Zambia Election Gives Hichilema Second Term as Economic Test Enters New Phase

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has secured another five years in office after winning the country’s presidential election, giving his government a renewed mandate as Zambia attempts to turn economic recovery into broader gains for ordinary households.

Results released by the Electoral Commission showed Hichilema defeating his main challenger, Brian Mundubile. Hichilema secured more than 60 per cent of the vote, comfortably ahead of Mundubile, who received about 38 per cent.

The result keeps Hichilema at the helm of one of Southern Africa’s important democracies and gives his administration another term to pursue the economic programme that has been central to his presidency.

A significant part of Hichilema’s first term was dominated by Zambia’s debt crisis and efforts to restructure the country’s obligations. His re-election now shifts the political conversation towards what comes after stabilisation and whether improvements at the national level can translate into meaningful economic gains for Zambians.

Hichilema has set an ambitious economic agenda for his second term, including plans to significantly expand the size of Zambia’s economy, increase employment and create greater economic opportunities for households.

The election, however, also revealed the political limits of relying on improvements in headline economic indicators when many citizens continue to experience financial pressure.

Mundubile drew support from voters frustrated by continuing economic hardship, demonstrating that the government’s economic record will remain under close public scrutiny despite the scale of Hichilema’s victory.

The challenge facing the president is therefore changing. Debt restructuring and economic stabilisation can create the foundations for growth, but political confidence will increasingly depend on whether those gains become visible in employment, incomes, investment and everyday living conditions.

That places significant expectations on Hichilema’s second administration. A renewed electoral mandate provides political space to continue reforms, but it also comes with an expectation that the next phase of economic management will produce results that reach beyond government balance sheets.

The election is also significant within the wider African democratic landscape. Zambia’s political direction will continue to be watched beyond its borders at a time when questions surrounding elections, governance, economic accountability and public confidence remain central across much of the continent.

For Zambia, the next chapter is therefore less about proving that an economy can recover on paper and more about ensuring citizens can feel that recovery in their lives. That challenge is familiar across Africa. Many of the continent’s democracies are still relatively young institutions carrying immense expectations, and every peaceful election offers another opportunity to strengthen the relationship between political choice, accountable government and tangible development.

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