List of Zambians
This is a list of famous or notable 'Zambians, or people of Zambian descent, or people who have influenced Zambia' listed in the following categories, and in no particular order:
Businesspeople
- Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba
- Saviour Chibiya
- Hakainde Hichilema
- Rajan Mahtani
- Sylvia Masebo
- Clever Mpoha
- Susan Mulikita
Politics
Politicians
Presidents
- Kenneth David Kaunda – President – 1964–1991
- Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba – President – 1991–2001
- Levy Patrick Mwanawasa – President – 2001–2008
- Rupiah Bwezani Banda – President – 2008–2011
- Michael Chilufya Sata – President – 2011–2014
- Dr. Guy Scott – Acting President – October 2014 – January 2015
- Edgar Lungu – President – 2015–2021
- Hakainde Hichilema – President – 2021–Current
Vice presidents
- Reuben Chitandika Kamanga – Vice President – 1964–1967
- Simon Kapwepwe – Vice President – 1967–1970
- Mainza Mathias Chona – Vice President – 1970–1973
- Levy Patrick Mwanawasa – Vice President – 1991–1994
- Godfrey Miyanda – Vice President – 1994–1997
- Christon Tembo – Vice President – 1997–2001
- Enoch P. Kavindele – Vice President – 2001–2003
- Nevers Mumba – Vice President – 2003–2004
- Lupando Katoloshi Mwape – Vice President – 2004–2006
- Rupiah Bwezani Banda – Vice President – 2006–2008
- George Kunda – Vice President – 2008–2011
- Dr. Guy Scott – Vice President – 2011–2014
- Inonge Wina – Vice President – 2015–2021
- Mutale Nalumango – Vice President – 2021–Current
Prime ministers
- Mainza Chona – Prime Minister, 1973–1975, 1977–1978
- Elijah Mudenda – Prime Minister, 1975–1977
- Daniel Lisulo – Prime Minister, 1978–1981
- Nalumino Mundia – Prime Minister, 1981–1985
- Kebby Musokotwane – Prime Minister, 1985–1989, Secretary-General, UNIP 1989–1991, Opposition President, 1992
- Malimba Masheke – Prime Minister, 1989–1991
Others
- Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika – former minister/democratic campaigner
- Anderson Mazoka – former opposition leader
- Austin Liato – former minister/labour leader, former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Besa Mumba – youngest female commercial pilot
- Besnat Jere – former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Chibesa Kankasa – Zambian freedom fighter and politician
- Crispin Shumina – former MP, former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Dickson Jere – former Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, under Rupiah Banda
- Edward Makuka Nkoloso – former director of Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and philosophy
- Elias Chipimo Jnr – retired opposition leader
- Gladys Nyirongo – former Lands Minister
- Hakainde Hichilema – opposition leader
- Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika – diplomat, former UNICEF Regional Adviser for Africa, Presidential Candidate
- Kabinga Pande – former Foreign Affairs Minister
- Kalombo Mwansa – former Foreign Affairs Minister
- Luke Mwananshiku – former Finance Minister
- M. K. Mubanga – former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Mundia Sikatana – former Justice Minister
- Ompie Nkumbula-Lieventhal – former MP, former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Patrick Anthony Mwewa Chikusu – Deputy Minister of Health in the Republic of Zambia
- Peter Daka – Minister of science and technology, former Pan-African Parliament MP
- Ronnie Shikapwasha – former Information Minister
- Susan Nakazwe – former Mayor of Lusaka
- Thokozile Muwamba – first female fighter pilot
- Vaughan Gething – former First Minister of Wales
- Nina Tapula, Zambia's first female military pilot
Traditional rulers
Other notable traditional leaders include:Religious figures
- Emmanuel Milingo – Christian leader, has established the 'Married Priests Now' organisation in the US
- Adrian Mung'andu – Catholic archbishop of Lusaka
Sports
Other sports
- Corné Krige captain of South African rugby Springbok world cup
- Ellis Chibuye
- Felix Bwalya
- George Gregan captain of Australian rugby team
- Madalitso Muthiya
- Obed Mutanya
- PG Nana
- Samuel Matete world champion 400m hurdles
- Yunus Badat
- Amon Simutowe
- Bob Hesford England rugby
- Daffyd James Wales rugby
- Phil Edmonds England cricket
- Neal Radford England cricket
- Jeff Whitley Northern Ireland football
- Robert Earnshaw Wales football
- Ian McCallum South Africa rugby Springbok
- Roy McCallum South Africa rugby Springbok
- Satwant Singh International rally driver
- Steve Arneil youngest ever international rugby player aged 16 and karate expert
Musicians
- Backxwash, Zambian-Canadian rapper
- Denise Chaila, Irish-Zambian rapper, singer, poet, grime, and hip hop artist
- Emeli Sandé, singer
- Matthew Ngosa, singer
- Paul Ngozi, musician, band leader of the Ngozi Family rock band
- Samantha Mumba, Irish-Zambian singer
- Sampa The Great, singer, rapper, songwriter
- Yo Maps, singer
- KILLA, real name Mark Elohim Lukwesa, rapper
Authors
- Dambisa Moyo
- Field Ruwe
- Binwell Sinyangwe
- Wilbur Smith
