National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile waves at supporters as he leaves Hot FM radio station studios in Lusaka, on August 12, 2026. A lawyer by profession, Mundubile emerged as Zambia's main opposition challenger after a fractured anti-government camp rallied around him through the Tonse Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties seeking to defeat Hichilema. The 55-year-old was a close ally of the late Lungu and served as a minister under his administration. Zambians vote on August 13 in a closely watched presidential election that will test whether recent economic gains can offset frustration over the high cost of living in one of Africa's most stable democracies.
Zambians went to the polls Thursday with economic hardship testing President Hakainde Hichilema's record as he seeks a second term to govern the copper-rich nation.
Polling stations in the southern African nation opened at 6am and were due to close 12 hours later, with 8.7 million voters registered to cast their ballots.
Long regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies, the country has come under scrutiny over concerns that Hichilema's government has narrowed the space for dissent even as it promises stronger economic recovery.
