Kitwe: Markets, Crafts and Mwekera National Forest

Kitwe can be explored through two distinct themes: the historically documented markets and their craft production, and Mwekera National Forest, a large protected forest area. Together, they offer different perspectives on market life, work and landscape. When choosing your holiday rental in Kitwe, a simple priority can help: are you mainly interested in markets and local production, or would you rather plan your stay with a stronger focus on nature and protected areas?

Markets and Crafts in Kitwe

An August 2010 report lists Nakadoli, Buchi/Kamitondo, Ndeke and Chisokone as Kitwe’s four main markets. It describes Chisokone as one of the four most important markets and locates it in one of the central areas of the central business district (CBD). This places Chisokone more precisely within Kitwe’s market landscape, while the four names draw attention to several market areas.

The same report states that micro and small business owners in each of the four market areas made pots, hoes, axes, knives, braziers, and door and window frames, and offered welding services. This historical picture encompasses everyday items and tools as well as work on frames: the market areas emerge not only as places of trade, but also as places of work and production. If you are interested in local production, these activities give the names of the markets a concrete cultural and craft context.

Mwekera National Forest: A Protected Area Across Districts

Mwekera National Forest is a protected forest area of about 11,539 hectares in Copperbelt Province. It lies in the districts of Ndola and Kitwe and remains protected under Statutory Instrument No. 90 of 2015. Its size and location across two districts give the nature theme a different spatial scale from that of individual markets. Your holiday plans can therefore bring together different priorities: Kitwe’s market and craft history, and a large protected area spanning the districts of Kitwe and Ndola.

More Themes in the Wider Copperbelt Destination

The wider Copperbelt destination also has distinct regional themes. Lake Kashiba is a collapsed lake in Mpongwe. It is used for birdwatching, catch-and-release fishing, picnics, camping and swimming. This offers a different thematic perspective from Kitwe’s markets, with the lake and nature activities taking centre stage.

One cultural landmark in the Copperbelt is the Copperbelt Museum in Ndola, founded in 1962. It currently has three exhibition galleries covering geology, ethnography and children’s toys; exhibition details may change. The education department develops programs for museum visitors. The children’s toy gallery may also provide an interesting point of interest for younger travel companions. The museum thus brings together different themes without requiring you to focus on just one interest when planning your trip.

The wider Copperbelt also includes Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage, a chimpanzee sanctuary in Copperbelt Province, and Luanshya, the site of Zambia’s oldest copper mine. Alongside the lake and the museum, these offer a choice of different regional themes: conservation, landscape, culture and industrial history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kitwe, Chingola.

Back to the wider travel overview: Copperbelt.