Chingola


Chingola is a town in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, the country's copper-mining region, with a population of 256,560. It is the home of Nchanga Copper Mine, a deep-shaft high-grade content copper mining operation, which subsequently led to the development of two open pit operations, Chingola Open Pit and then Nchanga Open Pit.

History

Chingola was founded in 1943, somewhat later than most other Copperbelt Province towns. Chingola was built to service the newly opened Nchanga Copper mine.

Demographics

Mines

Situated at the north-west end of the Copperbelt Province, the Nchanga Mines Open Pit workings lie in an arc 11 km long around the west and north of the town, covering nearly 30 km2. The deepest part of the pit is 400 m lower than the surrounding plateau.
The Mimbula Copper Project is a copper rich oxide and sulphide deposit, located on the outskirts of the town of Chingola on a mining licence held by Moxico Resources’ Zambian unit. Moxico Resources is a development and exploration mining company incorporated in the UK. In 2021, Moxico Resources began construction of a 10,000 tonne Leach Pad, Solvent Extraction and Electrowinning Plant. The Plant is expected to be operational by Q2 2022 and is planned to be expanded in phases.

Communications

A freight-only branch of Zambian Railways services the town from Kitwe. The branch includes the movement of copper ore to the smelters at Nkana in Kitwe.
Chingola is on the main Copperbelt Highway running north to Lubumbashi in DR Congo via Chililabombwe and Konkola and running south-east to Kapiri Mposhi via Kitwe and Ndola. It is also at the start of the T5 road, running west-north-west to a border with Angola via Solwezi and Mwinilunga.
Chingola is served by Kasompe Airport,. It is also served by 2 shopping malls: The Park Mall and the Motherland Shopping Mall.

Public facilities

is the town's largest soccer club and hosts games at the Nchanga Stadium located in the Nchanga North suburb.

Features of Chingola

National Monument