Lusaka, Zambia

Lusaka is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Zambia, a landlocked nation located in southern Africa. It is a rapidly growing city, characterized by modern high-rise buildings, shopping malls, sports arenas, museums and other cultural sites. In terms of urbanization and population, Lusaka is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and faces specific challenges in terms of unemployment and unplanned urban growth.

Landscape

Lusaka covers an area of 70 square kilometers (27 square miles) in the south central part of Zambia. This central location is economically important to Lusaka, as the city serves as the junction for every mode of transportation within Zambia (each of the four primary highways for the nation radiate from the city center). Built on a limestone plateau, the city is situated at an elevation of 1,280 meters (4,200 feet) above sea level.

Zambia has a humid subtropical climate, but Lusaka’s climate is much milder than the surrounding areas due to its elevation. Average temperatures in Lusaka range from as high as 31.6 degrees Celsius (88.3 degrees Fahrenheit) in October, to as low as 10.1 degrees Celsius (50.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. Lusaka experiences a rainy season from November to March, during which time the average annual rainfall is about 800 millimeters (32.3 inches). Zambia is combatting the effects of climate change including extreme weather, drought, and severe flooding.

Lusaka is a city in economic transition and is developing at a rapid rate, with much of this industrial growth and urban sprawl unplanned. Because of this, municipal facilities are struggling to meet the needs of the city. At the same time, new development is ever-present throughout Lusaka; new construction and renovation projects are helping to improve roads, add new shopping areas and restaurants, and update city parks.

People

According to the World Population Review, the population of Lusaka was 3.18 million people in 2023; however, the growth of the city and the unrecorded number of persons living within peripheral shantytowns and low-rent districts may represent another 1 million people. The majority of Lusaka’s population is of Bantu descent primarily from the Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, and Lozi ethnic groups, with other major tribes being the Nsenga, Tumbuka, and Ngoni groups. There is also a growing presence of foreign nationals within Lusaka, including the British, South Africans, and an Asian community. This shifting population can be attributed to new development and foreign aid.

The religious composition of Lusaka is a blend of Christian, Muslim and Hindu religious groups. There are a few Jews in Lusaka as well. Zambia as a whole is also predominantly Christian, with most practicing Protestantism and a smaller number practicing Roman Catholicism. The large Christian population is a direct result of missionary efforts during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Zambia is home to over seventy languages, but the official language is English and the major vernaculars include Bantu languages such as Bembe, Nyanja, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, and Tumbuka.

Lusaka is a city steeped in culture, as evidenced by the annual national music festival that showcases tribal music from all around the country. The capital is also known for its bustling markets, which feature a myriad of vendors and goods. Public holidays include Independence Day (October 24), Farmer’s Day (August 6), and Unity Day (July 3).

Economy

While Lusaka’s economy originally developed around the roadways, railroad and mining industries, most notably copper, the city is presently driven by its role as the governmental seat and center for all major transportation routes throughout Zambia and southern Africa. Lusaka is home to the junction of the Great North Road, which leads to Tanzania; the Great East Road, which leads to Malawi; and rail connections that transport people and goods to the historic cities of Livingstone and Ndola, as well as the country of Tanzania. Lusaka also serves Zambia with the nation’s primary international airport, Lusaka International, which is located twenty-seven kilometers (sixteen miles) to the east of the city.

Zambia’s agricultural industries are largely supported through Lusaka’s transportation options, and the city serves as an export center. Lusaka is home to two multifacility economic zones that promote manufacturing; among the items produced there are brewed beverages, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers. According to Zambia’s Central Statistical Office, the province of Lusaka had an unemployment rate of 17.4 percent for young people and an overall unemployment rate of 11.6 percent in 2017; a large percentage of the population relies on subsistence farming and foreign assistance. Zambia had an overall unemployment rate of 6.13 percent in 2022.

