24/10/2026
Building a Nation: How Zambian Construction Has Changed Since 1964
INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL | ON THE BUILD ZAMBIA | 24 OCTOBER 2026
62 years of independence, and the people who built them
When Zambia became independent on 24 October 1964, the country inherited a transport and building landscape designed for someone else's priorities: railways and roads that served the copper export route, and a capital built for colonial administration. Over the 62 years since, Zambia's builders, engineers and tradespeople have been rewriting that picture. Today we look back at how far the industry has come, and forward to what comes next.
THE FIRST DECADES: BUILDING FOR SELF-RELIANCE
Independence brought urgency. A landlocked country needed its own routes to the sea and its own power, and it needed public buildings that reflected a new national identity.
TAZARA, the "Uhuru" railway. Built to give Zambia an alternative trade route to the Indian Ocean, the line runs roughly 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi. Construction ran through the early 1970s and the line was completed in the mid-1970s, with hundreds of bridges and dozens of tunnels along the way.
Power for the nation. Zambia developed the Kafue Gorge hydroelectric scheme after independence, and the Kariba North Bank power station came online in 1976, helping Zambia become a net exporter of electricity.
Mulungushi International Conference Centre. In 1970, with the Non-Aligned Movement summit only months away and no venue, the Lusaka conference centre and accompanying villas were delivered in a matter of months, ahead of the deadline. It remains one of the great examples of what a determined construction effort can achieve.
The architecture of a new nation. Lusaka's skyline took shape with bold, concrete-heavy buildings from the independence era, including Findeco House, the University Teaching Hospital and the University of Zambia, which reflect the optimism and ambition of the time.
TODAY: NEW MATERIALS, NEW SCALE, NEW STANDARDS
The industry today looks very different. Projects are bigger and more complex, financed and delivered through partnerships across borders, and held to higher expectations on design, safety and quality.
The clearest recent example is the Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi, opened on 10 May 2021. At 923 metres, this road and rail bridge linking Zambia and Botswana replaced the old ferry crossing and was built at a cost of around US$259 million. It is the kind of regional infrastructure that earlier generations of Zambian planners could only imagine.
Alongside the headline projects, the everyday work has changed too: a growing base of local engineers, contractors and skilled trades, better access to technical knowledge, and a client base that increasingly asks about ground conditions, quality and compliance before a single trench is dug.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BUILD
Every one of these projects, from a national landmark to a family home, was delivered by people: the engineers who designed it, the contractors who managed it, and the tradespeople who laid every brick, bent every bar and wired every circuit. Their names rarely make the headlines. That is exactly why On The Build Zambia exists.
HOW OTB IS CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY
On The Build Zambia was set up to give Zambian construction the recognition it deserves. Here's how you can be part of it:
Projects: showcase the buildings and infrastructure you're proud of, so the next generation can see what's being built now.
Awards: our monthly and annual awards recognise excellent projects, and the people and companies behind them.
Trades: list your trade business so clients can find skilled, trusted professionals.
Knowledge Hub and weekly technical posts: sharing practical knowledge so the whole industry builds better.
OVER TO YOU
What's the building or structure in Zambia that you're proudest of, and why? Is it a landmark from the independence era, a recent project you worked on, or a local building that means something to your community? Tell us in the comments, and consider nominating it for our Awards or featuring it in Projects.
Happy 62nd Independence Day, Zambia. Let's keep building.
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Photos: Joseph Manase (CC BY-SA 4.0), David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0), Matthias Hille (CC BY-SA 4.0), Johanneke Kroesbergen (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons. Stadium aerial: Chalo Chatu, public domain. Aerial: On The Build Zambia.
Read the full piece on our Knowledge Hub: onthebuildzambia.com/knowledge-hub
Happy 62nd Independence Day, Zambia. 🇿🇲
