Countdown to the ballot: Zambia gears up for August elections

This week on Spotlight on Africa, we're heading to Zambia, where general elections are set to take place on the 13th August. Voters will go to the polls to elect a president, members of the National Assembly, councillors and council chairs. Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema has already picked up endorsements from within his own camp, the UPND Alliance, the coalition that's held power since 2021. So what's at stake, and who's in the running?

This week on the podcast, we're heading to Zambia, which is gearing up for elections next month and is now in full campaign mode. Two of our RFI colleagues, Yang Mei and Igor Strauss, travelled to Zambia recently for in-depth reporting on four years of Hakainde Hichilema's rule, and his chances of re-election.

In power since August 2021, "HH", as he's most often called, is a businessman, farmer and politician, and the seventh president of Zambia.

General elections are due to be held in the country on 13 August 2026 to elect a president, members of the National Assembly, councillors and council chairs.

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Hichilema has received endorsements from some members of the UPND Alliance, including from the leaders of the Party of National Unity and Progress and the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy.

According to an opinion poll conducted by a University of Zambia demographer, Hichilema is set to be re-elected, leading with 60 percent of the vote, while the combined opposition would take 35 percent.

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Our colleagues Yang Mei and Igor Strauss bring us some of the interviews they gathered on the ground, so join us as we hear from ordinary Zambians, as well as from leading journalist Joseph Mwenda, editor-in-chief at News Diggers, who has led multiple investigations into the current government's relations with China; and from Robert Mwale, an economist and Lead Public Finance and Economic Governance Researcher at the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD).

Among the issues at stake are a lack of freedom of expression, but also a legacy of economic growth, driven in no small part by China's heavy involvement in the economy.

Thanks to our reporters, Igor Strauss and Yang Mei, for their work and insight, and thank you for listening.

This is the last episode of the 2025–26 season. We'll be back in September with another one.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by RFI's English language service. This episode was mixed by Erwan Rome.