Zambia Election Results: President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after the Electoral Commission of Zambia declared him winner with about 60% (61.4% in final tallies) of the vote, beating Brian Mundubile who polled about 38%. The race was largely peaceful, but counting was suspended after reports of violence against election staff and theft of marked ballot papers, and authorities later arrested opposition figures during a raid described by police as targeting “militia activity.” Economic Direction: Hichilema’s campaign leaned on continuity after debt restructuring and macroeconomic stabilisation, with promises to expand jobs and grow the economy further, while investors are said to welcome reduced political uncertainty. Currency Watch: The kwacha held steady against major currencies, supported by consistent copper export inflows and other forex sources including agriculture sales and tourism. Agribusiness: Zambia recorded its largest maize harvest on record at about 4.9 million tonnes, leaving a sizeable surplus for regional supply and carryover. Regional Trade & Industry: At the 46th SADC summit in Durban, leaders backed industrialisation through infrastructure, agriculture and critical minerals transformation, and approved a SADC tourism visa plus plans to operationalise the SADC Regional Development Fund. Critical Minerals Politics: US lawmakers raised conflict-of-interest concerns over Trump-linked critical minerals deals, while Zambia’s mineral value-add push remains a key theme across the region.