In August, Zambia signed what it claimed was one of the biggest bilateral investment pacts in its history - a 19bn memorandum of understanding with Qatar's Al Mansour Holdings.
The deal covers 11 economic sectors from mining and agriculture to energy, housing, finance, and telecommunications.
At face value, the numbers are staggering. Zambia's GDP in 2024 was 26.3bn, according to the World Bank. For a country still recovering from debt distress, 19bn of investment looks like a lifeline.