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ZANACO Board Chairman, Professor Oliver Saasa, has urged mining companies to adopt diversified financing models to support long-term development and strengthen Zambia’s mining-led growth.
Saasa said mining projects had become increasingly viable when traditional commercial lending was combined with Development Finance Institution (DFI) guarantees and structured offtake agreements, allowing risks to be shared and capital mobilisation to accelerate.
He was speaking at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, where he outlined three financing priorities believed to be critical to unlocking new mining investment and ensuring the sector delivers tangible benefits to local communities and suppliers.
The bank took part in three high-level panel discussions, emphasising that blended finance solutions, community-centred investment models and scalable public–private infrastructure partnerships will play a decisive role in shaping the pace and inclusiveness of mining expansion from 2026.
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During the session on the Outlook on Mining Investment in 2026, Saasa stressed the importance of policy certainty in boosting investor confidence.
“Mining projects are now bankable when commercial lending is paired with DFI guarantees and strategic offtake arrangements. When policy is predictable and risks are shared, investment decisions move faster and more Zambian suppliers can participate in the value chain,” he said.
In a separate panel on Mining Investment for Shared Prosperity, ZANACO Chief Commercial Officer, Chali Mwefyeni, called for deeper community participation, arguing that it should be embedded within investment structures rather than treated as a regulatory formality.
“Communities must sit inside the capital structure, not outside it. Through revenue-sharing models, community bonds and supplier financing partnerships, we are enabling local enterprises to become competitive, contract-ready businesses that benefit directly from mining growth,” Mwefyeni said.
Meanwhile, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Kalengo Simukoko, highlighted the importance of blended finance and long-term demand commitments in attracting private capital to infrastructure development.
Speaking during the panel Can Public–Private Infrastructure Models Be Scaled Across Africa?, Simukoko said sustained mine demand and efficient government approvals were key to unlocking investment in power, water and logistics infrastructure.
“If mines commit to long-term demand and governments fast-track approvals, private capital will flow to power, water and logistics projects.
“This is essential for unlocking the next phase of Zambia’s mining expansion,” he said.
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