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TAAG opens Lusaka freighter route as Zambia's copper boom puts air cargo back in focus. 1 September 2026 Estimated reading time: 4 minutes TAAG Angola Airlines has launched a weekly dedicated freighter service between Luanda and Lusaka, giving Zambia new main deck cargo capacity as rising mining investment and stronger African air freight demand increase the country's importance to regional logistics networks. The service began on July 24 using a Boeing 737-800 freighter. The inaugural flight carried 12.8 tonnes of high value cargo originating in Amsterdam, including machinery parts, information technology equipment and personal effects. The route forms part of TAAG's North South logistics corridor and is intended to connect Zambia with cargo flows originating in Europe, China and Brazil through Luanda. NAC2000 is supporting the operation in Zambia as cargo and ramp handler and general sales agent. The development gives forwarders another option for moving time critical industrial and mining cargo into a landlocked economy that is seeking to sharply increase copper production and attract investment into domestic processing. Copper investment strengthens the cargo case. Zambia produced 890,346 tonnes of copper in 2025 and is targeting annual production of 3 million tonnes by 2031. Meeting that target would require substantial investment in mines, processing facilities, power infrastructure and supporting logistics. More than $10 billion in mining investment has been announced or committed since 2021. Among the projects is the planned expansion of Barrick's Lumwana operation, while KoBold Metals is developing the Mingomba copper project with anticipated investment of about $2.3 billion to $2.5 billion. Such projects generate demand for logistics well beyond copper exports. Mines require spare parts, electrical equipment, electronics, machinery and other high value components, some of which are suited to air freight when production schedules make transit time critical. Zambia's government is simultaneously seeking greater domestic mineral processing. That could gradually alter logistics patterns by increasing imports of manufacturing and processing equipment while creating higher value exports. The government has also extended the suspension of a 10% export duty on copper concentrates until September 30 because of maintenance and technical problems at domestic smelters. The exemption covers 271,742 tonnes, including allocations for Mopani Copper Mines, Barrick's Lumwana operation and First Quantum Minerals. Lusaka gains capacity as African cargo demand rises. The TAAG service comes as African air freight is outperforming most other regions. African airlines recorded a 13.3% year on year increase in cargo tonne kilometres in May, according to industry data, the strongest growth of any region. Africa nevertheless accounted for only 2.1% of global air cargo traffic, leaving significant room for network development. Lusaka already has substantial international belly capacity. Emirates operates Boeing 777 passenger services through Lusaka and Harare, with the aircraft able to provide up to 23 tonnes of belly hold cargo capacity per flight. Typical flows include vegetables and flowers on the export side and pharmaceuticals and mining equipment inbound. Claims that Emirates has launched a weekly dedicated Boeing 777 freighter operation to Lusaka in 2026 could not be independently confirmed and should not be treated as established. The broader Emirates SkyCargo expansion is confirmed. The carrier has been adding Boeing 777 freighters during 2026 and is working toward a substantially larger freighter operation as additional aircraft enter service. Zambia has also invested in airport cargo infrastructure, including facilities at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport serving Ndola and the Copperbelt. For TAAG, Lusaka expands an African freighter network that already connects Luanda with major commercial centres including Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Accra and Kinshasa. The carrier has positioned Luanda as a transfer point linking international cargo with markets across the continent. The test will now be whether Zambia's mining investment and industrial expansion can generate sustained two way loads. For forwarders, the arrival of dedicated freighter capacity provides another route for cargo that cannot wait for conventional surface transport through Southern Africa. 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From copper to gold and cobalt, these companies are driving Africa's next wave of mining investment. Language: en Date: 2026-07-14 09:00:09 With billions of dollars being invested in new mines, exploration programs and mineral processing facilities, African Mining Week 2026 will bring together industry leaders - including KoBold Metals, Makor Resources, Buenassa, Typhoon Greenfield Development and Gold Ore - to showcase the projects advancing Africa's mining sector CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 14, 2026/APO Group/ - Africa's mining sector is entering a new investment cycle as producers accelerate exploration, develop new mines and expand mineral processing capacity to meet rising global demand for strategic minerals. Across the continent, billions of dollars are being deployed into projects designed to increase production, strengthen value addition and position African countries as more competitive players in global mineral supply chains. Against this backdrop, African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 - The Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa - will bring together the companies leading these investments to discuss the projects, partnerships and financing shaping Africa's next generation of mining development. Taking place in Cape Town from October 14-16, the event will feature producers advancing major projects across Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and South Africa. Among the companies leading this momentum is KoBold Metals, which broke ground on its $2 billion Mingomba Copper Project in Zambia in May 2026 - one of the country's largest new mining developments. Expected to produce 300,000 tons of copper annually once operational in the early 2030s, the project supports Zambia's ambition of increasing national copper production to three million tons per year by 2031. Beyond mine development, the company is deploying artificial intelligence and advanced geological modelling to accelerate mineral discovery across the DRC and Burundi. At AMW 2026, Mfikeyi Makayi, CEO of KoBold Metals, will discuss how technology-driven exploration is reshaping mineral discovery and accelerating Africa's next generation of mining projects. Also contributing to Zambia's expanding copper pipeline is Makor Resources, which is advancing exploration at the Muli and Kangili copper projects. As producers seek to replenish future supply through new discoveries, Brooke Bibeault, CEO of Makor Resources, will outline the company's $30 million investment strategy and its contribution to strengthening Zambia's position as Africa's second-largest copper producer. Elsewhere on the continent, Buenassa is supporting the DRC's push to capture greater value from its mineral resources through domestic processing. Eddy Kioni, CEO of Buenassa, will showcase the company's integrated mining and mineral processing strategy, including the development of a multi-metal processing facility in Lualaba Province. Currently in its feasibility stage, the refinery project will produce 30,000 tons of LME-grade copper cathode and 5,000 tons of cobalt contained (cobalt metal with optionality for sulphate) per annum, during phase 1. Later stages of the project will expand capacity to up to 120,000 tons of copper and 20,000 tons of cobalt contained (cobalt metal with optionality for sulphate) in subsequent phases. In Ghana, Typhoon Greenfield Development is focused on strengthening the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. Kwaku Afrifa Nsiah-Asare, CEO of Typhoon Greenfield Development, will discuss best practices for formalizing artisanal mining, attracting private investment and increasing production in one of Africa's leading gold-producing nations. Meanwhile, Sean Meadon, Senior Geologist at South African producer Gold Ore, will highlight the company's Turnbridge underground and New Kleinfontein opencast projects, which aim to support the revitalization of South Africa's gold sector. With first production targeted in 2026, the projects align with broader efforts to expand domestic output and capitalize on sustained strong gold prices. By bringing together producers, governments, investors and technology providers, AMW 2026 will explore the partnerships, financing and innovation required to translate Africa's abundant mineral resources into long-term economic growth and industrial development. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.