Zambia holds presidential election testing economic reforms

Zambia held general elections on August 13, 2026, serving as a key test for President Hakainde Hichilema's economic reforms. While Hichilema has successfully restructured Zambia's foreign debt and reduced inflation from 24.6% to 6.5%, voters express deep frustration over high food and energy costs, with over 70% living on less than $3 a day. Hichilema faces a challenge from Brian Mundubile of the Tonse Alliance, though the opposition remains splintered. Tensions are further heightened by a bitter dispute over the burial of former President Edgar Lungu.

Zambia presidential election

• ▪A presidential candidate in Zambia must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a run-off election, which must be held within 37 days.
• ▪Zambia's Electoral Commission scheduled the release of the presidential election results for Monday, August 17, 2026.
• ▪Zambia held general elections on August 13, 2026, to elect a president, members of parliament, and local government councillors.
• ▪The August 13, 2026, presidential election in Zambia is primarily a contest between incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema and opposition candidate Brian Mundubile.

Hichilema economic reform record

• ▪President Hakainde Hichilema announced a 50% increase in university student accommodation allowances in August 2026 ahead of the election.
• ▪President Hakainde Hichilema campaigned on his record of restructuring Zambia's massive foreign debt and completing an IMF-supported program after the country defaulted in 2020.
• ▪Under President Hakainde Hichilema's administration, Zambia's annual inflation rate fell from 24.6% in July 2021 to 6.5% in 2026.
• ▪President Hakainde Hichilema's administration introduced free primary and secondary education in Zambia in 2022.

Cost of living pressures

• ▪More than 70 percent of Zambia's 22 million people live on less than $3 a day, according to World Bank data.
• ▪Zambia's average annual income rose from $1,127 to $1,318 between 2021 and 2025, but consumer prices almost doubled over the same period.
• ▪Zambian voters expressed frustration that macroeconomic improvements have not translated into lower costs for food, fuel, and electricity.

Lungu burial dispute

• ▪A bitter dispute between President Hakainde Hichilema's government and the family of former President Edgar Lungu left Lungu's body unburied in South Africa.
• ▪In June 2026, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Edgar Lungu's family, overturning a high court decision that favored the Zambian government's bid to control the burial.
• ▪Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu campaigned on a promise to return Edgar Lungu's body to Zambia for a dignified burial.

Opposition alliance weaknesses

• ▪Zambia's opposition alliance, the Tonse Alliance, is weakened by internal divisions, with allied parties competing against each other in several parliamentary and local government races.
• ▪Political science lecturer Lee Habasonda noted that the election would have been much tougher for the ruling party if the opposition had united behind a single candidate earlier.
• ▪Political analyst Euston Chiputa stated that the splintered nature of the opposition camp is a serious weakness that favors the ruling party.

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