Zambia has an abundance of known mineral deposits. The country is the world’s fourth largest producer of copper and holds six percent of the world’s known reserves thereof. Copper and cobalt, as the country’s traditional exports account for well over 70 percent of export earnings. Opportunities for the exploitation of other minerals have been identified. These include gold and gemstones (eg emeralds, aquamarine, topaz, opal, agate and amethysts). Diamond reserves have also been identified. Zambia produces over 20% of the world’s emeralds.
Zambia’s mineral endowment provides a strong base for the establishment of viable mineral processing and metallurgical industries. Although Zambia is endowed with a variety of minerals, the sector is dominated by copper mining.
The Government invites investors to explore investment opportunities in the sector which include:
- Joint ventures with existing private concession holders
- Mineral exploration
- Copper processing and Refinery
- Manufacture of Fertilizers from existing phosphate deposits