H.E. Ambassador Johan Hallenborg travelled to Solwezi in the North-Western Province together with First Secretary Emanuel Lundin on 1-2 February for a visit to the copper mines Kansanshi and GQM Trident. The visit was arranged by and carried out together with Epiroc Zambia with the purpose to better understand the Zambian mining sector and the opportunities that the sector presents to Swedish companies.
Zambia is one of the world's largest producers of copper and approximately half of the country's copper is extracted from the mines Kansanshi and Trident near Solwezi. Many Swedish companies have been established along the Zambian part of the Central African Copperbelt for a long time and hence contribute to the local economy through tax revenue and the generation of employment opportunities. For example, Epiroc employs about 550 people of which most are service technicians who maintain the machines and tools needed at the mines. The Embassy's visit highlighted the work of the mines in regard to sustainable business practices, taking into account human rights and environmental aspects.
