Business
Companies Act 10 of 2017 with PACRA registration and beneficial-ownership filing
The Companies Act 10 of 2017 replaced the 1994 Act and is administered by the Patents and Companies Registration Agency. It introduced mandatory beneficial-ownership disclosure, which matters in a mining economy, and the Corporate Insolvency Act 9 of 2017 separately provides business rescue.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — PACRA registers; the Commercial Division of the High Court hears company disputes.
- Deadline — Annual return: filed with PACRA within 90 days of the anniversary of incorporation
- Deadline — Beneficial ownership: notified on incorporation and on change
Governing law
- Companies Act 10 of 2017
- Corporate Insolvency Act 9 of 2017 — business rescue
- Mines and Minerals Development Act 11 of 2015
In practice
Zambia's company law is English-derived and its 2017 modernisation was driven substantially by transparency commitments around the copper sector, which is why beneficial-ownership registration is a statutory obligation rather than an administrative practice.