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The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) says the country has actualised investments worth US$14.71 billion from 2021 to date, marking significant progress in turning investment commitments into tangible economic activity across key sectors.
Speaking at the ZDA end-of-year media briefing held in Lusaka on Tuesday at the Agency’s boardroom, ZDA Director-General, Albert Halwampa, said the achievement reflected rising investor confidence and the Agency’s continued focus on investment promotion and facilitation.
Halwampa noted that the US$14.71 billion was actualised from total investment commitments amounting to US$89.31 billion, based on feedback from 779 companies out of the 2,065 firms contacted by the Agency during the period.
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“These figures show that Zambia is not only attracting investment pledges but is increasingly converting them into real projects that create jobs, expand industries and support national development,” he said.
Manufacturing emerged as the leading sector, accounting for US$5.54 billion, or 37.67 percent, of the actualised investments.
Mining followed closely with US$5.07 billion, representing 34.45 percent.
Transport attracted US$1.53 billion, while services, agriculture, energy, information and communication technology (ICT), and tourism shared the remaining portion.
Halwampa said the strong performance of manufacturing and mining highlights Zambia’s growing productive capacity, which was essential for industrialisation, value addition and export growth.
In terms of regional distribution, Lusaka Province recorded the largest share of actualised investments at US$7.29 billion, or 49.57 percent.
North-Western Province followed with US$3.19 billion (21.66 percent), while the Copperbelt accounted for US$2.92 billion (19.85 percent).
He said ZDA remained committed to promoting a more balanced spread of investments across the country.
“Although Lusaka continues to attract the largest share, we are strengthening efforts to unlock investment opportunities in other provinces to promote inclusive growth,” Halwampa said.
He said the actualised investments resulted in 91,522 jobs, compared to 614,486 jobs originally committed by the responding companies.
Halwampa explained that manufacturing led job creation with 29,537 jobs, followed by mining with 21,003 and agriculture with 14,232.
At provincial level, the Copperbelt recorded the highest number of jobs at 35,216, followed by Lusaka Province with 31,382, while other provinces accounted for a combined total of 24,924 jobs.
“Every job created represents an improved livelihood and a step towards greater economic resilience,” Halwampa said, adding that the Agency’s focus going forward was to improve investment actualization rates and ensure more commitments translate into sustainable employment.
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