Lusaka, Zambia, 7 April 2026 — The Government of Zambia, through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI), today opened a high-level consultative meeting to review and develop a successor National Local Content Strategy (NLCS), with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa (ECA SRO-SA).
The consultations brought together stakeholders from government, the private sector, academia, and development partners to craft a robust, enforceable strategy that puts Zambian goods, businesses, and workers at the centre of the country's accelerating industrialisation agenda.
Speaking at the official opening, Permanent Secretary for Investment and Industrialisation, Mr. Crucivia C. Hichikumba, called on all sectors to actively shape the strategy. "Our new National Local Content Strategy must be practical, inclusive, and impactful," he said, pointing to ambitious national targets including ramping copper production to 3 million tonnes by 2031 and reaching 10 million tonnes of maize output. "Zambia's future lies in value addition — not raw material exports."
ECA Senior Economist and Chief of Inclusive Industrialisation, Ms. Olayinka Bandele, underscored the transformative potential of the strategy. She noted that since 2021, Zambia has attracted over $12.2 billion in investment and created more than 68,000 manufacturing jobs. "The successor NLCS isn't just a policy update — it's a blueprint for building industries, creating jobs, and securing our economic future," she said.
Ms. Bandele outlined four priority sectors expected to anchor the strategy:
Electric Vehicles and Battery Value Chains – Leveraging Zambia's copper, cobalt, and manganese reserves to move from raw mineral exports to battery-grade manufacturing, as domestic EV adoption surged from 62 vehicles as of June 2024 to 896 vehicles as of July 2025.
Agro-Processing – Building on the sector's nearly 50% share of manufacturing output by reducing post-harvest losses and shifting from raw commodities to high-value processed goods.
Textiles – Revitalising domestic industry through a $140 million reinvestment in Zambia-China Mulungushi Textiles and a cotton out-grower scheme which is set to boost Zambia’s textile industry and create over 500 direct jobs.
Pharmaceuticals – Reducing Zambia's over-90% dependence on imported medical supplies by upgrading local manufacturing to Good Manufacturing Practice standards and positioning the country as a regional pharmaceutical exporter under the African Medicines Agency framework.
Mr. Paul Chisunka, Trustee of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), reaffirmed the private sector's readiness to deliver. "Local content isn't just a policy issue — it's a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for Zambian businesses," he said. With MSMEs comprising over 90% of Zambia's enterprises, ZACCI called for clear sector targets, stronger MSME inclusion in major value chains, and robust enforcement mechanisms. "What we need now is execution, partnership, and accountability."
The consultative meeting is expected to produce a consolidated assessment of local content challenges and opportunities, a consensus on the NLCS's key components and thematic priorities, a preliminary outline of priority interventions and cooperation mechanisms, and a detailed roadmap of next steps, timelines, and stakeholder engagement modalities. The process will also clarify linkages between the successor NLCS and continental local content frameworks.
Issued by:
The Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa
UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, Zambia.
Media Contacts:
Ms. Lavender Degre,
Communication Officer,
Tel: +260 211 228502/5 Ext. 21307
DL: +260 211 376607
Email: lavender.degre@un.org