President Hakainde Hichilema used a call from a Swiss economic mission on Tuesday 27 October to set out how he wants foreign investment to arrive in his second term: beyond copper, in partnership with Zambian businesses, and within a formal economic framework between the two countries. The delegation was led by Helene Artieda, State Secretary and Director of Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.
The President urged Switzerland to increase investment and trade beyond traditional minerals such as copper, to speed growth, create jobs and promote local value addition, and he called for a comprehensive economic partnership framework. He said trade between the two countries had grown over the years and that some Swiss investors had been in Zambia for some time.
Trade has evolved over the years, we are around US$20 billion plus.
— President Hakainde Hichilema to the Swiss delegation at State House on Tuesday 27 October, as reported by the Zambia Daily Mail
The figure is the President's; neither report says what it measures or over what period. He also thanked Switzerland for its support in Zambia's debt restructuring, saying the country had moved from recovery and fiscal consolidation to accelerated growth, and that his second-term focus was growth through investment and trade with natural resources processed at home.
Joint ventures as insurance
News Diggers reported the same meeting with a different emphasis. The President said Zambia wanted to move away from the traditional model in which European companies invest in Africa on their own, and that foreign investors should partner local businesses so that both sides benefit. Joint Zambian-foreign investments, he argued, would also protect investors against the possibility of expropriation, because citizens would hold a direct stake in the companies concerned.
Artieda said the Swiss government supported the Grow Zambia Agenda and would encourage Swiss businesses to take part in Zambia's economic goals, with interest in investment and cooperation in emerging sectors. News Diggers reported her saying Switzerland was exploring a government-to-government platform that would let Swiss companies increase their investments in Zambia. The Daily Mail reports that she supports the government's 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 growth targets, while adding that understanding the framework takes some effort.
The visit came a day before the President swore in his Cabinet, including a new Minister of Trade and Exports and a new Minister of Industry, portfolios created by the realignment that Parliament approved the same Tuesday. Whether the "comprehensive economic partnership framework" he asked for becomes a negotiated agreement is not something either report could say.
Sources: Zambia Daily Mail, “HH urges stronger trade ties with Switzerland” (28 Oct 2026); News Diggers, “Zambia wants joint investments with foreign companies – HH” (28 Oct 2026).