Mansa is the capital of the Luapula Province of Zambia and serves as the headquarters of Mansa District. The town derives its name from Chief Mansa and the Mansa River, a small watercourse flowing westward towards the Luapula River.
Location of Mansa in Zambia.
Historical Context
In colonial times, Mansa was known as Fort Rosebery, a name honoring Lord Rosebery, who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 5, 1894, to June 22, 1895. The town also functioned as the provincial capital. The initial location of Fort Rosebery was in the Luapula Valley around 1900, near Mambilima, where a significant portion of the province's population resided.
Geography and Environment
Situated on a relatively featureless plateau, Mansa lies between the Luapula River to the west and Lake Bangweulu to the east. This province is known for its beautiful rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and wetlands. Mansa primarily fulfills administrative and commercial roles.
Population and Economy
Over the past two decades, Mansa has experienced considerable population growth. However, prosperity has not kept pace, largely due to decreased employment in the Copperbelt mines, which has driven people back to rural areas like the Luapula Province. The closure of the battery factory in 1994 has left Mansa without significant industries. Consequently, chitemene, a form of subsistence farming, has led to appreciable degradation of the surrounding woodlands.
Read also: Central Business District in South Africa
Climate
Mansa features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) with distinct wet and dry seasons. October and November are the hottest months, while July is the coolest month, marking the milder winter season. The hot season lasts for approximately 1.9 months, from September 14 to November 10, with average daily high temperatures exceeding 89°F. October is the hottest month, with an average high of 92°F and a low of 66°F. Conversely, the cool season spans 7.4 months, from December 17 to July 30, with average daily high temperatures remaining below 80°F. July, the coldest month, sees an average low of 51°F and a high of 78°F.
In Mansa, the wet season is humid and overcast, while the dry season is windy and mostly clear, with warm temperatures year-round. Based on weather data, the best time to visit Mansa for hot-weather activities is from early September to late October.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 19 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around October 18. July is the clearest month, with the sky being clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 86% of the time. The cloudier part of the year starts around October 18 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around April 19. January is the cloudiest month, with the sky overcast or mostly cloudy 86% of the time.
The wetter season spans 4.7 months, from November 14 to April 4, with a greater than 40% chance of wet days. January is the month with the most wet days, averaging 24.3 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. The drier season lasts 7.3 months, from April 4 to November 14. July has the fewest wet days, averaging 0.0 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.
Rain alone is the most common form of precipitation throughout the year, peaking at 81% on January 16. The rainy period lasts for 6.8 months, from October 10 to May 3, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. December has the most rain, with an average rainfall of 8.2 inches. The rainless period lasts for 5.2 months, from May 3 to October 10, with July having the least rain, averaging 0.0 inches.
Read also: Kenya's Meru District
Humidity levels in Mansa vary seasonally. The muggier period lasts for 5.1 months, from November 17 to April 21, with muggy, oppressive, or miserable conditions occurring at least 12% of the time. March experiences the most muggy days, with 14.3 days that are muggy or worse. In contrast, muggy conditions are rare on July 27.
Wind speeds also fluctuate throughout the year. The windier period lasts for 7.0 months, from April 10 to November 10, with average wind speeds exceeding 8.4 miles per hour. September is the windiest month, with an average hourly wind speed of 11.4 miles per hour. The calmer period lasts for 5.0 months, from November 10 to April 10. February is the calmest month, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.5 miles per hour.
The predominant average hourly wind direction in Mansa varies throughout the year. The wind is most often from the east for 11 months, from February 12 to January 5, with a peak percentage of 35% on January 1.
Based on the tourism score, which favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F, the best time to visit Mansa for general outdoor tourist activities is from early May to mid-September, with a peak score in the second week of August. For hot-weather activities, the ideal time is from early September to late October, with a peak score in the last week of September.
Temperatures in Mansa are sufficiently warm year-round, making the traditional concept of a growing season less meaningful. Nevertheless, the distribution of temperatures throughout the year is illustrated below.
Read also: Uganda's Kamwenge District
Agriculture in Zambia.
Transportation
Mansa Airport (IATA: MNS) provides air transport, with Proflight Zambia offering services twice a week. Public transport is mainly via buses that travel between towns on the main highways.
Road infrastructure includes the M3 road, which connects to the Mwanawasa Bridge at Chembe (bypassing the Chembe ferry) in the south and extends to Luwingu and Kasama in the north-east. With peace in the Congo, a bridge named after the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was constructed across the Luapula River at Chembe to by-pass the Chembe ferry.
Trade and Connectivity
Despite being only 50 km east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and separated from the Copperbelt by the Congo Pedicle, Mansa lacks direct trade links with the Congo. Wars and frequent conflict in the Congo over the past fifty years have frequently hindered the development of Mansa. The Luapula, which forms the border, is crossed by a passenger ferry to the north-west at Kasenga, and by a bridge to the south at Chembe, but this connects through Congolese territory via Zambia's notorious and frequently impassable Congo Pedicle road only to the Copperbelt. Other roads on the Congolese side are severely degraded, consequently some Congolese trade passes on Zambian roads through Mansa, such as the output of the Dikulushi Copper Mine west of Lake Mweru.
Luapula Province Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (PLARD II)
The Luapula Province Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (PLARD II) aims to enhance income and food security for the people of Luapula Province by improving the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) at the provincial and district levels. It is implemented by MAL with technical support from a Programme Support Unit (PSU) located near the MAL Provincial Offices.
The programme is based at the ZARI (agricultural research station), Mansa, 5 km outside Mansa and managed by a Programme Management Unit (PMU). The PMU was managed by a Finnish Consultancy with main offices being located at the research station. The province covers more than 50,000 km2 and has a population approaching one million people.
The programme has five components plus a crosscutting issues component:
- Agribusiness
- Agriculture
- Capture Fisheries
- Livestock and Aquaculture
- Institutional and Organisational Development of MAL at provincial and district levels
MANSA town - a short tour. Luapula, Zambia
Cost of Living and Labor
A cost of living index measures the cost of various expenses for the average person in a specific location, including health care, transportation, housing, and groceries. Cost of labor, on the other hand, refers to the price of labor, including payroll taxes and required benefits, that an employer must pay when hiring from a particular area.
Popular articles:
tags: #Zambia
