Ndola - The Friendly City
An important commercial centre in Zambia, Ndola lies some 320 kilometers north of Lusaka. It is the gateway to the mineral producing region of the country. Like Lusaka, the development of Ndola has been rapid and extensive.
There
are many manufacturing industries here, including a major copper refinery.
Although copper is still Zambia’s largest foreign exchange earner and the
mainstay of the national economy, the city of Ndola has established itself
as a commercial and light industrial centre of considerable importance, as
well as being the junction and distribution centre for the Copperbelt
complex. The oil pipeline from Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania ends its 1700 km
journey at the Ndola refinery.
Modern factories, offices and shops line the Central Business District A big attraction in Ndola is the annual Zambia International Trade Fair in July. A number of newspapers and journals are printed in the city, two of which serve the country - the Times of Zambia and the Sunday Times.
Where to stay
The New Savoy and the Mukuba Hotels are the first choices for businessmen. The New Savoy is in the Town Centre and the Makuba is alongside the Showgrounds in the industrial area of the town. Naaznina Hotel and Chikumbi Motel are other cheaper options.
Sightseeing
Ndola is not big on
sightseeing options. If you do have time to kill in the city, try the
Copperbelt Museum in Buteko Ave, diagonally opposite the
New Savoy
Hotel. It has many interesting samples of the minerals found here as well as
cultural arts and crafts. It is unfortunate that the exhibits are squashed
into a small shop, but it’s still worth a visit. It also sells local curios
and copper items. Lake Chilengwa, lying about sixteen kilometres
southeast of Ndola is one of two sunken lakes found on the Copperbelt. The
other being the 100 meter deep Lake Kashiba, Further south on the
Kapiri Mposhi road. Both lakes have local cultural significance. The lakes
are formed by the collapse of surface rock into the underlying limestone.
Lake Kashiba offers basic camping facilities, safe swimming and good
birdwatching. Lake Chilengwa right on the Zairean border is considered to be
a security risk. Armed policemen found at the roadblock at Chiwala school
will accompany any visitors to the lake. The Dag Hammerskjold
Memorial
ten kilometres along the Ndola/Kitwe road commemorates the sight where the
United Nations Secretary General died in a plane crash during the Katanga
crisis in Zaire in 1961. Again, due to proximity to Zaire, caution must be
exercised when visiting the memorial.