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The Act Most People Still Cite for Mining Law Zambia No Longer Exists
If you’ve heard mining law Zambia described as governed by the Mines and Minerals Development Act, that’s no longer accurate, and it hasn’t been since December 2024. Zambia’s mining sector is a cornerstone of the national economy, contributing over 70% of export earnings, and the legal framework behind it has just gone through its most significant restructuring in almost a decade.
What Actually Changed
The Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015, the law most commonly referenced, was repealed and replaced by the Minerals Regulation Commission Act, 2024 (Act No. 14 of 2024), assented to on 20 December 2024. It was further supplemented by the Geological and Minerals Development Act, 2025 (Act No. 2 of 2025), which took over geological mapping, exploration, and artisanal mining support functions previously spread across other departments.
This wasn’t just a name change. The new Act created the Minerals Regulation Commission, a single regulatory body absorbing the previously separate roles of the Director of Mines, the Director of Geological Survey, and the Director of Mining Cadastre, and established the Mining Appeals Tribunal as a dedicated forum for licensing disputes. The Commission now handles licensing, compliance, and enforcement, while the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development retains policy oversight.
A mining right, under the current Act, is defined as a right granted under Part III of the Minerals Regulation Commission Act, 2024, and a “non-mining right” specifically refers to a right granted under section 11(2) of the same Act. If you already hold a mining right, licence, or permit issued under the old 2015 Act, it remains valid until it expires, is revoked, or is surrendered, you don’t need to reapply simply because the underlying law changed. But any new application, renewal, or transfer now proceeds under the current Act.
One detail worth knowing if you’re pegging a licence area: under the current Act, a holder of a mining right or mineral processing licence must survey and demarcate the licensed area and register a pegging certificate with the Commission within 180 days of the licence being granted. Failing to do so is an offence carrying a fine of up to 300,000 penalty units or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.
New Local Content Requirements
The Geological and Minerals Development (Local Content Preference for Goods and Services in the Mining Sector) Regulations, 2025, took effect on 1 January 2026. Holders of mining rights and mineral processing licences must now give procurement preference to Zambian-made goods and Zambian contractors and suppliers, starting at a 20% threshold, rising to 25% after two years, and reaching 35% within three years. Reporting on local employment and supplier-development initiatives is now a compliance requirement, not an optional gesture toward local participation.
Where We See Clients Get Tripped Up
Here’s the mistake we see most often, and it isn’t unique to small operators: companies keep referencing the 2015 Act in contracts, internal compliance documents, and even licence applications, simply because that’s what their precedent documents say. Legal documents drafted even a year ago may cite provisions that have since been renumbered or reassigned to a different regulatory body entirely.
Our advice: if your mining development agreement, joint venture documentation, or environmental compliance framework was drafted before December 2024, it’s worth having it reviewed against the current Minerals Regulation Commission Act and the 2025 Geological Act, not assumed to still be accurate. The underlying mining right may remain valid, but the compliance obligations wrapped around it may have shifted.
A Realistic Scenario
Consider a mid-sized exploration company preparing to apply for a large-scale mining licence, using a joint venture agreement and compliance checklist originally drafted in 2022 under the old Act. The application references the old licensing categories and cites the repealed Act’s section numbers throughout. Under the current framework, this isn’t just outdated language, it risks the application being sent back by the Minerals Regulation Commission for correction, delaying a process that’s already competitive and time-sensitive. A straightforward legal review before submission, checking references against the current Act and the 2025 Local Content Regulations, would have avoided the delay entirely.
The Numbers Behind the Reform
The stakes behind getting this right are considerable. Zambia produced a record 890,346 metric tonnes of copper in 2025, an 8% increase on 2024, according to the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, and copper alone accounts for over 70% of the country’s export earnings. Government is targeting 3 million tonnes annually by 2031 under its national copper production strategy, meaning licensing, compliance, and investment activity in the sector is only going to intensify, not slow down.
What This Means for You
If you hold an existing mining right or licence, it remains valid, but your ongoing compliance obligations, particularly around local content, should be checked against the current regulatory framework rather than assumed unchanged.
If you’re applying for a new licence or permit, ensure your application and supporting documentation reference the Minerals Regulation Commission Act and the Geological and Minerals Development Act, not the repealed 2015 Act.
If you’re structuring a mining development agreement or joint venture, local content thresholds now need to be built into procurement planning from the outset, not addressed retroactively once operations begin.
At Mesdames Jane Jere Legal Practitioners, we advise on mining licence and permit applications under the current regulatory framework, mining development agreements and joint ventures, and mining-related environmental compliance, helping clients stay aligned with a sector that is changing quickly.
For related reading, see our guides on Environmental Law and Investment Advisory in Zambia, or explore our Mining Law category for further updates.
This article was prepared by Mesdames Jane Jere Legal Practitioners and reviewed for accuracy against the Minerals Regulation Commission Act, 2024 and the Geological and Minerals Development Act, 2025.
