# Zambia Export Playbook for Africa

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> Yugalinks regional export playbook

Compare buyer markets, access conditions, and calculated product opportunities in Africa. Use this guide to prioritize research, not to treat calculated indicators as guaranteed sales.

## Navigation

- [Yugalinks home](https://www.yugalinks.com/)
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- [Open country workspace](https://www.yugalinks.com/app/countries)
- [Data sources](https://www.yugalinks.com/data-sources)
- [Methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology)

## Overview

- Exporter: Zambia (ZMB)
- Region: Africa
- Latest trade year: 2024
- Buyer markets: 16
- Calculated three-year opportunity: $64.9B
- Reported FTA markets: 11
- Average reported distance: 2,276 km
- Average business entry indicator: 24 days

## Market comparison

| Market | ISO3 | Opportunity | Products | FTA | Distance | Entry days | Top product |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| South Africa | ZAF | $32.4B | 29 | Reported | 2,279 km | 40 | Product not reported |
| Liberia | LBR | $8.8B | 1 | Not reported | 4,940 km | 18 | Commodities not specified according to kind |
| United Rep. of Tanzania | TZA | $8.3B | 5 | Reported | 1,539 km | 30 | Copper: refined, unwrought, cathodes and sections of cathodes |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | COD | $3.2B | 4 | Not reported | 0 km | 0 | Product not reported |
| Kenya | KEN | $2.4B | 5 | Reported | 1,838 km | 23 | Vegetable oils: palm oil and its fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified |
| Mozambique | MOZ | $1.9B | 3 | Reported | 1,252 km | 17 | Product not reported |
| Morocco | MAR | $1.4B | 2 | Not reported | 6,648 km | 9 | Sugars: cane sugar, raw, in solid form, other than as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this chapter, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter |
| Zimbabwe | ZWE | $1.3B | 2 | Reported | 397 km | 27 | Cereals: maize (corn), other than seed |
| Botswana | BWA | $1.2B | 1 | Reported | 1,062 km | 48 | Product not reported |
| Namibia | NAM | $920.2M | 2 | Reported | 1,415 km | 54 | Product not reported |
| Angola | AGO | $889.6M | 1 | Reported | 1,792 km | 36 | Product not reported |
| Nigeria | NGA | $818.6M | 1 | Not reported | 3,664 km | 7 | Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks |
| Egypt | EGY | $376.3M | 1 | Reported | 5,076 km | 13 | Copper: refined, unwrought, cathodes and sections of cathodes |
| Madagascar | MDG | $346.3M | 1 | Reported | 2,079 km | 8 | Product not reported |
| Uganda | UGA | $332.7M | 1 | Not reported | 1,821 km | 24 | Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder) |
| Malawi | MWI | $308.3M | 1 | Reported | 620 km | 37 | Product not reported |

## Product and market opportunities

| Rank | Market | Product | Opportunity | Buyer growth | Current share |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | Liberia (LBR) | HS 999999 - Commodities not specified according to kind | $8.8B | +12.0% | +0.0% |
| 2 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $4.9B | +20.9% | +0.0% |
| 3 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 710812 - Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder) | $3.6B | +17.8% | +0.0% |
| 4 | United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA) | HS 740311 - Copper: refined, unwrought, cathodes and sections of cathodes | $3.2B | +19.1% | +0.4% |
| 5 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $3.1B | +18.1% | +0.0% |
| 6 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 282200 - Cobalt oxides and hydroxides: commercial cobalt oxides | $3.0B | +47.8% | +2.9% |
| 7 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 270900 - Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude | $2.2B | +1.1% | +0.0% |
| 8 | United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $2.0B | +18.2% | +0.0% |
| 9 | United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.9B | +27.8% | +0.0% |
| 10 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 851712 - Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $1.5B | +6.3% | +0.0% |
| 11 | Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.3B | +18.9% | +0.0% |
| 12 | Botswana (BWA) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.2B | +9.9% | +0.0% |
| 13 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 870322 - Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1000 but not over 1500cc | $1.2B | +13.3% | +0.0% |
| 14 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 710813 - Metals: gold, semi-manufactured | $1.1B | +12.9% | +0.3% |
| 15 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $1.1B | +24.9% | +0.0% |
| 16 | Morocco (MAR) | HS 170114 - Sugars: cane sugar, raw, in solid form, other than as specified in Subheading Note 2 to this chapter, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter | $1.1B | +6.8% | +0.1% |
| 17 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 740319 - Copper: refined, unwrought, n.e.c. in item no. 7403.1 | $1.1B | +28.3% | +0.0% |
| 18 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 750110 - Nickel: nickel mattes | $990.9M | +24.4% | +0.0% |
| 19 | Zimbabwe (ZWE) | HS 100590 - Cereals: maize (corn), other than seed | $987.1M | +29.1% | +0.2% |
| 20 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 847130 - Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $942.5M | +9.5% | +0.0% |

## Sector opportunities

| Sector | Products | Reported buyer imports | Opportunity | Average growth |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| HS2 00 - HS2 sector 00 | 14 | $29.5B | $19.2B | +16.4% |
| HS2 99 - HS2 sector 99 | 1 | $6.3B | $8.8B | +12.0% |
| HS2 74 - HS2 sector 74 | 6 | $4.3B | $6.5B | +38.9% |
| HS2 85 - HS2 sector 85 | 8 | $6.0B | $5.4B | +16.5% |
| HS2 71 - HS2 sector 71 | 3 | $3.8B | $5.1B | +39.5% |
| HS2 27 - HS2 sector 27 | 5 | $6.0B | $4.0B | +17.5% |
| HS2 28 - HS2 sector 28 | 1 | $1.6B | $3.0B | +47.8% |
| HS2 87 - HS2 sector 87 | 4 | $3.0B | $2.3B | +12.7% |

## Frequently asked questions

### Should Zambia focus on Africa?

Use the market ranking as a starting point, then check product fit, buyer requirements, route costs, tariffs, standards, and competitive conditions.

### What does calculated opportunity mean?

It is a screening indicator built from demand and exporter-position signals. It is not a confirmed order, sales forecast, or guarantee of market entry.

### How should exporters use this page?

Prioritize one market and product combination, then validate buyers, compliance, logistics, pricing, and continuity before making a commercial decision.

## Method

Reported trade observations and calculated indicators are shown separately. Validate buyers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and competition before acting.

Yugalinks presents derived views for research and planning. [Read the full methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology).

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) - [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) - [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) - [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.