Copper output in Zambia, Africa's top producer of the metal, rose by 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2011 and is expected to rise higher as new projects start production, the central bank said on Wednesday. January to March copper output rose to 204,597 tonnes in the first quarter of 2011 from 196,466 tonnes, the central bank said, while exports increased to 200,037 tonnes from 198,247 tonnes in the same period last year.