have known then that this moment would mark the beginning of a journey that would span some of Southern Africa’s most extraordinary destinations. Yet ten years later, Green Safaris is not simply celebrating growth. We are celebrating something far more meaningful: a decade of proving that expansion does not have to come at the expense of identity. Over the past ten years, our story has unfolded across rivers, islands, floodplains, waterfalls and wilderness areas. We have welcomed remarkable properties into the Green Safaris family, each with its own history, character and sense of place. But throughout this journey, one principle has remained unchanged: “The places we love should never lose what makes them special.“ As we celebrate ten years since Ila Safari Lodge first opened its doors, we look back on the chapters that have shaped Green Safaris — and the extraordinary family of destinations that now call it home. &nbsp;A LOVE STORY ROOTED IN AFRICA Long before Green Safaris became a collection of lodges and camps, it began with a deep love for Africa. A love for the places that leave you speechless.The vast floodplains of Busanga at sunrise. The roar of Victoria Falls. The quiet rhythm of the Zambezi River. The untamed wilderness of South Luangwa. The ancient landscapes of Kafue.But it was never only about the places. It was also about the people. The guides who transform a game drive into a life-changing experience. The communities whose traditions and stories are woven into the landscapes we operate in. The conservationists are working tirelessly to protect wildlife and ecosystems for future generations.From the very beginning, Green Safaris has believed that travel should create a positive legacy. Africa gives us so much. In return, we have committed ourselves to four enduring missions: conserving our environment, protecting our wildlife, empowering our people, and creating experiences that exceed imagination. These values have shaped every decision we have made over the past decade. And they continue to guide every chapter still to come. MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF LODGESOne of the greatest challenges facing any hospitality group is how to grow while remaining authentic. Many brands expand by creating uniformity — properties begin to look alike, experiences become standardised, and distinctive local character is gradually replaced by a corporate identity.Green Safaris chose a different path.“Rather than asking our properties to become more like Green Safaris, we asked Green Safaris to become a home for extraordinary places.“— Lauren Summers, Marketing DirectorThis philosophy sits at the heart of everything we do. When guests stay at a Green Safaris property, they know they can expect exceptional service, sustainability, conservation-driven tourism, meaningful community engagement, thoughtful design and unforgettable experiences. But they should never expect sameness.Tongabezi should feel unmistakably Zambezi. Chisa should feel unlike any safari camp on earth. Shawa should embody the spirit of Luangwa. Every property should remain deeply connected to the place, people and stories that made it special long before it joined the Green Safaris family.That balance — between shared values and individual personality — has become one of our proudest achievements. A DECADE IN CHAPTERSEvery story needs a beginning. For Green Safaris, that beginning was Ila Safari Lodge.Situated on the banks of the Kafue River in one of Africa’s largest national parks, Ila was conceived as a new kind of safari lodge — one that embraced innovation, sustainability and a deeper connection to the wilderness.Its name honours the Ila people, often known as the Warrior Herdsmen, whose history is deeply connected to the region. The lodge’s logo, inspired by an Ila warrior and his distinctive isusu hair cone, serves as a tribute to a culture whose legacy remains part of the landscape today.What started as a single lodge soon became something larger: a vision for how tourism could support conservation, empower communities and inspire travellers to engage more deeply with Africa. The first chapter had begun.

