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Trafigura has appointed Chipokota Mwanawasa as Executive Director in Zambia, reinforcing its leadership across metals and minerals, energy and logistics in a market central to global copper supply and regional energy trade.
Based in Lusaka, Mwanawasa will coordinate the group’s activities in Zambia including strategic business development and engagement with commercial, institutional and government stakeholders. She will also support its local subsidiaries, including fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy and Servara, Trafigura’s logistics, storage and transport platform.
A Zambian national, Mwanawasa brings more than a decade of experience spanning mining, energy, infrastructure and agriculture. She joins Trafigura after serving as Policy Adviser to President Hakainde Hichelema, where she worked on economic policy, foreign investment and sectoral reform. She previously served as Deputy Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, supporting implementation of Zambia’s National Development Plan.
Her industry experience also includes work at Konkola Copper Mines, one of Zambia’s major copper producers, giving her direct exposure to the country’s mining sector. “Zambia is central to the world’s supply of copper and other metals and minerals and its energy sector underpins the country’s economic development. I am proud to be joining Trafigura and look forward to working with the team to strengthen our relationships within the country and to build on the strong foundation the group has already established in Zambia,” said Mwanawasa.
Trafigura has operated in Zambia for more than 20 years, supplying customers across energy, metals and minerals. Together with its subsidiaries, the group employs about 300 people in the country and operates 29,000 m² of storage space in Ndola through Servara. Puma Energy has a network of 74 fuel retail sites, four terminals and three aviation fuel sites in Zambia, extending the group’s presence across the country’s fuel supply and distribution infrastructure.
“We are pleased to welcome Chipokota to this role. Her extensive experience across Zambia’s mining, energy and policy landscape makes her well placed to lead our activities in the country. Zambia is an important market for metals, minerals and energy and this appointment reflects Trafigura’s long-term commitment to Zambia and to the customers we serve in the region,” said Gonzalo De Olazaval, Global Head of Metals and Minerals at Trafigura.
