Copperbelt
More visitors drawn to newly confident Copperbelt I
t may not be a centre of tourism, but the Copperbelt
Orphanage, providing a home for over 100 orphaned
is Zambia’s industrial heartland and the source of
chimpanzees.
much of its wealth, providing up to 80 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings. Its five main
One particular reason to visit Chingola is to play the truly
towns and cities are Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, Luanshya
outstanding Nchanga Golf Course, which dates from the
and Mufulira.
mid 1930s. Remarkably, the course was once rated 14th best in the world outside the United States. Its owner,
Additional Information
As its name suggests, the Copperbelt is dominated by
Konkola Copper Mines, has invested heavily in revamping
mining rather than tourism, so accommodation is geared
and upgrading this truly great course and its clubhouse.
Activities: Nchanga Golf Course (Chingola), Visiting the copper mines
During the 1980s and 1990s the area experienced tough
Airports: Daily flights from Lusaka to Ndola and Solwezi
almost exclusively to business travellers.
attractions times and much of its manufacturing base disappeared. It seems odd today, but at its peak Ndola even had its own Land Rover assembly plant as well factories owned by other top foreign firms.
a range of good shops. One of its principal attractions is the popular annual Zambia International Trade Fair in July, which attracted over 100,000 visitors in 2013. Ndola is home to the Copperbelt Museum, with many
Best time to visit: April-November
comeback
Wildlife found in this area: There are no national parks in area
In recent years the Copperbelt has made a comeback in
Major attractions: Copperbelt Museum (Ndola), Lake Chilengwa, Dag Hammerskjöld Memorial, Chembe Bird Sanctuary, Chimfunshi Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Airways and Ethiopian have launched flights to Ndola’s
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Ndola, meanwhile, has a large business district as well as
the wake of stronger world copper prices and this has seen a renewed interest in the area. Airlines such as Kenya
fascinating exhibits relating to the region’s mining sector. The Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial, just 10 km from Ndola, marks the place where the United Nations Secretary General tragically died in a plane crash in 1961 during the Katanga crisis in the Republic of Congo.
Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport to add to
Kitwe is Zambia’s second-largest second city, with a
those offered by Proflight, South African Airways and other
population of over half a million. In addition to similar
carriers serving Johannesburg.
projects in Ndola, new shopping malls (Copper Hill, Freedom Park and Mukuba) are either completed or under
Perhaps the most picturesque of the five towns is Chingola.
construction in Kitwe – a sign of the growing affluence of
About 60 km from Chingola is the Chimfunshi Wildlife
Kitwe and of Zambia.