Online Reporter
Michael Tome recently in Lusaka, Zambia
ZIMBABWEAN professionals are increasingly finding lucrative opportunities in Zambia as companies across the country’s mining, agriculture and construction sectors seek to address the lack of skilled labour, creating a new frontier for Zimbabwe’s export earnings through services.
The trend has gained momentum in recent years amid Zambia’s economic expansion, with engineers, technical experts, project managers and consultants being highly sought after to fill the critical skills gap.
The need for skilled professionals is expected to generate benefits for both economies, providing Zambia with much-needed expertise while creating opportunities and remittance inflows for Zimbabwe.
The development comes as Zimbabwe strives to diversify its export base beyond traditional commodities and manufactured goods by expanding trade in services — a sector that is gradually becoming a major driver of economic growth globally.
Zambia’s ambitious plans to modernise key sectors of its economy have fuelled demand for specialised skills that remain in short supply locally.
The country’s mining industry, which is targeting substantial growth in copper production to over three million tonnes by 2031, is investing heavily in advanced technologies such as automation, digital monitoring systems, artificial intelligence and predictive maintenance platforms — all of which require technical expertise.
On the other hand, Zambia is pushing to grow its maize yield to 10 million tonnes in the coming years, a position that requires critical skills in the agriculture sector.
These developments are creating demand for technocrats, many of whom can be sourced from Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s long-established education system, particularly in engineering, information technology and technical disciplines, has produced a pool of skilled professionals whose expertise is increasingly recognised across the region.
Speaking during the recently concluded ZimTrade Services Business Mission in Lusaka, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Zambia Charity Charamba said Zimbabwe continued to produce capable professionals whose skills remain in demand in regional countries as their economies expand and modernise.
The shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professionals in Zambia has prompted reliance on foreign expertise, particularly in specialised technical fields.
“Zimbabwe continues to produce highly qualified professionals at home. As neighbouring economies expand and modernise, these professionals are becoming valuable regional assets,” said Ambassador Charamba.
“On that note, the Republic of Zambia is projected to have a bumper harvest of 4.9 million tonnes of maize in the 2025/2026 farming season. This creates immediate opportunities for Zimbabwean companies in logistics, grain handling and storage facilities, milling equipment and value addition.”
The mining sector has also emerged as one of the largest employers of Zimbabwean technical talent.
As Zambia pushes to strengthen its position as one of Africa’s leading copper producers, Zimbabwean mining engineers, geologists and metallurgists are poised to benefit from these opportunities.
Industry observers say many Zimbabwean professionals possess extensive experience gained from operating in complex mining environments, making them attractive candidates for mining firms seeking to improve efficiency and productivity.
The growing adoption of digital technologies in mining operations has also created demand for cybersecurity experts, network engineers and data management specialists — areas in which Zimbabwe has the capacity to provide expertise.
Zambia Development Agency acting director for export promotion Mr Obby Banda described Zambia as an emerging regional services hub.
He said Zambia’s rapidly expanding services sector, supported by growth in mining, logistics, information and communication technology (ICT), tourism and financial services, was creating opportunities for service businesses seeking expansion.
“We look at Zambia as an emerging services hub. The country is evolving into a regional services hub because of its fast-growing services economy. We have the mining sector, logistics, ICT, tourism and finance all growing strongly,” said Mr Banda.
ZimTrade export promotion and market information manager Mrs Vuyiswa Mafu said Zimbabwean firms had the expertise and technical capacity to contribute meaningfully to Zambia’s economic transformation agenda.
She said enhanced collaboration between businesses from Zimbabwe and Zambia presents significant opportunities for mutual growth, particularly in infrastructure development and agricultural services.
“We believe there is strong potential for collaboration with our Zambian counterparts, leveraging our expertise to deliver value while supporting economic growth in both countries. Zimbabwe’s building and construction industry, together with the agricultural services sector, is ready to partner, innovate and contribute to Zambia’s infrastructure and development agenda,” she said.
“I urge stakeholders to take advantage of this opportunity to forge lasting partnerships that create shared value and drive growth across our borders.”
Zambian construction firm Lierge Africa’s contracts director Mr Shannon Joynt indicated that there is a growing need to employ Zimbabwean workers for some of the company’s projects due to their skills.
“It is always good to give people a chance, and it is encouraging to meet people who have the right skill set. That gives us a lot of confidence as a business, and it enables us to take on more work,” he said.
“We have come to realise that Zimbabweans generally have stronger skills in the construction sector than Zambians, ranging from areas such as bricklaying, plastering, tiling and painting up to areas of expertise like surveying, civil and structural engineering.”
The growing export of professional services represents a largely untapped source of foreign currency earnings for Zimbabwe.
Unlike merchandise exports, which often require substantial capital investment and logistics costs, service exports are driven primarily by human capital and knowledge.
As Zimbabwean professionals secure contracts and employment opportunities, income generated through consulting fees, salaries and professional engagements contributes to foreign exchange inflows.
ZimTrade believes service exports could become an important pillar of Zimbabwe’s trade strategy, transforming the country’s highly educated workforce into a significant driver of economic growth and regional competitiveness.
Service exports could become an increasingly important contributor to Zimbabwe’s balance of payments if properly supported.
The increasing movement of professionals is also being supported by strengthening bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The two countries, often referred to as Siamese twins, have expanded cooperation in areas such as trade facilitation, investment promotion and skills development, creating a more favourable environment for the exchange of expertise.
The countries’ cultural similarities, geographical proximity and comparable educational systems make it easier for Zimbabwean professionals to integrate into Zambian workplaces.
