South Africa and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) were part of the British Empire and shared common characteristics, including the settlement of Europeans and the dispossession of native Black Africans.

The area brought into the Empire by the British South Africa Company led by Cecil Rhodes.

Zambia became independent in 1964 and, under President Kenneth Kaunda, the country actively supported the African National Congress and the South West Africa People's Organization, which fought the Namibian War of Independence against South African occupation in Namibia.

[1] In 1990, the ANC expressed "sincere gratitude to [Zambia] for their selfless support and involvement with us in the struggle...".

South Africa was the seventh largest exporter of Zambian goods at approximately 7%.