Zambia’s ZCCM-IH Partners with China’s Wonderful Group to Revive Historic Ndola Lime Facility

ZCCM Investments Holdings has entered into a strategic joint venture with Chinese-owned Wonderful Group to revive the historic Ndola Lime Company facility in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, marking a major step toward restoring domestic industrial lime and cement production capacity.

The two partners will develop and operate the facility through a newly established joint venture company, Ndola Lime Limited, backed by an initial $30 million investment from Wonderful Group.

The redevelopment aims to restore operations at the nearly century-old industrial complex, which has long served Zambia’s mining, construction, and agricultural industries before financial and operational challenges pushed the operation into insolvency in 2018.

Three-Phase Redevelopment Strategy

According to ZCCM-IH, the revival project will be executed in three phases designed to progressively rebuild and expand production capacity.

The first phase will focus on constructing and commissioning a new lime production plant capable of producing 600 metric tons per day, supplying essential lime products to Zambia’s copper mining sector.

The second phase will include either the development of a cement processing plant or the construction of a second lime production facility, depending on market demand and commercial viability.

A third expansion phase will be implemented based on future market conditions and regional industrial demand.

Ownership Structure and Investment Commitments

Under the joint venture agreement, Wonderful Group will hold a 55% stake in Ndola Lime Limited through a $25 million equity contribution and an additional $5 million shareholder loan.

ZCCM-IH will retain the remaining 45% interest through the contribution of operational assets and the write-off of approximately $9.8 million in historic debt linked to the facility.

The partnership reflects Zambia’s broader efforts to strengthen domestic industrial production and support critical supply chains for the country’s expanding copper industry, which remains central to the government’s economic growth strategy.

The Ndola Lime facility has historically played a strategic role in supplying lime products used in copper processing, while also supporting infrastructure and agricultural development across Zambia and the wider region.