Chisanga said the article was inspired by observations of how Zambia’s economy has behaved during previous election cycles, noting that elections across Africa are often associated with uncertainty for businesses and investors. “Election periods in Africa generally are often regarded as moments of economic uncertainty because investors closely monitor political developments,” Chisanga said.
However, Chisanga said Zambia has demonstrated resilience in the run-up to the polls, with sectors such as tourism continuing to perform strongly. “Zambia has demonstrated a very good resilient model with regards to these sectors continuously working on a smooth operation and also maintaining stability despite some increase in political activities that are taking place in the market,” Chisanga said.
Tourism remains a key indicator of confidence, with Zambia maintaining its reputation as a peaceful and attractive destination despite the election campaign period.
Mining, meanwhile, continues to play a central role in Zambia’s economy and political landscape. “Mining is the lifeblood of Zambia’s economy, and it’s a core baseline for this economy to actually work out a lot of key fundamentals,” Chisanga said.
Chisanga noted that stability in the mining tax regime since 2022 has helped maintain investor confidence, supporting production and export growth at a time when global demand for copper and minerals used in green technologies continues to increase. “We are increasing on the export basket as well as also on production,” Chisanga said.
According to Chisanga, elections are not only political events but also economic milestones because they influence future policy direction in key sectors such as mining.
Chisanga said there is a close relationship between government and business, with companies relying on stable and predictable policy frameworks when making investment decisions. “Business operates on those structures of policies which get to be formulated through parliament and through some other organs of governance,” Chisanga said.
Chisanga added that policy certainty is essential for economic growth and attracting investment. “There has to be favourable conditions of operation, and policy framework speaks into the production of this country, speaks into generally anything to do with investment decision patterns,” Chisanga said.
Addressing concerns about electoral uncertainty, Chisanga said Zambia’s record of relatively peaceful elections has helped reassure investors.
“We incline businesses to have that predictable environment. This is where policies are consistent and political figures are basically looking at ways of trying to create a conducive atmosphere for business to thrive and also to sustain market confidence,” Chisanga said.
Chisanga argued that political stability, sound economic management and investor confidence remain closely linked. “Political stability, sound economic management, as well as investors’ confidence, are basically coming as a key fundamental foundation,” Chisanga said.
According to Chisanga, maintaining those foundations throughout the election period will be critical to sustaining long-term economic growth and strengthening Zambia’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
–ChannelAfrica–
