Polls open in Zambia presidential election as economic reforms tested

The vote will test if incumbent Hakainde Hichilema’s reforms are enough to overcome widespread frustration with living costs.Published On 13 Aug 202613 Aug 2026Polls have opened for Zambia’s presidential election, in which President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term.Zambians began voting on Thursday morning at 6am (04:00 GMT) in the race dominated by economic concerns.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Zambia to vote as economic hardship tests government reformslist 2 of 4Zambia delaying US deals over minerals and data demandslist 3 of 4Minerals for aid: Are new US health deals ‘exploiting’ African countries?list 4 of 4All the big elections to look out for in 2026end of listPolls are set to close 12 hours later, with 8.7 million people registered to cast their ballots.The vote will test whether economic reforms introduced by Hichilema’s government have been enough to overcome widespread concerns over a rising cost of living.More than 70 percent of Zambia’s 22 million people live on less than $3 a day, according to World Bank data.While inflation fell to 6.8 percent in April and the kwacha currency has strengthened, many still face high food and energy costs. Th...