Zambia Advised to Boost Emerald Value

Jerry Chitube of Botswana’s Presidential Projects Advisory Team urged Zambia to process its emeralds locally to boost jobs and income. Speaking at ZAMII 2025, he proposed gemstone parks in Lusaka and the Copperbelt for cutting, polishing, and certification. Chitube highlighted the ICTAS system to track stones from mine to market and called for regional collaboration and financial support to ensure Zambians capture more value from their mineral resources.