For 25 Zambian businesses in Kalumbila, getting closer to the mining industry is no longer simply about winning a contract. It is about building the capacity to compete for one.

FQM Trident Limited has onboarded its first cohort of 25 local suppliers under a new Supplier Development Programme designed to strengthen the businesses, systems and capabilities needed to participate more effectively in the mining value chain.

The programme brings together FQM Trident, the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission, Prospero and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

The initiative comes as Zambia places greater emphasis on local content and increased participation of Zambian businesses in mining, with the programme being implemented in line with Statutory Instrument No. 68 of 2025.

Rather than treating local participation purely as a regulatory requirement, the programme is structured around the practical weaknesses that can prevent smaller businesses from competing for mining opportunities. Each participating company will receive a tailored Supplier Development Plan, supported by subject matter experts who will work with businesses on their individual needs and growth opportunities.

The bigger test will be whether these 25 businesses can eventually translate development support into contracts, jobs, stronger balance sheets and businesses capable of competing beyond the mine gate. FQM says the programme is intended to build a more competitive and sustainable local supplier base, while its wider supplier development efforts have already trained 1,460 local entrepreneurs and provided more than ZMW11 million in returnable grants to small enterprises.

For Zambia’s mining economy, the real measure of local content will ultimately be whether more value remains within the country and whether local companies can grow alongside the mines rather than simply supply them from the sidelines