Zambia has its answer. President Hakainde Hichilema is the winner of the 2026 Zambian elections, securing a second term after the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announced the final results early on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Hichilema beat challenger Brian Mundubile in an outright win, clearing the threshold needed to avoid a runoff. Below, we break down the numbers, the timeline of events, and everything else you need to know about Zambia Decides 2026.
| Winner | Hakainde Hichilema (UPND) |
| Result | Re-elected, second consecutive term |
| Runner-up | Brian Mundubile (NRPUP) |
| Hichilema’s votes | 2,965,326 (≈61.4%) |
| Mundubile’s votes | 1,856,217 (≈38%) |
| Winning margin | ≈1.1 million votes |
| Election date | August 13, 2026 |
| Result declared | August 18, 2026 |
| Runoff needed | No |
| Declared by | Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) |
Who Is the Winner of the 2026 Zambian Elections?
Hakainde Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), is the confirmed winner of the 2026 Zambian elections. The ECZ declared him president-elect after he won an outright majority of the vote, avoiding the need for a runoff.
His closest rival, Brian Mundubile, came in second. This was Mundubile’s first attempt at the presidency. Hichilema, by contrast, had run for the top job several times before finally winning in 2021, and this result gives him a second consecutive five-year term.
So, who is the president of Zambia now? The answer stays the same as before the vote: Hakainde Hichilema.
Zambia Election Results 2026: The Numbers Behind the Win
The table above has the headline figures. Here’s the context behind them.
Fourteen candidates were on the presidential ballot, but the twelve outside the top two shared only a small fraction of the vote between them, well under 2 percent combined. That’s why Hichilema and Mundubile’s shares add up to close to the full total.
The win also builds on his first term. Hichilema took the presidency in 2021 with 59.02 percent of the vote against then-incumbent Edgar Lungu. His 2026 share of roughly 61.4 percent is slightly higher, a sign his support held up despite five years of a difficult economy in Africa’s second-largest copper producer.
Turnout came in lower than the 2021 election, when nearly 70 percent of registered voters showed up. This year, turnout was closer to 56 percent.
Will There Be a Runoff?
No. Zambia’s constitution requires a presidential candidate to win more than 50 percent of valid votes to be declared the outright winner. Hichilema cleared that threshold comfortably, so there is no second-round vote.
Who Announces the Winner of the Presidential Election in Zambia?
This is one of the most searched questions during every Zambian election cycle, so it is worth answering clearly. The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is the body legally mandated to announce and declare the winner of the presidential election. The commission collects results from all polling stations and constituencies, verifies them at the National Election Results Centre in Lusaka, and then makes the official declaration.
In this election, ECZ chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis made the formal declaration, stating: “I therefore declare Hichilema Hakainde S to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia this 18th day of August, 2026.” No other institution, not the media, not political parties, has the legal authority to declare a winner in Zambia. Any numbers you see before that official declaration are provisional or from parallel counts run by parties or observers.
Zambia Elections 2026: A Timeline of How It Unfolded
For readers who followed Zambia’s elections live over the past week, here is how events played out.
Thursday, August 13: Zambians went to the polls to elect a president, members of parliament, and local councilors. More than 13,500 polling stations opened across the country, and early reports pointed to a peaceful voting day, though turnout was noticeably lower than in 2021.
Friday, August 14: Just a day after voting closed, the ECZ suspended vote counting. The commission cited attacks on polling officials and reports that marked ballot papers had been stolen from some polling stations. Riot police and army vehicles were deployed to parts of Lusaka, including the main tallying center. Opposition candidate Mundubile claimed his team had received troubling reports from several parts of the country and questioned the credibility of the process. Hichilema, for his part, urged Zambians to stay calm and patient.
Later that Friday: After reviewing the security situation, the ECZ resumed counting within hours. Officials said the unrest had been contained and affected only a small number of polling stations in Lusaka.
