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As the country advances ambitious targets across mining production, energy reform, and regional trade integration, the 13th edition of the Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference and Exhibition (ZIMEC 2026) intends to examine how the country can translate momentum into long-term, sustainable growth.
Scheduled for Kitwe, ZIMEC 2026 will convene policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and technical experts at the heart of the Copperbelt.
Organisers AME Trade said this year’s show will focus on the evolving dynamics shaping the mining and energy sectors, including responsible investment, energy market reform, regional value chains, transparency, and the role of partnerships in unlocking capital and capability.
Statistics indicate the mining sector remains central to the national economy, accounting for approximately 70 percent of export earnings, while the government has set a long-term target of three million tonnes of annual copper production by 2031.
In addition, the country is attracting growing attention for its endowment of critical minerals, including cobalt, manganese, nickel, and lithium, alongside ongoing reforms aimed at improving governance, transparency, and investor confidence.
Supported by the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, Ministry of Energy, Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies (AZMEC) and the Kitwe & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KDCCI), the conference programme will feature senior voices from government, multilateral institutions, regional business bodies, academia, and the private sector.
Financial institutes ZANACO and First National Bank (FNB) will be among the key sponsors of this turnkey event and international delegations from Finland, China and Germany will also participate at the event.
Core of discussions at ZIMEC 2026, will include energy, as a priority with intentions to strengthen power generation, promote private sector participation, and develop regional electricity trading mechanisms to support mining expansion and industrialisation.
So far confirmed speakers include Ian Chitumba Mwiinga, National Coordinator and Head of Secretariat at the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Senior Mining Specialist for Eastern and Southern Africa at the World Bank; Clement Chiwele, Manager at the Office for Promoting Private Power Investment within Zambia’s Ministry of Energy; Wezi Gondwe, Managing Director for Zambia at Africa GreenCo; Geert Klok, Vice President of the Mining Association of Southern Africa (MIASA); Professor David Holwell, Professor of Sustainable Mineral Resources at the University of Leicester; and Teddy Soobramanien, Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Business Council.
The contributors will explore how the country can balance growth with sustainability, strengthen regional integration, and position its mining and energy sectors within global supply chains that increasingly prioritise transparency, resilience, and low-carbon development.
Through a combination of high-level panels, technical discussions, and case studies, ZIMEC 2026 aims to provide clarity on policy direction, investment priorities, and the partnerships required to support Zambia’s next phase of development.
ZIMEC has established itself as a key annual platform for dialogue between government and industry, and the 2026 edition comes at a time when decisions taken today will shape Zambia’s mining and energy landscape for decades to come.
