Diversification
ZAMBIA ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION KEY FIGURES
| Products Identified | Sectors Covered | Critical Mineral-Linked Products | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 412 | 25 | 73 | UNCTAD (Government of Japan funded) |
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and UNCTAD identified 412 potential diversification products across 25 sectors, with 73 of those products directly linked to critical energy transition mineral value chains, as evidence-based pathways to move Zambia’s economy beyond raw commodity exports.
The Rapid Assessment Report on Value Addition and Diversification, sponsored by the government of Japan, flags Zambia’s continued dependence on mineral extraction with limited downstream processing as a structural vulnerability to commodity price swings, exchange rate movements and external financing conditions.
The Rapid Assessment Report
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, together with UNCTAD, launched a Rapid Assessment Report on Value Addition and Diversification identifying 412 potential diversification products across 25 sectors, with 73 of those products directly linked to critical energy transition mineral value chains[1]. The report flags Zambia’s continued dependence on mineral extraction with limited downstream processing as a structural vulnerability to commodity price swings, exchange rate movements and external financing conditions, and points to opportunities to strengthen mining-adjacent manufacturing, services and technology-intensive activities[1]. The assessment was sponsored by the government of Japan[1].
Convergence with International Assessments
The World Bank’s July 2025 Zambia Economic Update identified a parallel set of priorities for the country’s energy transition minerals, naming scaling up production, maximising fiscal potential through stronger revenue management, and adding value domestically through further development of the copper value chain[2].
Investment Opportunities
The 412 products identified, and specifically the 73 tied to critical energy transition minerals such as copper, cobalt and manganese, mark out where both Zambia’s own industrial strategy and international assessments from the World Bank converge on where new manufacturing and value-addition capacity should be built, detailed further on the dedicated Industry and Trade pages[1][2].
Last Update: September 2026