10 Years of Green Safaris: A Decade of Purpose, Place and Preserving Individuality

President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election gives Zambia something that has become increasingly valuable to the economy: policy continuity. After a first term dominated by debt restructuring, fiscal consolidation and efforts to restore investor confidence, the second term begins from a markedly different economic position. Zambia is no longer dealing primarily with the immediate consequences of a sovereign debt crisis. The bigger question now is whether the stability achieved over the past five years can be translated into stronger growth, better incomes and broader economic opportunity.The August 2026 election therefore has significance beyond the political outcome. For investors, businesses and households, it provides greater clarity about the direction of economic policy over the next five years. However, continuity should not be mistaken for a guarantee of prosperity. The economic challenges facing Zambia have changed, rather than disappeared.<h3>From economic repair to economic expansion</h3>The defining economic story of Hichilema’s first term was largely one of economic repair. Zambia entered his administration facing a severe debt crisis, limited fiscal space, high inflation and weakened investor confidence. Debt restructuring and the IMF-supported programme became central to restoring macroeconomic stability.There has been meaningful progress. Zambia has completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility programme, while substantial progress has been made in restructuring the country's external debt. Inflation has also fallen significantly from the exceptionally high levels experienced in previous years, while international reserves have strengthened. These developments matter because economic recovery is not simply about GDP growth. It is also about whether businesses and investors believe government finances, monetary policy, taxation and the regulatory environment are becoming more predictable.The second term, however, presents a different challenge. The question is no longer simply how Zambia can stabilise its economy, but how that stability can be used to generate sustained economic expansion. That is a much harder task because growth must now become more visible in employment, household incomes and business activity.<h3>The copper opportunity</h3>Copper will remain at the centre of Zambia’s economic story. Global demand for the metal is expected to remain strong because of its importance in electricity infrastructure, renewable energy, electric vehicles and other technologies associated with the energy transition. Zambia is therefore entering the second Hichilema term with a potentially significant opportunity.Higher copper production can generate export earnings, foreign exchange, tax revenues and employment. Increased investment in mining can also stimulate demand for transport, engineering, construction, financial services and other businesses. But there is an important question behind the headline numbers: how much value does Zambia actually capture from its mineral wealth?The long-term opportunity is not simply to produce more copper. It is to build a wider domestic economy around copper. That means stronger local supply chains, more Zambian participation in mining services, greater investment in skills and technology and, where commercially viable, greater processing and manufacturing activity. If mining investment increases without creating meaningful linkages with the rest of the economy, the benefits will remain narrower than they could be.<h3>The cost-of-living test</h3>Perhaps the most important economic challenge facing the government is also the most immediate one for ordinary households. Macroeconomic indicators can improve while households continue to feel financially stretched. Inflation has fallen, but lower inflation does not mean lower prices. It means prices are increasing more slowly. A household that experienced years of high inflation can therefore continue to feel pressure even after inflation returns to more manageable levels.This distinction will matter during the second term. The success of economic policy will increasingly be judged not only by inflation, international reserves or debt ratios, but by whether households experience improvements in purchasing power and employment. The ultimate test of economic stabilisation is whether people can feel it in their daily lives.<h3>Growth beyond copper</h3>Zambia's long-term economic prospects will depend on whether the country can diversify beyond mining. Agriculture remains central to employment and rural incomes, while manufacturing and services have considerable potential to absorb a growing workforce. However, diversification requires more than identifying promising sectors.Businesses need reliable electricity, efficient transport, access to finance, digital infrastructure and predictable regulation. Without these foundations, diversification will remain difficult regardless of how attractive Zambia's natural resources are. Energy may be particularly important. The country's dependence on hydropower has exposed the economy to drought and changing weather patterns, while electricity shortages can reduce mining output, disrupt manufacturing and increase costs for businesses.A more resilient energy system could therefore become one of the most important investments of the second term. Zambia's ability to add solar, thermal and other generation capacity alongside hydropower will have implications far beyond the electricity sector. Reliable power is ultimately a prerequisite for industrialisation.<h3>The debt lesson</h3>Zambia's debt restructuring is one of the defining economic developments of the Hichilema administration. But restructuring should not be interpreted as the end of the debt problem. The more important lesson is that Zambia has experienced the consequences of borrowing without sufficient regard to the country's capacity to repay.The government will face considerable pressure during the second term to increase spending on infrastructure, public services, wages and social programmes. Some of this spending will be necessary. The challenge will be ensuring that increased expenditure contributes to productive capacity rather than simply expanding recurrent obligations.The distinction between borrowing to build an asset that generates future economic value and borrowing to finance consumption will become increasingly important. For Zambia, fiscal discipline is therefore not simply an IMF requirement. It is a lesson from the country's own recent economic history.<h3>What does this mean for businesses?</h3>For the private sector, the re-election primarily provides greater certainty. Companies can make investment decisions with a clearer understanding of the policy environment over the next five years. This could benefit sectors such as mining, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, financial services and technology.But attracting foreign investment should not be the only objective. One of the most important measures of the second term will be whether new investment creates opportunities for Zambian businesses. A mining project that imports most of its equipment, services and expertise creates a different economic impact from one that develops competitive local suppliers. Similarly, infrastructure investment has greater long-term value when it creates productive ecosystems around it.The next stage of Zambia's economic development should therefore focus not just on capital coming into Zambia, but on economic value staying in Zambia.<h3>A new phase of the IMF relationship</h3>Zambia's relationship with the IMF is also likely to evolve. The previous programme was heavily focused on restoring macroeconomic stability and addressing debt sustainability. A successor programme, if agreed, will operate in a different environment. The challenge will be maintaining fiscal and monetary discipline while creating enough space for investment and private-sector growth.That balance will be critical. Too much austerity can constrain economic activity and public investment, while too much spending can recreate fiscal pressures. The second term will require a careful middle ground: maintaining credibility while creating the conditions for productive investment.<h3>The bigger question</h3>Hichilema's re-election does not represent either an automatic economic victory or a clean slate. It represents continuity at a particularly important moment for the Zambian economy. The first term was largely about restoring stability after a period of severe economic disruption. The second term now has the opportunity—and the burden—of turning that stability into transformation.That transformation should ultimately be measured in practical terms. Are more Zambians finding productive employment? Are local businesses growing? Is electricity becoming more reliable? Is agriculture becoming more productive? Is Zambia capturing more value from its mineral resources? Are household incomes rising faster than the cost of living? And, perhaps most importantly, is economic growth becoming less dependent on copper prices and government spending?These questions will matter more than the election itself. The re-election provides Zambia with five more years of policy continuity. What happens during those five years will determine whether the country simply consolidates the gains of economic stabilisation or takes the more difficult step towards sustained, broad-based prosperity.The first term was about repairing the Zambian economy. The second must be about making it work for more Zambians.

What Does HH’s Re-election Mean for the Zambian Economy?

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