Landmarks

Many of Lusaka’s landmarks reflect the city’s history as the capital of Zambia. The central business district and government center along Cairo Road and Independence Way accommodate many landmarks, including the government house, a freedom statue, the supreme and high courts buildings, as well as numerous embassies, department stores and the city’s civic center. The central business district covers 1.6 kilometers (approximately 1 mile) north to south, and the government center stretches another 4.6 kilometers (2.85 miles) eastward.

Lusaka’s numerous cultural and religious institutions include the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the Lusaka Museum and a number of Muslim mosques, which are all located near the center of Lusaka. The Lusaka National Museum is also located along Independence Way, and features a variety of ethnographic exhibits and contemporary art.

The Mulungushi International Conference Centre is another well-known landmark. The hall was built in just four months and was designed to host the Third Summit Conference of Non-aligned Nations in September 1970. The national assembly building is adjacent to the conference center and both sit atop Manda Hill in the heart of Lusaka. The assembly building houses the Zambian parliament and is often simply referred to as Manda Hill. The Lusaka Show Grounds are also located near Manda Hill, and serve as the venue for the Annual Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show.

Lusaka is home to the University of Zambia, one of two universities within Zambia (the other is Copperbelt University in Kitwe). Other smaller, private colleges and technical schools are also based in Lusaka.

History

Unlike many capital cities, Lusaka did not naturally develop as a seat of power or beside a natural waterway or trade route. Instead, it began as a small village with few amenities, named after a local clan chief. At the turn of the century, modern-day Zambia was divided into Northeastern and Northwestern Rhodesia, with Kalomo, a town in southern Zambia, serving as the seat of government for the combined region. Later, the colonial city of Livingstone, named after Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone, served as the capital for the separated Northwestern Rhodesia.

In 1911, the two regions merged into the British colony of Northern Rhodesia. Over time, the central positioning of the city of Lusaka drew the attention of administrative leaders and, with the development of a railroad through Lusaka in 1905, the city had begun to serve as a significant thoroughfare. In 1935, the capital city was officially moved from Livingstone to Lusaka.

While British rule was initially welcomed in Rhodesia for the sake of protection against rival tribes and ethnic groups, the heavy copper mining, intense labor requirements, and the aftermath of World War I eventually lead to tension between indigenous Africans and the white colonialists. Mining strikes over low wages and poor living conditions were a constant source of conflict around the copper mines, and the price of copper was falling on the world market. Although Britain was able to secure the copper industry during World War II, unionization after the war within various industries throughout Rhodesia eventually lead to further tensions.

By 1953, African trade unions had unified under the Northern Rhodesia Congress which had, in turn, led to the establishment of the African Representative Council. Complaints against white colonial authority ultimately lead to the reorganizing of Northern and Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland as the Central African Federation. During the decade which followed the establishment of the Central African Federation, the city of Lusaka was rife with political protests and progressive legislation—it became the established epicenter of conflict and political action within the region.

On October 24, 1964, the region formerly designated as Northern Rhodesia was granted independence and became the Republic of Zambia under the leadership of Kenneth Kaunda, who served as the nation’s first president until 1991. Zambia continued in its relationship with Britain as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since national independence, Lusaka has grown and developed as a capital city through times of prosperity and strife. The copper industry continues to be a viable part of the regional economy, while issues such as unemployment levels and poverty continue to require foreign assistance and the need for economic reform.

President Edgar Lungu was elected in a special election in January 2015 to finish the term of President Michael Sata, who died in October 2014. Lungu was reelected in August 2016.

In 2017, Lungu's government announced that it was considering moving the capital from Lusaka to Ngabwe, a small settlement in the center of the country. The new capital would be a planned city and, the government hoped, would help ease the problems associated with rapid urbanization around Lusaka.

One of those problems is cholera, which has become a near-annual occurrence. Lusaka has a high water table and poor sanitation, particularly in the informal settlements that have grown up around it since independence. During the outbreak of 2017–18, the government imposed a curfew, suspended public assembly, barred street vending, and closed schools, bars, and markets in Lusaka for weeks. Some residents rioted in protest. The World Health Organization launched a massive vaccination campaign in an effort to combat the problem.

Bibliography

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