Stand on the edge of the Nkana Oxide Cap and the scale of Kitwe's mining heritage is immediate: open pits, shaft headgear and the plant that treats cobalt concentrates sit barely a kilometre from the city centre. This is a working Copperbelt city, not a resort town, and its appeal lies in that industry, in its green edges and in the wildlife sanctuaries within reach of the T3 highway.
Kitwe suits travellers who are passing through the Copperbelt on the road or rail corridor between Ndola and Chingola, or who are based here for work and want to use their free days well. It also suits birdwatchers and anyone interested in seeing chimpanzees in a sanctuary setting rather than a zoo.
This guide covers the sights and experiences the sources describe for Kitwe and its surroundings, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Kitwe
1. Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage
Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage lies about 110 km northwest of Kitwe via the T5, past Chingola, and there could be around 130 chimps living at the sanctuary. You can try to see them during feeding time, or at any time with a guide.
It is open 09:00-15:00 daily and the contact number is +260 975519881. Allow about two hours from Kitwe to get there, so plan it as a full-day outing rather than a quick stop.
2. Chembe Bird Sanctuary
Chembe Bird Sanctuary is about 28 km west of Kitwe off the M18. It might be a good opportunity for spotting birds, which are paradoxically more prevalent during the hot season, or possibly waterbuck, monkeys, zebras and tortoises. There may also be a chance to fish.
Watch out for mosquitoes, as this region is a malaria zone. Take repellent and cover up, especially around dusk.
3. Mopani Copper Mines Nkana Cobalt Plant
The Nkana Cobalt Plant is one of Africa's largest mines and sits 1 km southwest of the Kitwe city centre, close enough to combine with time in town. The plant treats cobalt concentrates to produce high purity cobalt metal.
At Nkana, copper and cobalt ore is produced from five sources: four underground mines — Mindola North Shaft, Mindola Sub Vertical Shaft, Central Shaft and South Ore Body (SOB) Shaft — and open pits across the Nkana Oxide Cap. Nkana cobalt mine is the deepest mine on the Zambian Copperbelt, with two shafts below 1,300 metres and three open pits.
4. Konkola Copper Mines Copper Refining Plant
Konkola Copper Mines operates a copper refining plant in Kitwe, one of the mining operations based in the city. It is worth including if you are following the copper trail through the Copperbelt and want to understand how the region's ore is processed.
Pair it with the other mining sites in and around the city rather than treating it as a standalone stop.
5. The Copperbelt University
The Copperbelt University is Zambia's second highest learning institution and is based in Kitwe. A walk through the campus gives a sense of the city's academic side, which sits alongside its mining and commercial role.
Combine a visit with time in the surrounding suburban areas, which include Nkana East, Nkana West and Parklands.
6. Kitwe's township and suburban areas
Kitwe is made up of townships and suburban areas including Parklands, Riverside, Buchi, Chimwemwe, Kwacha, Nkana East, Nkana West, Garneton, Ndeke, Miseshi, Wusakile, Mindolo, Chachacha and Race Course. Moving between them is the most direct way to see how the city is laid out around its mining base.
Use the T3 highway, which runs south-east to north-west through the city, as your main reference point when planning movements.
7. The railway line and Kitwe station area
Kitwe lies at the end of Zambia Railways passenger services from Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola, while freight lines continue to the mining towns to the north-west at Chingola and Chililabibwe and north to Mufulira. The town grew up around the railway, which reached it in 1937.
If you are arriving by rail, the station area is a natural first orientation point before heading into the city centre.
8. The M7 and M4 road routes
The M7 is a laterite road running west to Kalulushi and Kasempa, and the M4 connects Sabina, just north-west of Kitwe, with Mufulira and the Congo Pedicle to the north. These routes are useful if you are extending your trip beyond the city.
Check conditions before setting out on the laterite surface, and treat these as travel routes rather than attractions in themselves.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Mopani Copper Mines Nkana Cobalt Plant, 1 km southwest of the city centre, to see the mining operation that shaped Kitwe. From there, drive through the townships and suburbs — Nkana East, Nkana West and Parklands are convenient to the centre — to get a sense of how the city sits around its mines.
Afternoon: Head west off the M18 to Chembe Bird Sanctuary, about 28 km from Kitwe, for birdwatching and a chance of waterbuck, monkeys, zebras and tortoises. Take mosquito repellent, as this is a malaria zone.
Evening: Return to the city and spend time around the railway station area, the point from which Zambia Railways passenger services run to Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola. If you have a second day, save Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage for it, since the drive is about two hours each way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Kitwe?
Kitwe lies at the end of Zambia Railways passenger services from Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola. By road, the T3 highway runs south-east to north-west through the city, to Ndola in the south-east and to Chingola and Chililabibwe in the north-west. Southdowns Airport lies about 12 km south-west of the city but does not receive scheduled services; Ndola Airport, 50 km to the south-east, has regular commercial flights from Lusaka, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
When is the best time to visit Chembe Bird Sanctuary?
Birds are paradoxically more prevalent during the hot season. Whenever you go, be aware that the region is a malaria zone and take precautions against mosquitoes.
How long does it take to reach Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage?
About two hours from Kitwe. The sanctuary is roughly 110 km northwest of the city via the T5, past Chingola, and is open 09:00-15:00 daily.
What else is there to see around Kitwe's mining sites?
Beyond the Mopani Copper Mines Nkana Cobalt Plant and the Konkola Copper Mines Copper Refining Plant, Kitwe is the base for a number of mining operations, including EC Mining, Grizzly Mining, Kagem Mining Ltd, African Mining Consultants, Sandvik Mining and AAC Mining Executors Ltd.
Use this guide to sketch your route through Kitwe and the Copperbelt, then start planning around the railway timetable or the T3 highway and the sanctuary opening hours.