Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has secured a second term in office after winning the country’s presidential election, extending his leadership of one of Africa’s major copper-producing economies despite stronger-than-expected opposition support driven partly by concerns over living costs.
According to Reuters, results released by Zambia’s electoral commission in the early hours of Tuesday showed President Hakainde Hichilema receiving about 60% of valid votes, compared with approximately 38% for his main challenger, Brian Mundubile.
The victory gives Hichilema another term to build on Zambia’s economic recovery after taking office during the country’s debt crisis in 2021, although the election demonstrated that improvements in headline economic indicators have not completely eased financial pressures facing many households.
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The 2026 election marked Hichilema’s seventh attempt at the presidency and his first campaign as an incumbent. Mundubile, an experienced parliamentarian, was contesting for the presidency for the first time.
Hichilema, 64, campaigned heavily on his administration’s economic record, having overseen Zambia’s emergence from a pandemic-era sovereign debt crisis and subsequent economic recovery.
Mundubile focused part of his campaign on the cost of living, arguing that stronger macroeconomic indicators had yet to produce sufficient improvements in the everyday experiences of Zambians.
His stronger-than-expected performance highlighted the continuing importance of household economic conditions even as Zambia records progress at the broader macroeconomic level.
The election also carries international economic significance because Zambia is a major copper producer and has become an important part of competition between the United States and China for access to critical minerals.
The period immediately following the August 13 election was marked by tensions. Reuters reported that authorities arrested 11 people, including prominent opposition figures, on election night during a raid involving an exchange of gunfire, with Mundubile present at the scene.
Vote counting was subsequently suspended for several hours after reports of violence against election officials and the theft of ballot papers.
Mundubile also called for an independent investigation after saying he had received information about possible alterations to polling-station results forms. Hichilema’s camp rejected the allegation.
According to Greg Musiker, Zambia analyst at advisory firm Signal Risk, the opposition is not expected to accept the results and could pursue a legal challenge, although he assessed its chances of success as limited. He also said localised political violence remained possible while widespread unrest was not expected.
What This Means For Africa
Hichilema’s re-election gives Zambia continuity at a critical stage of its economic recovery and provides his administration with another opportunity to translate improvements in national economic indicators into more tangible gains for households.
The result is particularly important for Africa’s mining and critical-minerals landscape. Zambia’s substantial copper resources have placed the country at the centre of growing international competition for minerals needed for energy infrastructure and emerging technologies.
For Hichilema, the scale of opposition support nevertheless sends an important economic message. Debt restructuring and improving macroeconomic conditions strengthened his case for re-election, but persistent cost-of-living pressures demonstrated that economic recovery is ultimately felt by citizens through jobs, incomes and everyday purchasing power.
His second term will therefore be closely watched for how Zambia builds on its economic turnaround, expands opportunities from its copper industry and addresses the household pressures that emerged as a defining issue during the election.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election provides continuity for the country’s post-debt-crisis recovery, but the opposition’s strong performance underscores the challenge of turning improving economic indicators into gains that are more widely felt by citizens.
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Image Credit: African Union
