A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Lusaka on August 13, 2026. [AFP]
Zambians cast their ballots Thursday in an election focused on economic hardship in the copper-rich nation, where President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term.
Long regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies, Zambia has come under scrutiny over concerns that Hichilema's government has narrowed the space for dissent, even as it promises stronger economic recovery.
"Zambians are frustrated, and this election is a 50-50; that is why we are all here early to make the change," said voter Mwiche Nalupumbwe, 26, among hundreds who braved the morning chill to queue at polling stations well before they opened at 6:00 am (0400 GMT).
"It hasn't been the easiest five years," the development sector worker told AFP.
Hichilema, 64, won a first five-year term in 2021 and is betting on job creation and an ambitious infrastructure drive to secure re-election.
While inflation fell to 6.8 per cent in April and the kwacha currency has strengthened, many face high food and energy costs. Unemployment stands at around 10 per cent.
The president's main challenger in a field of 13 other hopefuls is Brian Mundubile, a 55-year-old former minister in the Patriotic Front (PF) government that ruled from 2011 to 2021.