ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the background to the colonial economy in what was then called Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia). It also presents an analysis of the structure of the colonial economy established in Northern Rhodesia at that time. This is done to support the central argument that the colonial economy was not set for the benefit of Africans. The chapter provides a brief outline of the way people in the territory that came to be known as Northern Rhodesia organised economic activities before the start of colonial rule. It briefly discusses how people who lived in the territory we today refer to as Zambia organised and conducted various economic activities, ranging from blacksmithing, farming (crop and livestock), to collecting and gathering of wild fruits. The chapter shows that the colonial economy evolved from being agriculture-based to a copper mono economy during the early 1920s. A detailed analysis of the colonial economy in Northern Rhodesia, including the structure of the population, major economic activities, national output, labour supply, and investments, is presented in this chapter drawing from various sources. The chapter identifies some of the economic structural constraints evident from the way the economy was set up.
