The reopening of gym businesses in Zambia has been welcomed though the pace at which clients are trooping back has and will initially be slow before it can get back to were it used to be.
Makungo Muyembe, Chief Executive Officer – CEO of defined Style Health and Fitness centre (Sweat factory) during an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT disclosed that his fitness center hasn’t yet officially resumed business as they are still putting safety measures in place.
Since the corona virus pandemic many businesses have greatly been affected as many countries were completely on lock down and peoples movements were limited and restricted leaving very less activities to take place.
Gymnasiums are among many businesses lines that were completely shut down by health authorities in Zambia and this negatively affected employers and employees’ daily livelihood. Efforts to provide fitness lessons online have been made but monetizing the digital route is a challenge.
However, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu during the third national address announced the reopening of Gymnasiums and other businesses. Some of the businesses have already started operating meanwhile others are still putting safety measures in place before they officially resume business.
Muyembe told ZBT that there’s no other currently viable ways to make money off fitness other than re-opening of the facilities, the only other way would have been through online fitness but normally those are done for free and it’s a challenge to effectively and efficiently get in the income.
Defined Style Health and Fitness is set to resume business in the second week of June, to allow them time to get certification and follow all the guidelines put in place by the Ministry of Health before officially reopening.
Muyembe added that “it’s a bit tricky because even if we reopen, people are still scared, so the attendance is anticipated to be very low and the rent at the location of my business is very expensive.”
Corona virus has and continues to affect many businesses and livelihoods as it will take some time for businesses to get back to where they were before and the income they generated, Sad enough for some businesses, this could be the death of their businesses.
