Kitwe: Market Areas and Mwekera National Forest

Kitwe brings together two distinct themes: a market history shaped by craftsmanship and Mwekera National Forest, a large protected forest area in the districts of Kitwe and Ndola. The wider Copperbelt adds its own landscape and cultural themes.

Market Areas and Craftsmanship

A report on markets in Kitwe District listed Nakadoli, Buchi/Kamitondo, Ndeke and Chisokone as Kitwe’s four main markets. The August 2010 report counted Chisokone among the four most important markets and located it in one of the central areas of the central business district (CBD). For each of the four main market areas, the report described micro and small enterprises making pots, hoes, axes, knives, braziers, and door and window frames, as well as offering welding services.

These examples illustrate the range: pots and braziers are household items, while hoes, axes and knives are work tools. Door and window frames, along with welding services, add construction and metalworking to the picture.

Mwekera National Forest

Mwekera National Forest is a protected forest area of about 11,539 ha in Copperbelt Province, located in the districts of Ndola and Kitwe. It remains protected under Statutory Instrument No. 90 of 2015. Its extent across two districts gives it a different geographic scale from the individually named market areas. For getting oriented in Kitwe, local cultural and economic history thus comes together with a landscape connection at district level.

More Copperbelt Highlights

In the Copperbelt, the sunken lake Lake Kashiba is in Mpongwe. Activities there include birdwatching, catch-and-release fishing, picnicking, camping and swimming. The options range from nature observation to waterside recreation and time outdoors; Lake Kashiba thus adds a distinct regional highlight to Kitwe’s market and forest themes.

Another cultural site in the Copperbelt is the Copperbelt Museum in Ndola. Founded in 1962, it has three exhibition galleries: geology, ethnography and children’s toys. Its education department develops programs for museum visitors. The collection therefore ranges from natural and social topics to children’s toys. Exhibition details may change; check what is currently on display before visiting.

Other places in the Copperbelt have their own highlights: Luanshya is home to Zambia’s oldest copper mine. Chingola is home to Nchanga Golf Course. A permit from the mine office is required to tour the mine in Chingola; check the procedure directly with the office in advance.

Mindolo Dam is on Kalulushi Road, about 7 km southwest of Kitwe’s city center. It has a boating club, a swimming pool and a bar. Check the current status of these facilities before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Kitwe, Chingola.

For the broader travel overview: Copperbelt.