Copper-rich Zambia, once a byword for sovereign debt distress, heads to the polls Thursday in an election that will test whether President Hakainde Hichilema has convinced voters his economic reforms are paying off.
Hichilema is seeking a second term against a fragmented field of opposition candidates.
From Chinese influence to Victoria Falls, here are five things to know about the southern African nation of 22 million people.
• Copper is king –
Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer, behind the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the world’s eighth-largest, according to the US Geological Survey.
Copper remains the backbone of Zambia’s economy, generating around 70 percent of export earnings.
The country is positioning itself as a critical supplier for the global energy transition, with demand surging for copper used in electric vehicles, power grids and renewable energy infrastructure.
The government has set an ambitious target of tripling annual copper output to
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