ActionAid Zambia Study on Comprehensive Mapping of the (Upstream) Copper Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Supply Chains in the North-Western and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia

The mining sector remains the backbone of Zambia’s economy, contributing approximately 17.4 percent
of GDP in 2024 and accounting for nearly 70 percent of export earnings. Copper dominates this landscape, positioning Zambia as a key supplier to global markets driven by energy transition and industrial demand. Within this context, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) plays a critical yet underrecognised role, providing livelihoods to an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 people directly and many more indirectly. Despite its importance, the ASM copper subsector remains structurally marginalised, characterised by informality, weak governance, limited access to finance and technology, opaque pricing,
and minimal value addition.
This study, therefore, aims to generate granular evidence on how ASM copper moves from extraction to the first point of sale and export, who participates in these processes, and how power pricing, gender and policy frameworks shape outcomes along the upstream supply chain.