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CNY/ZMW - Live Chart & Exchange Rate

1 CNY = 2.9351 ZMW

Indicative rate, updated 7 hours ago. Not a live dealing rate - confirm with your broker before trading.

CNY/ZMW Sentiment Gauge

A live technical-analysis reading for CNY/ZMW, from Strong Sell to Strong Buy, updated automatically by TradingView. Forex has no reliable, freely-published Fear & Greed Index the way stocks or crypto do, so this momentum-based gauge is shown instead.

CNY/ZMW shows how many Zambian Kwacha one Chinese Yuan buys. It's driven by copper export earnings, Bank of Zambia policy and inflation, alongside the Chinese Yuan's own trend against the Dollar.

Rates shown here are indicative only, sourced periodically rather than streamed live. Confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before converting funds or opening a trade.

CNY/ZMW Key Statistics

Latest

2.9123

25 Sep 2026

Highest since Mar 2024

3.9864

26 Mar 2025

Lowest since Mar 2024

2.6258

17 Jun 2026

12-month average

2.8986

2.6258 – 3.3571

30 days: +2.56% 90 days: +9.40% 1 year: -12.21%

Over the past year CNY/ZMW has fallen 12.21%, meaning the CNY has weakened against the ZMW. In the last 30 days it has moved up 2.56%. Across the last 12 months it traded between 2.6258 and 3.3571. Its highest level in the data window (since March 2024) was 3.9864 on 26 Mar 2025, and its lowest was 2.6258 on 17 Jun 2026.

Based on weekly data from 6 Mar 2024 to 25 Sep 2026. Source: Weekly rate snapshots (currency-api). A rising rate means the CNY is strengthening against the ZMW. Past performance does not predict future results.

What Moves CNY/ZMW

A pair's price is one currency's value measured against another, so the economy behind each side matters.

Chinese Yuan (Renminbi) (CNY)

China · People's Bank of China (PBoC) · Managed float (daily fixing with a trading band)

The Yuan is the currency of the world's largest exporter and second-largest economy. It is tightly managed: the PBoC sets a daily reference rate and allows trading within a band around it.

Major contributors to the economy

  • Manufacturing and exports
  • Construction and property
  • Technology and electronics
  • Services
  • Infrastructure investment

Key factors

  • PBoC daily fixing and policy. The central bank guides the currency through its daily fixing and by adjusting monetary policy.
  • US–China trade relations. Tariffs and trade tensions can pressure the Yuan.
  • Chinese growth and property sector. Growth data and stress in the property sector influence capital flows.
  • Capital controls and flows. Restrictions on capital movement limit volatility but shape how the currency reacts.

Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

Zambia · Bank of Zambia (BoZ) · Managed float

Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer and one of its most commodity-dependent economies. The Kwacha is a freely floating currency in principle, but the Bank of Zambia intervenes to smooth volatility, and the currency trades thinly, so moves can be sharp.

Major contributors to the economy

  • Copper mining (the overwhelming majority of export earnings)
  • Cobalt, gold, manganese and emeralds
  • Agriculture (maize, soya, tobacco, sugar)
  • Hydropower and energy
  • Tourism (Victoria Falls, national parks)
  • Construction, retail and financial services

Key factors

  • Copper prices. Copper is by far Zambia's largest export, priced in US Dollars on the London Metal Exchange. Higher copper means more Dollar inflows and generally a firmer Kwacha; a copper slump does the opposite.
  • US Dollar strength and global risk appetite. A stronger Dollar or a risk-off mood pulls capital out of frontier markets and pressures the Kwacha, regardless of local news.
  • Debt restructuring and IMF programme. Zambia defaulted on its external debt in 2020. Progress on restructuring with official and private creditors and on the IMF-backed programme strongly influences investor confidence and Dollar supply.
  • Rainfall, hydropower and agriculture. Zambia relies heavily on hydropower. Drought cuts electricity output (raising costs and load-shedding), hits maize harvests, reduces mining output and increases the need for imported energy and food, all of which weigh on the Kwacha.
  • Inflation and Bank of Zambia policy. The Bank of Zambia's policy rate, reserve requirements and foreign-exchange interventions directly affect Kwacha liquidity and the pace of depreciation or appreciation.
  • Fiscal policy and elections. Government borrowing, mining royalty changes and election cycles have historically produced sharp Kwacha moves as investors reprice policy risk.
  • Demand from China. China is the largest buyer of Zambian copper (much of it refined at Chinese smelters) and a major lender, so Chinese industrial demand and credit conditions feed straight into the Kwacha.

How CNY and ZMW Interact

CNY/ZMW is effectively a two-step rate: it combines the Chinese Yuan (Renminbi)'s value against the US Dollar with the Kwacha's value against the US Dollar. A move in either leg, or in both, changes CNY/ZMW.

Copper is the key common thread. Because it is priced in Dollars and Zambia depends on it for most export revenue, rising copper tends to strengthen the Kwacha, while falling copper tends to weaken it. Chinese demand (China buys most of the world's refined copper) is therefore an important background driver.

