Chingola District is the most picturesque of the Copperbelt districts with a profusion of trees and flowers. The higher rainfall that this part of the country gets, is very evident in the greenery throughout the suburbs. This beautiful district is the home to the biggest open-cast mine in Africa.
It is situated in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The District lies approximately 450 Kilometers North West of Lusaka, the Capital City of Zambia and 51 Kilometers West of Kitwe. It borders Chililabombwe in the North, Lufwanyama in the South West, Mufulira district in the East, and Kalulushi district in the South East. It lies on a latitude of 12 degrees 20 minutes South and Longitude 27 degrees 50 minutes East and is generally at an elevation of 1300 meters above sea level.
It covers a total land mass of 167,800 hectares. Of this total land mass, 22,923 hectares (i.e. 13.6%) forest reserves and pine plantations, 35,500 hectares (i.e. 21%) constitute the mining area on which Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) own surface rights, and the remaining 109,399 hectares (i.e. 65%) is state land upon which Chingola Municipal Council exercises its jurisdiction as a local planning authority.
Demography and Socio-Economic Profile
According to the 2010 Census, the total population of Chingola is estimated at 210,073 with females accounting for 49.99%, and males at 50.01%. The average annual population growth rate stands at 2.3%. In comparison to the other districts on the Copperbelt Province, Chingola district ranks 3rd in terms of population after Ndola and Kitwe with approximately 503,649 and 388,648 people respectively. The peri-urban areas of the district are sparsely populated with agriculture as the main economic livelihood. Below is a breakdown of the district population by wards:
Investment Opportunities in the District
The vision of the district is to become a prosperous city by 2020 with sustainable socio-economic base and a healthy population. Compared to other towns on the Copperbelt, Chingola town has a comparative advantage over other towns as it is strategically positioned as a transit town for people going to Chililabombwe, DRC Congo and Solwezi. Solwezi is a town harboring the current fast growing mines in the country. This is a great investment opportunity for the district.