Zambians vote in presidential election testing Hakainde Hichilema's economic reforms

Zambians voted on August 13, 2026, in a pivotal general election testing President Hakainde Hichilema's economic reforms. While Hichilema campaigned on successful sovereign debt restructuring and a projected 4.3% GDP growth, his main challenger, Brian Mundubile of the Tonse Alliance, capitalized on widespread public frustration over high food costs, unemployment, and a 60% poverty rate. The election also carried global significance due to Zambia's strategic copper reserves, which both China and the United States are actively seeking to access.

Zambian presidential election

• ▪Fourteen candidates contested the Zambian presidency on August 13, 2026, including incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema.
• ▪The Electoral Commission of Zambia registered approximately 8.79 million voters for the August 13, 2026, general elections.
• ▪A Zambian presidential candidate must secure more than 50% of the votes cast to win in the first round and avoid a run-off election.
• ▪Zambia held national elections on August 13, 2026, to vote for presidential, parliamentary, and local government representatives.

Hichilema economic reform record

• ▪President Hakainde Hichilema, who took office in 2021, campaigned on his record of steering Zambia through a sovereign debt restructuring after a 2020 default.
• ▪President Hakainde Hichilema fulfilled a campaign promise by restoring university student meal allowances that had been cancelled by the previous administration.
• ▪The International Monetary Fund projected Zambia's economic growth to reach 4.3% in 2026, up from 3.8% in 2025.

Cost of living pressures

• ▪A Zambia Statistics Agency survey from 2022 found that 60% of the Zambian population was living in poverty.
• ▪Zambian inflation fell to 6.8% in April 2026, though households continued to face high food, fuel, and electricity costs.

Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile

• ▪Brian Mundubile stated that if elected president, his administration would focus on reducing poverty and addressing human rights abuses.
• ▪Brian Mundubile, a first-time presidential candidate, ran as the main challenger representing an opposition alliance backed by supporters of the late former President Edgar Lungu.

Strategic minerals foreign investment

• ▪Zambia has set a target to increase its annual copper production to 3 million metric tons by 2031.
• ▪Negotiations over up to $2 billion in United States health funding stalled in 2026 after Zambia objected to Washington linking the funds to mining access.

Electoral fairness concerns

• ▪Freedom House rated Zambia as 'partly free,' noting that opposition parties face onerous legal and practical obstacles to fair competition.
• ▪The Tonse Alliance accused law enforcement of political motivation following a raid on its offices days before the August 13, 2026, election.