Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga says Zambia recorded 14 billion United States dollars in investments between 2021 and 2025, resulting in the creation of over 190,000 jobs.
Delivering a ministerial statement on industrialisation in Parliament today, Mr Mulenga said the government prioritised debt restructuring and restoring fiscal and macroeconomic stability to rebuild investor confidence.
Mr Mulenga said among the key reforms implemented by government was the amendment of the Trade, Investment and Business Development Act No. 18 of 2022, which introduced incentives for expansion projects.
He said the country has continued attracting both local and foreign direct investment through policy reforms and business-friendly measures supported by Parliament.
He thanked Members of Parliament and the private sector across the political divide for supporting the reforms, saying they had facilitated major investments, including expansion projects under the Trade Kings Group, United Capital Fertilizer, Chilanga Cement and the U$D140 million Zambia-China Mulungushi Textile.
“The Trade Kings Group had invested 80 million dollars in the Kingsworth Starch Plant and Dairy Gold projects, creating 1,100 jobs, with projections of an additional 2,000 jobs in the next two years,” he added.
Among the major investments in the economic zone, he cited is the Keda Ceramics, which invested 150 million dollars and created 1,300 jobs.
Mr Mulenga also highlighted PGD Metals, which has invested 120 million dollars and employs 500 workers.
And he cited the enactment of Statutory Instrument Number 45 of 2025 on preferential procurement as another major reform aimed at accelerating industrialization.
Focusing on the manufacturing sector, the Minister said the industry remains resilient despite external economic shocks and electricity challenges experienced between 2024 and 2025.
He said the sector contributed 9.3 percent to Zambia’s Gross Domestic Product, the highest contribution since 1999.
Mr Mulenga noted that government had continued using Special Economic Zones as a strategy to accelerate industrialization and attract investment.
He revealed that the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone attracted investments exceeding two billion dollars between 2021 and 2025, creating 39,000 direct jobs.
The Minister said the Zone currently hosts 40 operational companies, while 206 others are at different stages of development.
According to the Minister, the government has facilitated the establishment of six new copper cable processing companies, including Africab, Uniflex and Jiangxi Copper that have investments created more than 7,000 jobs in Zambia to become the largest producer of electric cables in Southern Africa by 2032.
The Minister further announced that the Wonderful Group Industrial Park is projected to attract investments worth 2.24 billion dollars and create 9,650 jobs.
He said the commissioning of the 300,000-metric-tonne urea United Capital Fertilize plant last year had enabled the country to meet domestic fertilizer demand and position itself as a net exporter to the region.
The Minister added that the company had also established an 85-megawatt thermal power plant, with excess electricity being supplied to the national grid to supplement power generation by ZESCO.
And Mr Mulenga further revealed that Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia under the Industrial Development Corporation has invested U$D6.8 million in regulating and blending plants in Kafue district thus creating 550 jobs.
He vowed that the government would continue promoting industrialization, value addition and positive policies aimed at supporting local industries, strengthening and growing the economy.
“I wish to reiterate that President Hichilema’s model of investment will greatly benefit the Zambian people,” he stated.
