Zambia

The third peaceful and democratic change of government in August 2021 was a milestone for democracy in Zambia. On the one hand, this achievement is rather rare in sub-Saharan Africa and on the other hand, Zambian society has learnt that an unpopular president and an increasingly abusive government can be voted out of office. At the same time, Zambia continues to face major challenges. For example, poverty remains at a relatively high level and the growth of the formal economy is not leading to sufficient employment and income generation. The country's high level of foreign debt is exacerbating the problems.

Zambian society is characterised by a high degree of organisation. Numerous political parties, trade unions, churches, media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) characterise the country's image. Although the socio-political discourse occasionally lacks substance and a constructive focus, democracy in Zambia is taking important steps towards development against this backdrop.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) has been active in Zambia since the mid-1960s. The focus of its commitment is to secure and further develop democratic and social standards. Accordingly, the FES supports the political dialogue between the central social groups as well as between the government and the ruling party on the one hand and important representatives of Zambian society on the other. The FES works in particular with trade unions and civil society actors, including the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). The FES office in Zambia is also responsible for a regional working line on social policy.

Learn more about our work in Zambia on the project's website.