Large mines and lush forests

Last month Endorphin Expeditions organised and operated the 2026 WhyAfrica Business Trip to Zambia for the first time.

By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions

The trip started in Zambia’s capital Lusaka, and we travelled overland to the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces of Zambia, close to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola.

The Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces form one of Africa’s most important mining and ecological corridors.

Here copper mines are surrounded by rich forest biodiversity and unique conservation areas.

Large copper mines

In the Copperbelt, long-established mining operations like Mopani Copper Mines have anchored Zambia’s position as one of the continent’s leading copper producers.

Further west, the North-Western Province has emerged as a new frontier of large-scale mining, driven by world-class deposits such as the Kansanshi Mine and the massive Lumwana Mine, both of which rank among Africa’s largest copper operations.

Not only about mining

But the region is not only about mining.

It also hosts exceptional ecological and tourism value. The lush miombo woodlands and river systems support high levels of biodiversity.

A standout conservation attraction is the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust close to Chingola in the Copperbelt Province, one of the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuaries, where rescued primates live in semi-wild conditions in large, forested enclosures.

These provinces illustrate a striking dual identity: a global powerhouse of copper production and a landscape of extraordinary conservation importance, where mining, communities and wilderness continue to intersect.

Travel with WhyAfrica

WhyAfrica’s sister company Endorphin Expeditions is a specialist tour operator focused on guided, niche, small-group road trips and expeditions across southern Africa.

Endorphin Expeditions combine overland travel through Africa with information, business intelligence, education, project site visits, interviews, insights, interpretation, adventure and endurance.

Image: Our visit to Kansanshi copper mine in the North-Western Province. Image credit: Leon Louw for WhyAfrica

Large mines and lush forests