With its access to a vast water supply, Zambia boasts an array of waterfalls, the most famous of which is Victoria Falls, a number of lakes throughout the country and vast areas of swamp land. Although predominantly a savannah region, Zambia has large tracts of deciduous forests and hilly regions to the north and east. Zambia’s topography lends itself to the preponderance of minerals, thus leading to its thriving mining industry. There are over 20 national parks in Zambia, each boasting an array of wildlife, and making strong efforts to inhibit poaching and preserve the country’s natural resources.

Of Zambia’s 72 tribes, the most recognised tribes are the Bemba, who live in the north, the Lozi, who live in the west, the Ngoni, who live in the east and the Tonga, who live in the south. A consequence of the strong trend towards urbanisation is the relocation of many tribesmen throughout Zambia and a greater incidence of intertribal marriages. Due to its history of non-violence, members of the smaller tribes in Zambia experience virtually no bias or discrimination.

Zambians take great pride in their tribal affiliations, but all tribes are united through their inherent national pride in being Zambian. The mantra of the first President, Kenneth Kaunda, is “One Zambia, One Nation” and this ideal has resonated loudly amongst its people.

Zambia is a multi-party democracy. After independence in 1964, Zambia started out with what is termed the First Republic. President Kaunda then announced a one-party democracy in 1972, thereby bringing about the era of the Second Republic, which ended with his defeat in elections in 1991.

As of 1991, Zambia has returned to a multi-party democracy, promulgating an economic and political renaissance and creating an environment that is ideal for business and property investment. The current President is Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), and he is guided by a unicameral parliament and a strong independent judiciary.

The Law
Zambia’s legal structure has been significantly influenced by Great Britain. Zambia’s legal code practices English Law and has a Supreme Court, a High Court and a number of specialised lower courts.

Economy
During the past decade, significant investments in key sectors and the overall infrastructure of Zambia has led to solid economic growth and a budding property market. Zambia is expected to continue its high level of growth and development, making this country an ideal investment destination. Zambia’s GDP has doubled in the past twelve years and prudent fiscal policies have brought the inflation rate to single digits.

Zambia’s political stability has catalysed its economic achievements. With the rising value of commodities worldwide, Zambia is well placed to continue to benefit from its mining and agricultural industries.

Tourism
Zambia is blessed with some of the best natural game viewing venues in the world. A strategic commitment to setting aside a significant number of national parks, coupled with a strong anti-poaching movement, has placed Zambia in the enviable position of providing some of the finest wildlife adventures in Africa.

Livingstone, Zambia’s tourism capital, boasts an array of activities centred on the splendour of Victoria Falls. During the last decade, the number of tourists flying into the Livingstone airport has grown exponentially from 4,000 per year to over 250,000 in 2007. This boom in eco-tourism will result in unique property development opportunities in the years to come.

Language
The official language is English and the seven other recognised national languages are Bemba, Lozi, Nyanja, Tonga, Kaonde, Lunda and Luvale.

Local Time
GMT plus 2 hours

Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz. Square pin sockets are used (as predominantly found in Great Britain).

Banks
The four main multi-national banks are Barclays Bank Zambia, Citibank, Stanbic (known as Standard Bank in South Africa) and Standard Chartered Bank. There are also some significant local banks, including Finance Bank, Indo-Zambia Bank, Investrust Bank and Zambia National Commercial Bank.

Currency
The monetary unit is the Zambian Kwacha. After over 15 years of rapid depreciation, the Kwacha has experienced a period of consistent stability in the past three years and has appreciated against the US Dollar, which is the preferred hard currency in Zambia.