Kitwe - The Hub
of the Copperbelt
Sixty four kilometres west of Ndola is Kitwe, the hub of the Copperbelt and
the principle industrial and commercial centre of the area. The city owes
its existence to
the copper mining industry but a considerable number of
secondary industries have been established. Planned on modern lines, Kitwe
has a large shopping area with hotels, a cinema and theatre.
With the upsurge of copper prices in the 1950’s Kitwe developed from a small township to the second largest city in Zambia, obtaining city status in 1966. It then developed as an industrial and commercial area and later an important agricultural area. The good central position of the city in the Copperbelt area made it the most popular choice for industrial developers. Other industries include furniture manufacturing, batteries, clothing, asbestos and cement production, consumer goods manufacturing among others. Kitwe also has three well equipped hospitals.
Sightseeing
Kitwe is largely undeveloped as a tourist town, due to the
focus
on mining and industry, but nonetheless is blessed with beautiful
scenery and has two big rivers within its boundaries.
Mindolo dam, about seven kilometres to the Southwest of
the city centre along Kalulushi rd, has a boating club, swimming pool and
bar. If you travel down Obote Ave, you’ll find the
market
place where there is
a fairly large curio stall selling a wide variety of copper items and other
Zambian arts and crafts. Definitely worth a visit if you’re passing through.
Makwera Falls and Lake is about 9 kilometres off the
Kitwe-Ndola dual carriageway. The lake is a centre for fish farming. The
falls are small but quite picturesque as they tumble from a small river over
a wider rocky outcrop before settling in a shimmering pool on the rock
basement. If one has an interest in mining it is possible to visit the
mines and take a
tour down one of the shafts. Enquire at the ZCCM head office.