Saturday and Sunday, August 15-16: Results trickled in constituency by constituency. By Saturday night, results from 49 of Zambia’s 226 constituencies showed Hichilema ahead with just over 52 percent. By Sunday, with more than half the constituencies reporting, his lead had widened further, putting him firmly on track for an outright win.
Monday into Tuesday, August 17-18: With counting nearly complete, Hichilema’s advantage held steady. In the early hours of Tuesday, the ECZ made the final declaration, confirming him as the winner of the 2026 Zambian elections.
A few things happened alongside the official count that are worth separating out clearly. Arrests were made on election night, including some opposition figures, in an incident that involved gunfire. Mundubile said he had information about possible tampering with results forms at certain polling stations and called for an independent investigation, a claim Hichilema’s camp rejected. International observer teams, including missions from the EU and SADC, also raised concerns about the broader campaign environment and the brief suspension of counting.
None of that changes the official outcome. The declaration by the ECZ is the legally recognized result, and as of publication no formal challenge has altered it.
Who Was Leading in Zambia’s Elections Before the Final Count?
If you were tracking the Zambia elections 2026 update in real time, you likely saw Hichilema’s lead grow steadily rather than emerge all at once. Early figures released over the weekend already showed him ahead in most reporting constituencies, and that lead never really shifted. By the time counting wrapped up, the gap between him and Mundubile stood at more than 20 percentage points, a wide enough margin that few observers expected a late reversal.
How Many Constituencies Are in Zambia?
Zambia is divided into 226 constituencies for this election cycle, up from 156 in the 2021 general election. The jump reflects a redrawing of electoral boundaries ahead of the 2026 vote, creating new constituencies to keep pace with population growth. Each constituency elects a member of parliament, while presidential votes are tallied nationally across all of them to determine the overall winner.
Election Results 2026: What Happens Next
With the presidential result now official, attention shifts to parliamentary and local government outcomes, along with how Hichilema’s second term will address the economic concerns that shaped much of the campaign. Cost of living pressures and electricity shortages were recurring themes on the campaign trail, and voters in Africa’s second-largest copper producer will be watching closely to see whether his second-term agenda delivers relief where his first term fell short for many ordinary households.
Full assessments from the observer missions that raised concerns during the count, including the EU and SADC teams, are expected in the coming days and will factor into how the international community responds to the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Zambia elections 2026? Hakainde Hichilema won the 2026 Zambian presidential election with about 61.4 percent of the vote, defeating Brian Mundubile, who secured roughly 38 percent.
What was Hichilema’s winning margin? Hichilema beat Mundubile by roughly 1.1 million votes, 2,965,326 to 1,856,217.
How does this compare to Hichilema’s 2021 win? His vote share actually went up slightly. Hichilema won the presidency in 2021 with 59.02 percent of the vote; in 2026 he polled about 61.4 percent.
Will there be a runoff in Zambia’s 2026 election? No. Hichilema passed the constitutional threshold of more than 50 percent of valid votes, so he was declared the outright winner without a second round.
Who is the president of Zambia after the 2026 election? Hakainde Hichilema remains president of Zambia, having secured a second consecutive term.
Who announces Zambia’s election results? The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is the official body responsible for announcing and declaring election winners in the country.
When was the winner of Zambia’s 2026 election declared? The ECZ made the official declaration in the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, 2026, five days after polls closed on August 13.
Why was vote counting suspended in Zambia’s 2026 election? The ECZ suspended counting on August 14 after reports of violence against polling officials and the theft of marked ballot papers at some stations. Counting resumed the same day once the commission determined the security threat had been contained.
How many constituencies does Zambia have? Zambia currently has 226 constituencies, up from 156 in the previous general election.
Sources
- Electoral Commission of Zambia, official results portal
- Reuters: Zambia’s Hichilema wins second term in presidential election
- AP News: Zambia President Hichilema has been reelected for a second term
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