By The Zambian Economist Analyst

Zambia turns 62 today. On 24 October 1964, Northern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zambia. Today we honour the people who made that freedom possible and the generations who have built their lives under the Zambian flag.

A day to remember the people behind our freedom

The flag belongs to every Zambian. Independence is part of the family stories told by grandparents, the lessons children learn at school and the work people do each day to make a home here.

We remember Kenneth Kaunda and his fellow independence leaders. We also honour the women and men whose names are less widely known: those who organised meetings, sustained families during detention and kept the movement alive in towns and villages.

Our special edition includes profiles of Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula, Mainza Chona, Reuben Kamanga, Simon Kapwepwe, Julia Chikamoneka and Betty Kaunda. Their stories remind us how much collective effort sits behind a single date on the calendar.

What is inside today’s special edition?

• The road to independence: the struggle that brought a colony to the birth of a republic.
• Economic freedom: a discussion of ownership, livelihoods and the share of Zambia’s wealth that stays in Zambian hands.
• Heroes of the struggle: six profiles honouring the independence generation.
• Zambia’s presidents: a journey through the country’s leadership and economic choices since 1964.
• Numbers and milestones: a dated reference section for readers exploring Zambia’s development.
• Independence greetings: messages from the publication’s partners.

Building opportunity worthy of the flag

For an economic publication, Independence Day also invites a practical question: what should freedom make possible for the next generation?

For a farmer, that might mean a dependable buyer and the ability to invest in the next season. For a small manufacturer, it means reliable power and a fair chance to win orders. For a young person leaving school, it means a route into work that pays enough to build a life.

These are ambitions worth carrying beyond today’s celebrations. Businesses can help through training and opportunities for local suppliers. Public institutions can help through dependable services and careful use of public money. Citizens can take pride in the everyday work of caring for their communities and holding leaders to account.

Our recent feature, Our Independence, Our Shared Responsibility: Zambia at 62, explores that responsibility in daily life. Continue following our Business & Economy coverage for reporting on the decisions that shape livelihoods.

Read, keep and share the Independence Day edition

Today’s special publication is an invitation to remember where Zambia came from and discuss where we want it to go. Read it with your family, send the download link to a friend or keep a copy for later.

Read and download the ZE Independence Special Edition, 24 October 2026

To our readers in Zambia and across the diaspora: Happy 62nd Independence Day.

One Zambia, One Nation.

Historical reference: Office of the Historian: Zambia’s independence on 24 October 1964. Featured photograph: Independence Monument, Ndola, by Nkanduchabala / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped to 16:9 and converted to WebP. This is an archive photograph. The photograph retains its Creative Commons licence.

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