Zambia — books & literature

The story of Zambia

Long before it carried its modern name, the plateau between the Zambezi and Congo river basins was home to Bantu-speaking farming and iron-working peoples who arrived in waves from the first millennium CE onward, forming kingdoms such as the Bemba paramountcy and the Lozi (Barotse) kingdom on the Zambezi floodplain, still led today by a traditional ruler, the Litunga. Scottish missionary-explorer David Livingstone reached Mosi-oa-Tunya, 'the smoke that thunders', in 1855 and renamed it Victoria Falls, opening the region to European interest. Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company claimed the territory in the 1890s, and it became the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia, its copper deposits fuelling a mining economy built largely on African labour. Nationalist movements led by Kenneth Kaunda's United National Independence Party won self-rule, and on 24 October 1964 Northern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia, named for the Zambezi River, with Kaunda as its first president. After 27 years and a one-party interlude, multiparty democracy returned in 1991. Today Zambia is a stable, English-speaking democracy of more than 70 ethnic groups, still anchored by copper, agriculture, and the roar of Victoria Falls.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1600s-1800s

   Bantu-speaking peoples, including Bemba and Lozi ancestors, establish kingdoms across the plateau.

2. 1855

   David Livingstone becomes the first European to see Mosi-oa-Tunya, naming it Victoria Falls.

3. 1890s

   Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company claims the territory, later Northern Rhodesia.

4. 1924

   Northern Rhodesia becomes a formal British protectorate under Colonial Office rule.

5. 1953-1963

   Northern Rhodesia is part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

6. 1964

   Independence as Zambia on 24 October; Kenneth Kaunda becomes first president.

7. 1972

   Zambia becomes a one-party state under Kaunda and UNIP.

8. 1991

   Multiparty democracy restored; Frederick Chiluba elected president, ending Kaunda's 27-year rule.

9. 2013

   The Kwacha is rebased (1,000 old Kwacha = 1 new Kwacha) as part of currency reform.

Top 10 things to know about Zambia

1. Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), shared with Zimbabwe, is one of the largest waterfalls in the world.
2. Zambia borders eight countries, making it one of the most-bordered nations in Africa.
3. Copper mining has anchored the economy for over a century; Zambia is a major global copper producer.
4. The country is named after the Zambezi River, which forms much of its southern border.
5. Zambia entered the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as Northern Rhodesia and left as newly independent Zambia.
6. English is the official language, alongside more than 70 local languages including Bemba and Nyanja.
7. South Luangwa National Park is considered the birthplace of the walking safari.
8. The Lozi people still have a traditional monarch, the Litunga, on the Zambezi floodplain.
9. Kenneth Kaunda led Zambia to independence in 1964 and served as president for 27 years.
10. Nshima, a maize-meal staple eaten with a relish, is the Zambian national dish.

Famous people from Zambia

Say it in Zambia's language

Did you know?

• ★Zambia is the only country to have entered an Olympic Games as one nation (Northern Rhodesia) and left as another (Zambia) , at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
• ★Victoria Falls produces a spray visible for many kilometres, earning its local name Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders".
• ★Zambia shares its borders with eight neighbouring countries: Angola, DR Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.

Zambia culture

• The Kuomboka ceremony sees the Lozi king ferried by royal barge as the Zambezi floodplain rises each year.
• The Ncwala ceremony of the Ngoni people celebrates the first fruits of harvest with dance and tribute to the chief.
• Nshima, a thick maize porridge, is eaten daily with vegetable, meat, or fish relishes across the country.
• Kalindula, a guitar-and-percussion music genre rooted in traditional rhythms, remains a defining Zambian sound.

Why read Zambia's books

From Kenneth Kaunda's independence-era writing to Namwali Serpell's award-winning fiction, Zambia's authors carry a young nation's story of kingdoms, colonial rule, and a hard-won democracy onto the page.