====== Zambia ======

**Region:** Southern Africa  
**Regional Economic Communities (REC):** COMESA · SADC  

→ [[https://iiag.online/locations/zm.html|View IIAG Country Statistics]]

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^ Indicator ^ Data ^
| **Governance (IIAG)** | Overall Governance score: 56.6 / 100 · Rank: 17th / 54 · [[https://iiag.online/locations/zm.html|View IIAG Country Statistics]] |

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===== PART 1 – HIGH-LEVEL COUNTRY MAPPING =====

==== Institutions and Stakeholder Database ====
(To be linked)

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==== REC Membership ====

  * COMESA  
  * SADC  

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==== Population size and size of the informal economy ====

(Content to be added)

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==== Nature of the legal system and ILO status ====

Zambia operates a **common law legal system** influenced by English law.

Zambia has been a member of the **International Labour Organization (ILO) since 1964** and participates in Decent Work Country Programme initiatives.

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==== Workers’ rights in human rights system, national labour law / social protection and scope of protection ====

Workers’ rights are governed through:

  * The Constitution  
  * Labour legislation  
  * Social protection frameworks  

Zambia has progressively expanded protections through labour and social security reforms, including measures aimed at extending coverage to informal workers.

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==== Existing laws, policy and regulatory initiatives for the protection of workers in the informal economy ====

Zambia adopts a **combined legislative and policy approach**:

  * Statutory regulation (e.g., domestic work, mining)  
  * Social protection expansion initiatives  
  * Informal sector inclusion programmes  

**Key initiatives include:**

  * **NAPSA – Extension of Coverage to the Informal Sector (ECIS)**  
    * Expands pension coverage to informal workers  

  * **SPIREWORK Project (Social Protection for Informal and Rural Economy Workers)**  
    * Supports social protection and livelihood resilience  

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===== PART 2 – SECTOR SPECIFIC REGULATION =====

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==== Domestic Work Sector ====

  * **Employment Code (Domestic Workers Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment) Order, 2023 (SI No. 49 of 2023)**  

  * **Workers’ Compensation (Domestic Workers) Regulations, 2021 (SI No. 13 of 2021)**  

  * **Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment (Domestic Workers) (Amendment) Order, 2018 (SI No. 69 of 2018)**  

  * **NAPSA – Extension of Coverage to the Informal Sector (ECIS)**  

These instruments provide:

  * Wage protections  
  * Conditions of employment  
  * Compensation coverage  
  * Access to social security mechanisms  

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==== Street Vendor ====

  * **NAPSA – Extension of Coverage to the Informal Sector (ECIS)**  

Provides a mechanism for extending pension and social protection coverage to informal traders.

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==== Waste Reclaiming ====

(Content to be added)

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==== Home working ====

(Content to be added)

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==== Gig Work and the Platform Economy ====

(Content to be added)

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==== Farm Work ====

  * **SPIREWORK Project (Social Protection for Informal and Rural Economy Workers)**  

Supports:

  * Rural livelihoods  
  * Social protection coverage  
  * Informal agricultural workers  

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==== The Mining Sector and Artisanal Mining ====

**Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2015 (No. 11 of 2015)**  

  * Defines artisanal mining as operations undertaken by citizens under a mining licence  
  * Requires licensing for:
    * Artisanal mining  
    * Small-scale mining  
    * Large-scale mining  

**Mines and Minerals Development (General) Regulations, 2016**

  * Provide further regulatory detail  

This framework formalises artisanal mining through licensing requirements.

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==== Taxi and Transport Sector (Gig-work/platform economy overlap) ====

(Content to be added)

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==== Cross-Border Informal Trade ====

(Content to be added)

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===== Sources / Links =====

  * IIAG – Zambia: https://iiag.online/locations/zm.html  
  * Employment Code (Domestic Workers Order), 2023  
  * Workers’ Compensation (Domestic Workers) Regulations, 2021  
  * Minimum Wages (Domestic Workers) Amendment Order, 2018  
  * NAPSA – ECIS Programme  
  * SPIREWORK Project  
  * Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2015  
  * Mines and Minerals Development Regulations, 2016  
  * ILO – Zambia Country Profile