Government insiders have attributed the recent 35 percent decline in copper production among small-scale miners to a severe domestic acid shortage exacerbated by some large-scale mines prioritizing sulfuric acid exports over local supply. In the first half of 2026, smallscale miners contributed only about 6 percent to Zambia’s total copper production, producing approximately only 27,000 metric tonnes, a significant drop from the over 41,000 tonnes recorded during the same period in 2025. In contrast, large-scale mining companies produced over 420,000 metric tonnes of copper from January to June 2026. This marks a 4 percent increase from 404,000 metric tonnes in...
This content is only available for active subscribers. Subscribe now to get full access.
