Chilemba Market

Updated June 11, 2025

Construction of Chilemba Market In Chingola 27 01 2019 – YouTube

## Chilemba Market, Chingola: Everyday Life in Zambia’s Copperbelt

Chilemba Market is a busy, growing marketplace in Chingola, a mining city in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. It sits in the wider Kapisha/Nchanga area of town, not far from the residential neighborhoods that surround Chingola’s copper operations. Online map listings place it within the City of Chingola, near the coordinates –12.5360599, 27.9043793.

For travelers, this isn’t a “souvenir mall.” It’s where traders, families, pupils from nearby schools, and commuters intersect—making it one of the clearest windows into daily life in Chingola.

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## Where You’re Standing: Chingola in Context

Chingola is part of Zambia’s Copperbelt, the country’s major copper-mining region. The city grew around the Nchanga Copper Mine, founded in the 1940s, and has since become a regional hub with a population of roughly 150–160k people.

A few key points about Chingola that matter for your visit to Chilemba Market:

– Mining town with greenery: Despite its industrial backbone, Chingola is known in Zambia for tree-lined suburbs and relatively high rainfall, which keeps the city surprisingly green. Tourism
– On a major trunk road: The T5 trunk road starts in Chingola and runs west toward Solwezi and on to the Jimbe border with Angola, making the city an important stop for long-distance traffic.
– Regional attractions: Within reach are the Nchanga open-cast mine (visits require advance permission), Nchanga Golf Course, and the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage about 60–65 km away—one of the world’s notable chimpanzee sanctuaries. Tourism

Chilemba Market serves this wider ecosystem: mine workers, small-scale farmers, informal traders, schoolchildren, and households that depend on it for daily supplies.

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## Why Chilemba Market Matters to the Community

### A “busy and expanding” market

Chilemba Market is consistently described as busy and still expanding, with traders and customers packed into a relatively compact footprint. for Kids

The UK charity Water for Kids worked with the Zambia Institute of Environmental Health on the Chilemba Market Project, which describes the market as “busy and expanding” and emphasizes its importance to nearby schools and the surrounding neighborhood. for Kids

### Safe water and sanitation: a quiet but crucial change

Before the Water for Kids project, Chilemba Market relied on a shallow well that supplied contaminated water. The project implemented several infrastructure upgrades: for Kids

– A borehole and elevated water tower
– A water kiosk where traders and local residents can buy treated water for a small fee
– Piped connections from the new water source to existing market toilet blocks and two nearby community primary schools
– Wash stands and standpipes outside the schools for drinking and cleaning

The charity reports that this now provides safer water and improved sanitation for: for Kids

– About 1,000 market traders
– Over 1,000 school pupils
– Residents in the surrounding community

For visitors, that investment in water and sanitation doesn’t just improve public health; it also makes the market a more comfortable place to spend time.

> Data note: The Water for Kids project page is actively maintained (site footer shows © 2025), but the works themselves date back several years. Conditions on the ground—like the exact number of traders or the state of specific facilities—may have evolved since the project was completed. for Kids

### Modernization and “New Chilemba Market”

The Chingola Municipal Council has also invested in physical improvements. In 2019, local reports noted the construction of a modern market at Chilemba at an estimated cost of K1.8 million, overseen by the council.

More recent community updates talk about a “New Chilemba Market” in Kapisha, Chingola, including posts advertising goods “at New Chilemba market Kapisha Chingola” and notices about solar lighting projects under the Chingola Municipal Council in the New Chilemba market area.

> Data note: These modernization references come primarily from social media posts and a 2019 construction report. They confirm that upgrades and solar lighting projects have been underway, but they don’t provide a complete, up-to-date picture of the market’s current layout or all facilities.

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## What to Expect at Chilemba Market

There is no single official stall map, but Chilemba fits comfortably within the pattern of many local markets across Zambia:

– The Zambia Travel Guide describes local markets as concentrating on fresh vegetables, fresh and dried fish, and both new and second-hand clothes, with many additional stalls selling small household items.

