Chambishi Copper Mine
CCM
The project is operated by Non-Ferrous China Africa (NFCA) (also known as NFC Africa), a wholly owned CNMC subsidiary. It is primarily a copper mining operation with both underground (main and west orebodies) and open-pit (Southeast Orebody) components also producing gold as a minor by-product . The Southeast Orebody Project, launched in 2018 with a US $830 million investment. The Sino-Metals operation occupies 330 km² of mining licenses covering the Mwambashi and Samba areas; the Mwambashi open pit alone extracts 500,000 t of ore per year. It is noted as Africa’s first “digital mine,” producing ore that’s fed to the concentrator for copper and cobalt concentrates . CNMC subsidiary Sino-Metals Leach Zambia handles hydrometallurgical operations, using leaching and solvent extraction to process lower-grade ores into copper cathode.
Zambia
Copperbelt Province
2018
Annual Production
| Year | Status | Bauxite | Copper | Cobalt | Lithium | Tantalum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | operational | - | - | - | - | - |
Mining Details
Located in Kalulushi District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, within the Zambia–China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, near Chambishi town between Kitwe and Chingola. It is approximately 30 km east of Kitwe and 20 km southwest of Chingola. The project is operated by NFCA subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group), primarily produces copper concentrates.
Ownership
Deposit Size
45 million tonnes
2.25% Cu
Main Orebody & West Orebody has an estimated reserves of 45 million tonnes at 2.25% Cu, whereas the West Orebody has estimated reserve of 34 million tonnes at 2.03% Cu, with a planned mine life of 25 years. The Southeast Orebody (SEOB) contains 2.8 million tonnes Cu resources and 150,000 tonnes Co, with an annual processing capacity of 3.3 Mt ore.
Project Impacts
Labour Worker Rights
In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident
ongoingMeaning: In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident
In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident which claimed the lives of 46 local workers. The cause of the mine accident was lack of proper safety and health regulation
Safety and health of workers.
ongoingMeaning: Safety and health of workers.
Safety and health of workers. In September some workers were injured. The workers filed a lawsuit against Lubambe Copper Mine Limited and its contractor Reliant Mining and Construction, citing gross negligence and breach of statutory duty after a serious underground vehicle accident in April 2024. They claim over K2 million each in compensation, alleging the defendants failed to ensure proper safety, as required under Zambia’s Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015.
Abuse of workers' rights such as long working
ongoingMeaning: Abuse of workers rights such as long working
Abuse of workers' rights such as long working hours, work 12-hour shifts, compared to the eight-hour shifts outlined in Zambian law and standard in every other copper mining and processing operation in the country.
There were also cases of workers victimization
ongoingMeaning: There were also cases of workers victimization and harassment for participating in activities
There were also cases of workers victimization and harassment for participating in activities of Mine Workers Union
Human Rights Watch documented
ongoingMeaning: Human Rights Watch documented
Human Rights Watch documented cases of injuries of workers and health as a result of the companies’ failure to maintain PPE or provide all appropriate equipment. Some workers suffered from acid burns as a result of management’s refusal to replace gloves, boots, and other PPE that had been torn or burned through by acid during the course of work
Social Impacts
Communities of the Chambishi
ongoingMeaning: Communities of the Chambishi, Musakashi, and Lukoshi townships
Communities of the Chambishi, Musakashi, and Lukoshi townships, which are nearest to the mine’s operations, report that their communities do not benefit adequately from the mine’s activities. Meanwhile, farmers in the area complain that the company has, on occasion, disrupted their livelihoods. 67 farmers from the Lukoshi area alleged that the company had destroyed their farms and crops
Project Impacts
Labour Worker Rights
| Name | Meaning | Year | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident | In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident | 2025 | ongoing | In 2005, the mine also experienced mine accident which claimed the lives of 46 local workers. The cause of the mine accident was lack of proper safety and health regulation |
| Safety and health of workers. | Safety and health of workers. | 2025 | ongoing | Safety and health of workers. In September some workers were injured. The workers filed a lawsuit against Lubambe Copper Mine Limited and its contractor Reliant Mining and Construction, citing gross negligence and breach of statutory duty after a serious underground vehicle accident in April 2024. They claim over K2 million each in compensation, alleging the defendants failed to ensure proper safety, as required under Zambia’s Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015. |
| Abuse of workers' rights such as long working | Abuse of workers rights such as long working | 2011 | ongoing | Abuse of workers' rights such as long working hours, work 12-hour shifts, compared to the eight-hour shifts outlined in Zambian law and standard in every other copper mining and processing operation in the country. |
| There were also cases of workers victimization | There were also cases of workers victimization and harassment for participating in activities | 2011 | ongoing | There were also cases of workers victimization and harassment for participating in activities of Mine Workers Union |
| Human Rights Watch documented | Human Rights Watch documented | 2011 | ongoing | Human Rights Watch documented cases of injuries of workers and health as a result of the companies’ failure to maintain PPE or provide all appropriate equipment. Some workers suffered from acid burns as a result of management’s refusal to replace gloves, boots, and other PPE that had been torn or burned through by acid during the course of work |
Social Impacts
| Name | Meaning | Year | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communities of the Chambishi | Communities of the Chambishi, Musakashi, and Lukoshi townships | 2017 | ongoing | Communities of the Chambishi, Musakashi, and Lukoshi townships, which are nearest to the mine’s operations, report that their communities do not benefit adequately from the mine’s activities. Meanwhile, farmers in the area complain that the company has, on occasion, disrupted their livelihoods. 67 farmers from the Lukoshi area alleged that the company had destroyed their farms and crops |
Related Reports3
Mapping the Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts of Chinese Companies in Mining Communities
Mapping the Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts of Chinese Companies in Mining Communities in DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
You’ll Be Fired if You Refuse
Over the past decade, China has rapidly increased its investment throughout Africa. But while many commentaries have examined the ambivalent relationship between China and Africa, few have systematically examined what Chinese investment means in human rights terms, particularly for Africans employed by China’s state-owned companies. By investigating the specific practices of particular Chinese employers, the conditions of a given set of workers, and the enforcement of labor laws by a particular African government, it is possible to begin to paint a picture of China’s broader role in Africa. To this end, this report examines the labor practices of Chinese state-owned companies in Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa, focusing on the country’s long-thriving copper mining industry and its well-established organized labor.
Approaches to supporting local and community development
Mining is the largest sector of the Zambian economy but, as has been the case elsewhere, the relationship between mining companies and their host communities has been fractious, without a clear path towards sustainability. The severe social, economic, and environmental impacts of mining have been compounded by perceived shortcomings in corporate social and environmental responsibility programming by the industry, and by fragile regulatory capacity on the part of the government. This paper examines the modalities and results of mining community development programmes in Zambia as part of the broader discussion on how large international mining companies can, and do, contribute to local and community development. It narrates the approaches adopted by five multinational mining corporates, two of which are Chinese-owned, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.