Zambia produced 447,181.93 tonnes of copper in the first half of 2026, up only 0.45% from 445,176.59 tonnes in the same period of 2025, as stronger production at several major mines was largely offset by declines elsewhere in the sector.
According to Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, the improvement was supported by higher output at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), Kansanshi, Lumwana, Lubambe and other major operations. Kansanshi’s copper production increased 2.44% year on year, helped by the S3 Expansion Project, which sustained processing throughput above design capacity and recorded its highest processed tonnage in May. Higher operating time, improved plant utilisation and stronger milling rates also supported the mine’s performance.
KCM recorded a substantially stronger increase, with copper production rising 21.43% year on year. The ministry attributed the improvement to recapitalisation, increased mine development, better equipment availability and more consistent plant feed.
However, the gains were not broad-based. Production declined at NFCA Mining, Chibuluma Mines and Mopani Copper Mines. Mopani’s output was affected by a planned maintenance shutdown at the Mindola Shaft in May, which temporarily disrupted ore hoisting. The ministry also identified fuel supply constraints and insufficient domestic sulphuric acid availability as factors limiting plant-feed availability at some operations.
For Zambia’s copper sector, the first-half data shows that stronger performance at key large-scale mines has yet to translate into rapid national production growth. The 0.45% increase in aggregate output highlights the extent to which operational disruptions and input constraints can offset production gains from expansion projects and mine recapitalisation.