- Ellen Banda-Aaku
- Namwali Serpell
- Fwanyanga Mulikita
- Kenneth Kaunda
- Andrew Kaumba
Chess players
Zambian lawyers
- Likando Kalaluka – Attorney General of the republic of Zambia from 2015 to 2021
- Nelly Mutti
- Bokani Soko – Prominent business and lawyer
Media and TV
- Jonah Buyoya – Zambian journalist
- Mary Mbewe – Zambian journalist, and executive editor
- Smokey Haangala – Zambian journalist, poet, writer, composer, musician
Physicians
- Aaron Mujajati
- Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma, medical doctor, and organization founder
Other people born in/related to Zambia
- Steve Arneil – Karate Kyokushin practitioner born in South Africa, but lived in Zambia
- Joseph and Luka Banda – Conjoined twins
- Lukwesa Burak – Sky News anchor based in London
- Norman Carr – British wildlife conservationist who set up national parks in Zambia
- John Edmond – Zambian-born Rhodesian singer
- Phil Edmonds – English cricketer born in Lusaka
- Robert Earnshaw – Zambian-born Welsh international football player
- Stanley Fischer – Zambian-born Deputy Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank and Governor of the Bank of Israel
- Tawny Gray – sculptor
- George Gregan – Zambian-born captain of the Australian Wallabies Rugby Union team
- Amy Holmes – Zambian-born, The Blaze news anchor and CNN political contributor
- Daffyd James – Zambian-born Welsh international rugby player
- V. M. Jones – Author
- Arthur Kalaluka – military officer
- Corné Krige – Zambian-born South African Springboks Rugby Union team captain
- Robert Lange – Zambian-born record producer and songwriter
- Chilu Lemba – Radio and TV presenter
- Rozalla Miller – British/Zimbabwean singer born to a Zambian mother
- Dambisa Moyo – International economist and best-selling author, born and raised in Lusaka
- Martin Mubanga – Zambian extrajudicial prisoner of the United States
- Monica Musonda – Lawyer turned entrepreneur
- Rungano Nyoni – Zambian-born Welsh director
- Nsofwa Petronella Sampa – Psychological counselor and HIV activist
- Emeli Sandé – British singer, Zambian father
- Denise Scott Brown – Zambian-born American architect
- David Shepherd – British conservationist who has painted Zambian wildlife
- Kapelwa Sikota – First Zambian registered nurse
- Hammerskjoeld Simwinga – Conservationist/environmentalist
- Peter Amos Siwo – Pioneering graduate and civil servant
- Wilbur Smith – Zambian-born British/South African author
- Jeff Whitley – Zambian-born played for Northern Ireland
- Sir APM Lukwesa - Teacher of Civic education and Social media influencer
Other prominent figures in the history of Zambia
This is a list of deceased historical figures in Zambia and its antecedent territories, and combines Zambians, Africans and non-Zambians including British people and Northern Rhodesians.- Robert Edward Codrington – colonial administrator of the two territories ruled by the British South Africa Company which later became Zambia
- Father Jean-Jacques Corbeil – Canadian missionary and ethnographer of Bemba culture
- Dan Crawford – missionary pioneer
- Bishop Joseph Dupont – missionary pioneer
- Sir Stewart Gore-Browne – called Chipembele by Africans, soldier, pioneer white settler, builder, politician and supporter of independence in Northern Rhodesia
- List of governors of Northern Rhodesia
- List of governors-general of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
- Evelyn Dennison Hone – last governor of Northern Rhodesia
- Alice Lenshina – leader of the Lumpa religious sect
- General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck – leader of German East Africa forces of World War I
- Lewanika – Litunga of the Lozi
- David Livingstone – British Scottish missionary-explorer
- Michael Mataka – first native Zambian to become police commissioner
- Mwata Kazembe – Chief of the Kazembe-Lunda
- Mpezeni – warrior-king of one of the largest Ngoni groups of central Africa
- Nalumino Mundia – Prime Minister, 1981–1985
- Alick Nkhata – popular Zambian musician and broadcaster in the 1950s through to the mid-1970s
- Baldwin Nkumbula
- Harry Nkumbula – Nationalist leader who assisted in the struggle for the independence of Northern Rhodesia from British colonialism
- Mwene Chitengi Chiyengele – Mbunda chief who led his tribesmen from north-eastern Angola to Bulozi, western Zambia around 1795.
- Cecil Rhodes – English-born businessman, mining magnate, and politician in South Africa and an ardent believer in colonialism and imperialism, founder of the state of Rhodesia
- Sebetwane – Basotho chief who fled from Shaka Zulu, eventually conquering and settling in Western Province
- Mamochisane – daughter of Sebetwane, succeeded him as Makololo queen
- Sekeletu – Makololo King of Barotseland in western Zambia from about 1851 to his death in 1863
- Alfred Sharpe – British administrator and agent for Cecil Rhodes
- Lawrence Aubrey Wallace
- Roy Welensky – leader of white trade union and settler politician
- Rohan Oza creator of Vitamin Water in the US, sold to Coca-Cola