Lusaka sits on a limestone plateau in south-central Zambia, connected by road, rail and commerce to the rest of the country. Once shaped by colonial planning and segregation, the city has grown into a restless post-independence capital where commerce, culture and ambition converge. This is a city where jacaranda trees line the streets, neighbourhoods are home to boutique hotels, glittering offices and elevated dining experiences, and sprawling golf estates have become venues of choice for high-tempo business meetings. At the core of it all, Lusaka is where business and leisure meet from sunup to sundown.
The morning begins with the din and clamour of Lusaka’s infamous traffic against the backdrop of well-appointed shopping malls and manicured office parks. The Quorum, an imposing yet extroverted structure along Kabulonga Road with large spans of glazing hinting at transparency, invites an early-morning business meeting. As Zambia’s first and most exclusive private business club, it brings professionals and entrepreneurs alike together beneath its concrete wings in search of conversation, connection and the next deal. The space is a masterclass in contemporary African interiors with bespoke furniture and Zambian art. With a state-of-the-art business centre, private meeting rooms, communal workstations, and private work pods with sleek curving screens, The Quorum houses some of Lusaka’s business elite. Stay the night, hold court in one of its eateries, or close the deal slowly on a balcony overlooking the city.
Not far off, on Leopard’s Hill Road, Latitude 15° is more demure and coy in manner. Its quiet, cream-coloured exterior, tucked at the end of a gravel drive, carefully conceals an oasis behind its reticent walls. Daylight streams through the interiors, bathing bespoke African art in an otherworldly glow, while the relaxed environment makes it suitable for high-impact collaboration. The hotel is also home to a private members’ club, The Other Side, and a co-working and meeting space, The Works. Latitude 15° beckons guests to work, stay and play. A morning on The Other Side may begin with time in the gym and a lap in the pool, before a board-level briefing at The Works. The delicate balance of wellness and business spaces demonstrates that high-level business requires equal parts exertion and reset.
Closer to Great East Road’s decentralised commercial corridor, a stone’s throw from Mulungushi International Conference Centre, sit the nodes of Acacia Park, Manda Hill, Arcades and East Park Mall. Between meetings, each node offers something distinct for the businessperson on the move. Surrounded by the imposing concrete and glass facades of four banks (FNB, UBA, Ecobank and Zanaco) and a smattering of office spaces, The Royal Dil is right on the pulse of afternoon business lunches. A Lusaka institution since 1993, it offers some of the best authentic Indian cuisine in a refined setting overlooking the lawns of the quiet business park, which carries a corporate air at all times of day. Glittering chandeliers, plush seating and private dining booths instil discretion and confidence, whatever the business.
Arcades Mall is the poster child of the metamorphosis from ugly duckling to graceful swan. It is now a sought-after venue with a plethora of restaurants and leisure spaces. The Dining Enclave is one of its newer additions, representing Lusaka’s changing face and culinary confidence. Its unique blend of international flavours in an elevated and ambient setting lends itself to intimate dinners and loosened-tie drinks. The menu includes contemporary salads such as the Orange and Chèvre Salad and global classics such as Belgian lamb chops.
For Lusaka’s elite, play can be just as deliberate as work. The Lusaka Golf Club, established in 1935, is a testament to that. Located in a prestigious neighbourhood, rubbing shoulders with the nearby State House, the club is a bridge between the past and the future. The green remains a staple for premier networking and a place where business deals are finalised over cold drinks after an afternoon in the sun.
For complete immersion in a five-star experience from meetings and accommodation to conference facilities and premier golf, Bonanza Golf Estate on the outskirts of Lusaka is where serious golfers find their stride. Nestled between swathes of farmland beyond the din of the urban sprawl, the estate unfurls like a green carpet beneath an endless sky. The estate offers a seamless connection between early-morning briefings at the conference centre, afternoon rounds on the green, deals shaped between drives, and an evening retreat at the neighbouring resort.
As the day winds down, the city’s skyline glitters and rooftops erupt into beacons of neon light. Neelkanth Sarovar Premiere is a five-star hotel that captures the city’s heartbeat from an 11th-floor vantage point. The rooftop Swirl Bar offers a sophisticated setting for after-work drinks and dinner. It is here that the city’s elite gather for intimate conversations and enjoy a variety of wines and cocktails. For the business traveller staying at the hotel, its central business district location makes navigating the city easier.
One of Lusaka’s most inviting outdoor experiences happens beneath jacaranda trees at Cantina. A Mexican-inspired bar and eatery, it showcases the city’s diverse culture and taste. This intimate but refined space is perfect for unwinding over artisanal cocktails, delicious Korean barbecue tacos, and spicy chicken wings. The music is low, the energy is vibrant, and conversations flow out of the restaurant into the courtyard. Cantina is where people gather to reset and dissect the week.
Throughout all of these spaces, there is a steady pulse of excitement as Lusaka continues to innovate and grow. Once known as a gateway destination to wildlife, Lusaka’s urbanisation has steadily reshaped it into a business destination that is both functional and aspirational. As the sun sets and rises again over the city, the rhythm of Lusaka continues with steady confidence: a reflection of a capital in motion, still defining its place on the continent.
