186pp., paperback, Penguin Books, Cape Town, 2026
ISBN: 9781776393503
Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema's account of what it takes to turn around a struggling economy and restore trust in government. Part political memoir, part reform playbook, this is a reflection on leadership under pressure, and the real-world consequences of policy decisions.
Drawing in his own experience – from rural beginnings and a career in business to repeated electoral defeats, imprisonment, and eventual victory in 2021 – he discusses the challenges of rebuilding trust, restoring economic stability, and creating jobs in a rapidly changing global environment. He also looks forward, examining the opportunities presented by critical minerals, regional trade, agriculture and tourism, and what African countries must do to compete in a changing global economy, arguing throughout that growth, not redistribution, is the only sustainable path to jobs and improved living standards.
Hakainde Hichilema is the seventh president of the Republic of Zambia, elected in August 2021, after having served as leader of the United Party for National Development since 2006.