All posts by : Felistas

BUUMBA CHIMBULU

THE African Development Bank (AfDB) says Zambia, eSwatini, and Zimbabwe could see economic growth of six percent or more in 2025, backing a weak regional trend.

In its African Economic Outlook 2025, the bank noted that while Africa’s overall growth prospects faced significant downside risks, a few countries were expected to maintain strong economic momentum.

For Southern Africa, growth was estimated at 1.9 percent in 2024, rising modestly to 2.2 percent in 2025 and 2.5 percent in 2026.

Compared with the 2025 Macroeconomic Environment Outlook (MEO), these figures reflected downgrades of 0.9 and 0.6 percentage points, respectively.

“Despite the low regional growth outlook, a few countries – notably eSwatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – could achieve growth rates of six percent or higher in 2025,” the report stated.

Meanwhile, growth in South Africa, the United States’ largest trading partner in Africa, is projected at a modest 0.8 percent in 2025, with a slight recovery to 1.2 percent in 2026.

The bank observed that the country’s ongoing efforts to address global trade disruptions and implement structural reforms could improve its medium-term growth trajectory.

The AfDB also cautioned that African countries could overturn the subdued growth outlook by mitigating the transmission of global shocks and economic uncertainty into domestic markets.

However, this would hinge on several factors, including curbing inflation, addressing the continent’s mounting debt, and the resilience of the global economy in the face of rising risks and fragile demand.

“Downside risks to the outlook include restricted trade, which could hamper growth directly by reducing business activity and indirectly through financial channels, weakening investor confidence and triggering capital outflows,” it warned.

Persistent inflation remained a critical concern, fuelled by entrenched domestic supply constraints and a diminished effectiveness of monetary policy in containing demand-driven price pressures.

This, the bank noted, could dampen the expected growth rebound.

Although external financial inflows to Africa rebounded in 2023, the Bank highlighted risks to future inflows due to aid cuts by key donors and heightened global uncertainty.

Total external financial flows – comprising foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio investments, official development assistance (ODA), and remittances – grew by 7.3 percent to US$204.6 billion in 2023, reversing a 13.2 percent decline recorded in 2022.

Notably, portfolio flows shifted from net outflows of US$23.1 billion in 2022 to net inflows of US$322.9 million in 2023 – an improvement of over 100 percent.

NATION REPORTER THE UPND yesterday went ballistic, with Elisha Matambo, the Copperbelt Minister, Mark Simuuwe, the media director and Obvious Mwaliteta, the Lusaka Province chairperson all declaring war against the Patriotic Front (PF) for ignoring government advice on the protocols being accorded to former President Edgar Lungu following his death. Mr Matambo has declared that […]

Children in rural Australia are missing out on critical early health supports, with limited access to allied health services putting them at greater risk of lifelong developmental challenges.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced he was dismissing all current members of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of conflicts of interest—his latest salvo against the nation’s immunization policies.

A Cleveland Clinic study shows that semaglutide and tirzepatide—injectable GLP-1 drugs for obesity—produce smaller weight loss in a real-world setting because patients discontinue treatment or use lower maintenance dosages. Treatment discontinuation also negatively impacted blood sugar control in patients with prediabetes. The study was published in the Obesity Journal.

BARNABAS ZULU

FOOTBALL Association of Zambia (FAZ) President Keith Mweemba says legendary football icon Kalusha Bwalya will play a key role in the growth and development of Zambian football.

Mweemba praised the former FAZ president following a meeting held earlier yesterday, describing Kalusha as an invaluable resource for Zambian football due to his vast experience and international exposure.

“Earlier today, I had the pleasure of meeting with my brother and friend, the legendary Kalusha Bwalya. As a renowned football icon, both on and off the pitch, his invaluable experience and expertise will be instrumental in driving our nation’s progress,” said Mweemba.

He noted that Kalusha’s history as a former national team captain, African Footballer of the Year, and seasoned football administrator placed him in a unique position to contribute meaningfully to the future of the sport in Zambia.

“I firmly believe that his insights will be crucial to the success of my administration,” Mweemba added.

Kalusha, fondly known as “Kalu”, remains one of the country’s most celebrated footballers, having represented the nation with distinction for over two decades.

His experience includes serving on the FIFA Technical and Development Committee and the CAF Executive Committee, roles that gave him global exposure and strategic football governance knowledge.

Mweemba’s remarks come at a time when FAZ is seeking to strengthen collaborations with past football greats and align efforts to restore the country’s standing on the continental and global stage.

While details of the meeting were not made public, the FAZ president hinted at future engagements and consultations with Kalusha and other senior figures in football.

NATION REPORTER GOVERNMENT has dismissed allegations of foul play in the death of former President Edgar Lungu and urged political players to refrain from exploiting the tragedy for partisan gain. Cornelius Mweetwa, the Chief Government Spokesperson has also claimed that former President Lungu was never blocked from travelling outside Zambia for his routine medical reviews, […]

NATION REPORTER

FINANCE and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says it has been tough dealing with the abruptness of the cut in the United States’ funding to the health sector.Dr Musokotwane, who was speaking in Livingstone at the Bloomberg-organised Africa Business Media Innovators 2025, says it would been better to be told two years earlier.

Addressing questions during the conference, Dr Musokotwane admitted that donor aid cannot last forever but criticised the manner of the withdrawal.

“It’s been tough dealing with the abruptness of the cut. Of course, everyone knows that aid is not meant to last forever, and at some point we have to become less aid-dependent. But what’s been difficult is how suddenly it’s being implemented. It would have been better to be told two, three, or even four years ahead – but that didn’t happen,” Dr Musokotwane said.

He also noted that the tough US tariffs would hurt Zambia as an exporter of copper.

He ruled out cutting ties with US, insisting that “we will not disengage from US because of this. There are problems but we are hopeful this can be resolved.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Musokotwane has called for a fundamental shift in how the country approaches its mining sector, stressing the urgent need to increase mineral production.Dr. Musokotwane reminded delegates that national prosperity hinges on growth in output – not the preservation of outdated systems. “If we are going to create environments that benefit many people, that only happens when we produce more and more,” he said.

He emphasised that Zambia must move beyond the mindset that simply having copper is enough. “This country will not become wealthy if we keep producing copper in the same quantity as we did in 1964,” he warned.

BARNABAS ZULU GOVERNMENT has sternly warned members of the public against issuing inflammatory or hate-filled statements concerning the death and funeral of Zambia’s sixth Republican President, Edgar Chagwa Lungu. Meanwhile, the Zambian government has been accused of attempting to forcibly seize the body of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu from a hospital morgue in South […]

BARNABAS ZULU FORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji says the country has lost a great leader in Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who passed away last week in South Africa. In an interview yesterday, Mr Malanji recalled that economic diplomacy was the hallmark in President Lungu’s implementation of foreign policy. “This death has come so early […]