Given Chilemba Market’s role and the goods advertised in local posts about “New Chilemba Market,” you can realistically expect:

– Fresh produce: greens, tomatoes, onions, seasonal vegetables, and fruit brought in by nearby farmers
– Staples and dry goods: grain, beans, rice and bulk items sold by the bucket or “meda” (locally used for measure in some posts)
– Packed foods: basic groceries, cooking oil, sugar, and simple convenience products
– Clothing and everyday items: second-hand clothes, footwear, small household hardware, and basic electronics or accessories

Because this is a community market rather than a tourist craft center, don’t expect rows of carved souvenirs. The interest here is in seeing how a Copperbelt city feeds and clothes itself.

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## Practical Tips for Visiting Chilemba Market

The points below are based on general travel good practice and the information available about the market’s infrastructure and setting:

### 1. Money and payments

– Zambia is a cash-forward society outside of large supermarkets and malls. It is reasonable to assume that most Chilemba Market stalls operate on cash, with mobile money or cards only at a few better-established traders, if at all. This is consistent with how informal markets function across the country, although specific stall practices vary.

### 2. Hygiene and water

– The borehole-fed water system and water kiosk represent a significant improvement on the old shallow well, and toilets are now connected to this safer supply. for Kids
– Even with that upgrade, standard travel hygiene advice still applies: use hand sanitizer, and if you buy cut fruit or ready-to-eat food, consider your own comfort level with street food when it comes to risk.

### 3. Accessibility and inclusivity

– The market is primarily designed for local daily trade, not as an engineered tourist venue, so accessibility features may be limited. Surfaces can be uneven, and stall aisles narrow.
– If you or your companions have mobility or sensory needs, it’s sensible to approach with flexibility: consider how comfortable you are with crowded, sometimes noisy environments before committing to a long visit.

### 4. Photography and respect

– Chilemba is a working space for traders and a social hub for the surrounding community. Asking for permission before photographing people—especially children or individual stalls—is a good way to keep interactions respectful. This is consistent with widely recommended practice in Zambian markets.

### 5. Safety and personal belongings

– As in any crowded marketplace, keep valuables close to your body, avoid flashing large sums of cash, and be mindful when using your phone. These are general safety guidelines rather than a statement about crime levels at Chilemba specifically.

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## Getting There and Around

### By air and road

– Kasompe Airport (CGJ) serves Chingola and lies about 3 km southeast of the city in the suburb of Kasompe.
– From the city center, taxis and shared minibuses are the typical way to reach neighborhoods including Kapisha and the New Chilemba Market area, although the exact routes and fares change frequently and are usually agreed verbally.

### Within the Copperbelt and beyond

– Chingola is connected to other Copperbelt cities and northwest Zambia via the T5 trunk road, a key route toward Solwezi and the Jimbe border post with Angola.

For most travelers staying in town, Chilemba Market will be an intra-city journey rather than a long-distance trip—simply ask for “Chilemba Market in Kapisha” and confirm with your driver that you’re headed to the market, not just the residential area.

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## Combining Chilemba Market with Nearby Experiences

If you’re building a fuller Chingola itinerary, Chilemba Market pairs well with a few other Copperbelt experiences: Tourism

– Nchanga Golf Course: Frequently highlighted as one of Zambia’s more attractive and well-kept golf courses.
– Mine-related visits: With prior permission from the mine office, it is possible to arrange visits to the huge open-cast Nchanga mine, which gives a sense of the scale of copper extraction in the region.
– Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage: Around 60–65 km from Chingola, Chimfunshi is a important chimpanzee sanctuary along the Kafue River and a significant center for primate research and education.

Using Chilemba Market as a “real life” anchor, you can see both sides of the Copperbelt: the industrial and the everyday, plus a major conservation initiative if you extend your trip.

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## Final Checks and Data Caveats

Because Chilemba Market is primarily a local facility rather than a formal tourist attraction, much of the publicly available information comes from:

– Charitable project reports (Water for Kids)
– A 2019 local report on market construction costs
– Social media posts mentioning New Chilemba Market, local pricing, and solar lighting projects for Kids

These sources confirm:

– The market’s location in Chingola
– Its role as a busy and expanding trading hub
– The presence of improved water and sanitation infrastructure
– Ongoing modernization (new build, solar lights)

They do not provide:

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