Industry Guide: Education Employment in Lusaka
An overview of the employment landscape, key hiring entities, and core professional pathways within the early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary education sectors of Zambia’s capital.
1. Types of Jobs Available
- Primary & Secondary School Teachers: Subject-specific or general classroom educators responsible for lesson planning, delivering curriculum content, and evaluating student progress.
- Lecturers & Tutors (Tertiary): Academic professionals in universities and colleges who conduct lectures, grade research papers, and lead academic departments.
- School Administrators & Principals: Leadership roles tasked with school operations, managing teaching staff, financial budgeting, and ensuring compliance with national education standards.
- Early Childhood Educators (ECE): Specialized teachers focused on foundational social, physical, and cognitive development for children before primary school entry.
- Special Education Teachers: Educators trained to design and adapt curricula for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (LSEND).
- Vocational & Technical Instructors: Hands-on trainers at TEVET (Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training) institutions teaching trades like mechanics, IT, and electrical engineering.
2. Key Hiring Entities in Lusaka
| Hiring Entity | Focus Area | Key Campuses / Location |
| Government Public Schools | Primary and secondary public education operating under the Free Education Policy | Spread across all districts of Lusaka |
| The University of Zambia (UNZA) | The country’s premier public university offering extensive undergraduate and postgraduate programs | Great East Road Campus, Lusaka |
| International & Private Schools (e.g., AISL, ISL, Lusaka International Community School) | Premium private education offering international curricula (IGCSE, International Baccalaureate) | Kabulonga / Roma / Mass Media, Lusaka |
| Evelyn Hone College / NORTEC | Applied arts, commerce, sciences, and vocational TEVET training | Church Road, Lusaka |
| Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU) | Specialized public medical training, clinical medicine, and healthcare sciences | Great East Road, Lusaka |
| Private Universities (e.g., Cavendish, ZCAS University) | Business, law, ICT, and social science degrees | CBD / Mass Media, Lusaka |
3. Essential Recruitment & Hiring Information
- The Recruitment Process: Government hiring is centralized through recruitment drives managed by the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Commission. Private and international schools recruit independently, prioritizing demo lessons (where candidates teach a live class as part of the interview), curriculum familiarity, and robust references.
- Legal & Professional Mandate: Under the Teaching Profession Act No. 5 of 2013, it is a strict legal requirement for all teachers in Zambia (both public and private sectors, excluding university lecturers) to be registered and licensed by the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ). Practicing without a valid TCZ certificate is a punishable offense for both the individual and the hiring institution.
- Qualifications and Entry: To teach at the primary school level, a minimum of a Diploma in Primary Education is required. Secondary school teaching typically demands a Bachelor’s Degree in Education with double major teaching subjects. To lecture at the tertiary level, institutions require a minimum of a Master’s Degree (and increasingly a PhD) in the relevant academic field, aligned with the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA) guidelines.