FQM’s Kalumbila Economic Zone attracts over $750 million in investment commitments

How FQM’s Trident is transforming North-Western’s Kalumbila […]

How FQM’s Trident is transforming North-Western’s Kalumbila Town The Kalumbila Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) has reached a major landmark, securing over `$750 million in contracted and committed investments from local, regional, and international entities.

The purpose-built industrial and commercial hub, which uniquely encompasses the entirety of Kalumbila Town in North-Western Province—serves as a core pillar of First Quantum Minerals’ (FQM) strategy to drive economic diversification beyond copper extraction. Designated as an MFEZ in 2022, Kalumbila represents the first township in Zambia where every boundary falls within economic zone status.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times (ZBT) during the 98th Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka, FQM Trident Head of Public Relations, Mirriam Harmon, highlighted that the zone is actively transitioning the district into a multi-sector economic powerhouse.

“We are taking tangible steps to serve as a sustainable development partner for the government and the people of Zambia by fostering investment opportunities beyond mining,” Harmon noted. “As we stand today, $750 million has been contracted and committed by various investors from across the region and globally to construct facilities and establish operations within the zone.”

 Harmon pointed to key operational success stories within the zone as evidence of its growing viability and regional competitiveness. Notably, she noted that the MFEZ hosts the largest grinding (mill ball) manufacturing plant in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

She added that initially established to supply FQM’s local mining operations, the enterprise leveraged MFEZ statutory incentives to expand its portfolio, now exporting critical copper-crushing inputs to other mining operations throughout Zambia and the broader continent. Highlighting domestic participation, Harmon also noted that a Zambian investor has also established a solar-powered roofing manufacturing facility within the zone to supply materials for the district’s rapid commercial and residential construction boom.

She emphasized that the MFEZ is structured to accommodate entities of all scales, ranging from largescale industrial developers and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to families looking to acquire land and establish a home in the town. She further noted that FQM continues to encourage micro, small, medium, and large-scale investors to capitalize on the region’s fiscal incentives and growing commercial momentum.

Article by Zbt Analyst