By Gibson Zulu
The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has put decades of geological information online as the government seeks to close gaps in the country’s mineral mapping and make it easier to identify areas with potential mineral deposits.
According to Assistant Director for Regional Mapping in the Geological Survey Department (GSD) Chaanza Chifwepa only about 58 percent of Zambia has been covered by conventional geological mapping, leaving significant parts of the country without detailed field-based geological information.
At the same time, a separate high-resolution aerial geophysical survey, designed to provide a broader picture of the rocks beneath the country, had reached 94.2 percent completion at the time of his interview.
Chifwepa said improved geological information could help government, investors and miners better understand Zambia’s mineral potential, particularly as the country seeks to diversify beyond copper into minerals such as lithium, nickel, manganese, graphite and rare earth elements.
He was speaking during the Ministry of Mines Podcast on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.
Decades of records go digital
For years, much of Zambia’s geological information—including maps, exploration reports, geophysical records and geochemical results—was stored in paper archives.
“Much of that information was archival and in paper form,” Chifwepa said. “So what this digitisation programme helps us do is to protect these records from physical deterioration and makes it easier for you to be able to search and combine.”
The department has now digitised the records and created the GSD Digital Store, where approved geological maps, reports and historical exploration information can be accessed electronically.
“All of that scanned archival data and all this information is actually online,” Chifwepa said.
The digital store is expected to form part of a wider national geoscientific information system, which will eventually bring together geological, geochemical and geophysical information.
Chifwepa said putting the information into digital formats would also make it easier to analyse using emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“The more digital it is, the more usable, AI ready it is for actual interpretative type of work,” he said.
Mapping does not mean finding a mine
Chifwepa cautioned that geological mapping does not automatically mean commercially viable mineral deposits have been discovered.
Regional geological maps help scientists and exploration companies understand the types, ages and structures of rocks in different parts of the country and identify areas that warrant further investigation.
“By virtue of having mineral occurrences is not a guarantee that you have a resource,” he said.
Mining companies must still carry out detailed exploration, including soil sampling, geophysical investigations and drilling, before determining whether a mineral deposit exists in quantities that can be commercially mined.
The GSD’s role, Chifwepa said, is to provide the initial information that reduces uncertainty and helps investors decide where more detailed exploration may be worthwhile.
“Our information de-risks,” he said, describing geological information as an early stage in reducing exploration risk and attracting investment.
Aerial survey nearing completion
While conventional geological mapping stands at about 58 percent, Chifwepa said the country’s high-resolution aerial geophysical survey had reached 94.2 percent completion.
The survey uses aircraft-mounted equipment to measure physical properties of rocks beneath the surface, including magnetic, radiometric and gravity characteristics.
The current survey uses flight lines about 300 metres apart, compared with approximately one kilometre during earlier nationwide surveys conducted in the 1970s.
Once the aerial survey is completed, Chifwepa said the data will undergo quality checks, processing and interpretation before being used to identify areas requiring more detailed field mapping, sampling and ground surveys.
Potential benefit for small-scale miners
The department also hopes better access to geological information will help artisanal and small-scale miners, many of whom operate with limited knowledge of the geology beneath their mining areas.
Chifwepa said inadequate geological information can contribute to unsafe mining, poor mineral recovery, wasted investment and environmental damage.
The GSD can provide miners with geological assessments, geochemical and geophysical surveys, laboratory testing and mineral identification services.
“It allows the GSD to also operate on the ground while also providing advisory services,” he said.
Looking beyond copper
The mapping programme is also intended to improve Zambia’s understanding of minerals identified as critical or strategic under the country’s National Critical Minerals Strategy.
These include lithium, nickel, manganese, graphite, rare earth elements, tantalum and tungsten.
Chifwepa said the department’s priorities include completing and interpreting the aerial survey, expanding conventional geological mapping and strengthening the national geoscientific information system.
The information has uses beyond mining. Geological data can also assist with groundwater assessment, infrastructure development, environmental management and identifying hazards such as unstable ground and sinkholes.
Chifwepa said the broader objective was to ensure decisions about Zambia’s mineral resources are increasingly based on reliable geological evidence.
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