The Zambian Kwacha is an emerging or frontier-market currency. Compared with a major reserve currency, its market is thinner, so shifts in global risk appetite, Dollar liquidity and capital flows can move it faster and further than fundamentals alone would suggest.

Central-bank policy matters on both sides: the People's Bank of China (PBoC) and the Bank of Zambia (BoZ). When one of them is expected to keep interest rates higher than the other, that currency usually attracts capital and strengthens; a narrowing gap tends to reverse the move.

Markets to Watch

  • Copper CNY

    Chinese demand is a key driver of copper, which links the Yuan to Zambia

  • Chinese equities CNY

    Sentiment on Chinese assets affects Yuan flows

  • LME copper ZMW

    Usually moves with the Kwacha: rising copper tends to strengthen it

  • US Dollar Index (DXY) ZMW

    Usually inverse: a stronger Dollar tends to weaken the Kwacha

  • Chinese manufacturing PMI ZMW

    A gauge of copper demand from Zambia's largest buyer

  • Zambia Eurobond yields ZMW

    Reflect investor confidence in debt sustainability

Events & Data to Follow

  • CNY PBoC daily fixing
  • CNY China PMI and trade data
  • CNY Politburo economic meetings
  • ZMW Bank of Zambia Monetary Policy Committee meetings
  • ZMW Zambia Statistics Agency inflation release (monthly)
  • ZMW Mining royalty and budget announcements
  • ZMW Rainy-season reports (Nov–Apr) and Kariba water levels

Historical Milestones

  1. 2005 CNY

    China ended its strict peg to the US Dollar and moved to a managed float.

  2. 2013 ZMW

    The Kwacha was rebased, with 1,000 old kwacha (ZMK) replaced by 1 new kwacha (ZMW).

  3. 2015 CNY

    A surprise devaluation of the daily fixing rattled global markets.

  4. 2015 ZMW

    A copper price slump, power shortages and fiscal slippage triggered a sharp Kwacha depreciation.

  5. 2019 CNY

    Trade-war escalation pushed USD/CNY above 7.0 for the first time in over a decade.

  6. 2020 ZMW

    Zambia became the first African country to default during the COVID-19 period, and the Kwacha fell to record lows against the Dollar at the time.

  7. 2021 ZMW

    A peaceful change of government and hopes of IMF support sparked a strong Kwacha rally.

  8. 2023 ZMW

    Debt restructuring agreements with official creditors progressed, alongside a severe drought that hit power generation and the Kwacha.

  9. 2024 ZMW

    Drought-driven load-shedding and a bondholder restructuring deal shaped sentiment, and the Kwacha weakened towards historic lows.

  10. 2025–26 ZMW

    After touching its weakest level in our rate data in March 2025, the Kwacha staged a strong recovery against the US Dollar over the following year.

Why CNY/ZMW Matters to Zambian Traders

CNY/ZMW is a direct Kwacha rate, so it shows what Zambian importers, students, travellers and traders actually pay or receive when converting to or from the CNY. Most international retail brokers don't list Kwacha pairs, so traders normally trade Dollar-based pairs and use this rate to understand deposit and withdrawal costs.

Compare brokers offering these pairs →

Risks & Trading Hours

  • Policy-driven moves can be abrupt. (CNY)
  • Trade-tension headlines. (CNY)
  • Thin liquidity means the Kwacha can gap sharply on news. (ZMW)
  • Heavy dependence on a single export makes it vulnerable to copper price shocks. (ZMW)
  • Drought, power shortages and debt-service pressures can quickly change sentiment. (ZMW)

Most active: Asian session • Lusaka business hours, then the London and New York sessions

CNY/ZMW FAQ

What is the current CNY/ZMW exchange rate? +

1 CNY is worth about 2.9351 ZMW (indicative, updated 7 hours ago). Always confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before you convert or trade.

What is the all-time high and low of CNY/ZMW? +

In the data we track (since 6 Mar 2024), CNY/ZMW peaked at 3.9864 on 26 Mar 2025 and bottomed at 2.6258 on 17 Jun 2026.

What moves the CNY/ZMW exchange rate? +

CNY/ZMW is influenced by the relative strength of the Chinese Yuan (Renminbi) and the Zambian Kwacha. Key factors include: PBoC daily fixing and policy, US–China trade relations, Copper prices, US Dollar strength and global risk appetite. See the sections above for the full list.

When is the best time to trade CNY/ZMW? +

Activity and liquidity are typically highest during: Asian session • Lusaka business hours, then the London and New York sessions. Spreads are usually tighter when the relevant markets are open.

Is CNY/ZMW good for beginners? +

CNY/ZMW can be more volatile or carry wider spreads than the major pairs, so it usually suits experienced traders better. If you are new, start with a demo account and a major pair. Trading forex carries a high risk of loss.

This page is educational and is not investment advice. Rates, statistics and commentary are indicative and may contain errors or be out of date. Forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of loss.