President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in for his second term at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, committing his ...
What Hakainde Hichilema said
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President Hakainde Hichilema, sworn in for a second term, outlined a 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 vision to triple Zambia's economy over five years. Targets include 10 million tons of maize, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, 5 million tourist arrivals, 3 million tons of copper, 3 million tons of soybeans, 1 million tons of wheat, 1 million tons of sugar, and $1 billion in beef exports. He claimed the first doubling of the economy occurred in his first term and expressed confidence in achieving the larger goal. He emphasized job creation, education and health investment, and a mindset shift away from handout dependence, advocating hard and smart work for sustainable growth. He pledged to serve all Zambians regardless of political affiliation or background, calling for national unity.
Key takeaways
The 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 vision targets 10 million tons of maize, 10,000 MW of electricity, and 3 million tons of copper, among other goals.
Tripling Zambia's economy in five years is achievable, as the first doubling already happened in the first term.
Economic growth must translate into jobs, markets, and opportunities for ordinary Zambians.
Education is the greatest equalizer and a lasting inheritance for children.
President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in for a second term at the National Heroes Stadium right here in Lusaka, beginning a new 5-year mandate with a significantly expanded economic ambition to triple the size of Zambia's economy. The president says the next phase will be anchored by the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 vision, setting clear production targets across the economy.
Our flagship policy of what we call the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 vision. Very clear. 10 million tons of maize for food security. 10,000 megawatts of electricity to power our economy. 5 million tourist arrivals. 3 million tons of copper. 3 million tons of soybeans. 1 million tons of wheat. 1 million tons of sugar. And a billion-dollar or more worth of beef exports outside of our country in the region. Through this agenda, we have worked our numbers that we will more than double the size of our economy in a few years from now. In fact, the first doubling has already been done in the first year. So, in essence, we'll be tripling the size of our economy in this 5-year term. We are very confident about that.
Sugar is a new entry into this particular concept. 1 billion United States dollars or more in annual beef exports. The president says the calculations behind the framework show that the first doubling of the economy has already been achieved during the first years of his administration, creating the basis for the country to pursue the larger target of tripling the economy during the second term.
You assumed office with Zambia already in debt default. Your first term was then tested by a severe cost of living crisis, drought, and energy shortages. Your choices, my brother, in those difficult moments demonstrated leadership and statesmanship, not populism. Your administration has made demonstrable progress in resolving the debt crisis, restoring Zambia's standing with its creditors, and rebuilding confidence in the economy. International reserves have risen significantly, while inflation has fallen. These significant gains—
From stabilization to growth, the first term focused heavily on economic reforms, restoring stability, and rebuilding confidence in Zambia's economy. The next 5 years are expected to focus on expanding production, creating jobs, increasing investment, and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach households.
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Hichilema, H. (2026, September 6). PRESIDENT HICHILEMA COMMITS TO TRIPLING THE SIZE OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY [Interview transcript]. Director Spokesperson. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1313702/
MLA
Hakainde Hichilema. "PRESIDENT HICHILEMA COMMITS TO TRIPLING THE SIZE OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY." Director Spokesperson, 6 Sep. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1313702/.
BibTeX
@misc{hichilema2026_1313702,
author = {Hakainde Hichilema},
title = {PRESIDENT HICHILEMA COMMITS TO TRIPLING THE SIZE OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, Director Spokesperson. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {sep},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1313702/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
