Zambia advances development of new national local content strategy following high-level consultations in Ndola

Ndola, Zambia, 1 April 2026 - The Government of the Republic of Zambia, through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), successfully concluded a two-day high-level consultative meeting on the review and development of a successor National Local Content Strategy for Zambia.

Held from 31st March to 1st April 2026 in Ndola, the consultations convened key stakeholders from government, private sector, academia, and development partners to co-create a robust, inclusive, and implementation-focused local content strategy to accelerate Zambia's industrialisation agenda.

Speaking during the closing session of the consultative meeting, Ms Olayinka Bandele, Chief of the Inclusive Industrialisation Section at ECA SRO-SA, emphasised that the process represented the co-creation of a forward-looking Local Content Strategy, anchored on inclusive industrial development. She highlighted the need for a strong legal and regulatory framework, enhanced multi-stakeholder coordination and targeted capacity development to enable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to compete effectively in both domestic and global value chains.

Technical sessions during Day 2 featured insights from ECA SRO-SA, Economic Affairs Officer, Oliver Maponga, who shared practical experiences on setting local content thresholds, drawing lessons from Zimbabwe. His presentation demonstrated how targeted thresholds in key sectors such as fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, and packaging can drive value addition, deepen industrial linkages, and expand participation of local enterprises.

Participants identified several strategic priorities critical to strengthening Zambia's local content ecosystem, including value addition, preferential procurement, joint ventures, and improved access to affordable finance. The meeting also emphasised the importance of supplier development programmes, to support the growth and competitiveness of local businesses, particularly SMEs.

Stakeholders further called for stronger intra-government coordination, increased awareness of local content initiatives, and the establishment of a comprehensive legal framework to ensure effective enforcement, accountability, and long-term sustainability of the strategy.

Delivering the closing remarks, Mr. Sichizuwe Musokotwane, Director of Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, commended stakeholders for their active participation and valuable contributions, noting that the consultative process had generated practical and actionable insights to guide the development of a more robust and inclusive local content strategy.

He emphasised that the discussions reinforced the critical importance of value addition, preferential procurement, and strengthened support for local enterprises, particularly MSMEs, as key drivers of Zambia's industrialisation agenda. He further highlighted the need to improve access to affordable finance, strengthen supplier development programmes, and enhancement of collaboration across government institutions to ensure effective implementation.

Mr Musokotwane also underscored the urgency of establishing a legal framework to support enforcement of local content requirements, alongside increased awareness and capacity-building initiatives to empower local businesses to compete effectively.

Also speaking at the close of the meeting, Anthony Kabaghe, President of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed appreciation to all participants for their active engagement and commitment throughout the consultations.

He noted that the private sector stands ready to support the successful implementation of the new strategy and emphasised the importance of continued collaboration between government and industry to unlock opportunities for local businesses. He further underscored that a well-designed and effectively implemented Local Content Strategy will be instrumental in strengthening domestic industries, enhancing competitiveness, and driving sustainable economic growth.

Mr Musokotwane concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to translating the outcomes of the consultations into a practical, results-oriented strategy that will spur industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance Zambia's economic resilience and officially closed the consultative meeting.

The consultations reaffirmed Zambia's commitment to leveraging local content as a strategic tool to drive industrialisation, promote value addition, create employment, and strengthen economic resilience. Moving forward, stakeholders agreed on the need to sustain the consultations, establish a dedicated taskforce, and define clear timelines to ensure finalisation and implementation of the strategy. The ECA reaffirmed its continued support to the Government of Zambia in supporting the drafting of a successor national local content strategy.

-ENDS-

Media Contact

Bedson Nyoni
Senior Information Management Assistant
ECA Subregional Office for Southern Africa
Email: [email protected]

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