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COUNTRY PROFILE
ANALYSIS
Zambia holds 6% of the global copper reserves and is the fifth largest copper producing nation in the world and Africa’s largest producer of cobalt. It is estimated that Zambia has 40% of the water resources of the Southern African Development Community. The immense water resources found in Zambia not only address the irrigation needs of the country’s rapidly developing agricultural sector, but are also used for generating hydropower as 99.71% of the country’s electricity production is from renewable sources. With a further 2,434 MW
Zambia has unexploited hydropower potential 0f 6000 MW. Of the country’s total land mass of 752,618 km², 47% is arable, of which is currently used agriculturally. Zambia’s most important crops include maize, sorghum, rice, millet, cassava, tobacco, cotton, tea and coffee. Maize and wheat are Zambia’s most important sources of food. The country is not only self-sufficient producer of both crops; in 2017 it once again become an exporter of wheat and maize to East Africa and the Great Lakes Region due to a ban that was lifted in the first half of 2017.