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Tech

Infratel Corporation Limited and Zambia’s leading telecoms company – Airtel Networks Zambia Plc have signed a long-term tower co-location agreement that will allow Airtel to lease multiple installation ready towers across Zambia’s ten provinces.

According to a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, by  Airtel Corporate Communications Manager Yuyo Kambikambi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in Lusaka on 22 March 2021 with Infratel assuring Airtel of its continued service to avail telecommunication tower infrastructure in order to also expand capacities in already covered areas.

Infratel’s Chief Executive Officer Freelance Bwalya said that as Mobile Network Operators (MNO’s) continue to transform from being communication service providers to digital service providers, the need to leverage telecom infrastructure sharing was becoming stronger.

Bwalya expressed delight to have this MOU in place with Airtel as telecom infrastructure sharing always significantly reduces the time and capital requirement for MNOs to quickly setup and expand their coverage.

He said the signing is significant because this cements an already existing and growing relationship that the company has with Airtel, and it is pleasing to note that the partnership is anchored on shared values such as the promotion of use of Green Energy at tower sites and reduced environmental impact of tower structures.

And speaking on behalf of Airtel Zambia, Supply Chain Director Martin Jowi welcomed the partnership and said this would enable the Company to focus its energy and resources on product and service innovation to enhance the customer experience for all Zambians.

He said he was delighted to be signing this MOU with Infratel and like his counterpart had said, this is a long-term agreement between the two institutions as they continue to reach out to every corner of Zambia expanding the 4G reach.

Co-location of towers is considered as an efficient model as network operators’ capital investments which institutes a large share of their operating costs is freed up. Mobile network operators are then able to use the freed up investment capital or cash that would have been used in tower construction and maintenance to invest in enhancing their network capacity and coverage especially to rural areas.

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Infratel Corporation Limited and Zambia’s leading telecoms

Companies

It had emerged that its actually ZSIC life and not ZSIC general that has mounting complaints which have led to the collapse of its customer service.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) had confirmed last week that it has received 316 complaints from clients who claim they have not received their payout from ZSIC General Insurance.

CCPC Public Relations Officer Rainford Mutabi said these cases are still under active investigations. Mutabi said the commission was able to resolve 323 cases of people claiming not to have received their pay out from ZSIC General Insurance after the maturity of their policies.   .

According to information made available to the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mutabi stated that the commission has continued to promote consumer welfare in Zambia by ensuring that respective insurance companies accord the affected individuals their pay out on time. Mutabi said this happens only after the commission has conducted thorough investigations on the matter that prove that the complainant’s claims are true.

He has advised that whenever consumers face challenges relating to unfair contract terms, the first step one should take is following the normal redress mechanism that requires the complainant to resolve the matter with their respective service provider before reporting to the commission. Mutabi noted that ZISC General Insurance has been very responsive to helping resolve the complaints received.

However, a check by ZBT with the affected policy holders revealed that the actual company facing challenges is ZSIC Life and not ZSIC general as per CCPC confirmations.

In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, one of the affected complainants, Felix Mulenga claimed that he had an investment policy that matured in August 2019 with ZSIC Life but has not received his pay out until now.

Mulenga said he signed up for a 5-year policy in 2014 and described the response he gets from ZSIC Life as pathetic each time he visits their offices to claim for his money which they have not given him until now.

Lundumuna Langson, another complainant told ZBT that he signed up for an endowment policy with ZSIC Life in 2014, which matured in 2019 but has not received his money until now, questioning why ZSIC life is failing to pay out their dues.

And another person who agreed to speak to ZBT among the over 300 unresolved pay outs Mpelepete Merine, also said she had a swift save policy with ZSIC Life and has been making claims since 2017 but has not received her money to-date. She has even stopped pushing for her money as she has simply gotten frustrated.

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It had emerged that its actually ZSIC

Markets

The Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC) Executive Director Philip Chitalu has disclosed that the commission is working on crowdfunding initiatives that will enable Small and Medium size Enterprises – SMEs and local enterprises to be funded.

Chitalu explained that crowdfunding can be facilitated through online platforms that list businesses that need funding and then these entities get funded by the crowd. “So basically a company or business venture gets funding from strangers, and SECs role is to provide a regulatory framework that would help or facilitate on providing a guarantee that the fundraisers pays back these strangers (the crowd) their money.

Speaking during the launch of the financial literacy week #financialLiteracyWeek2021 that runs from 22 to 28 March 2021 attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Chitalu explained that “We have launched what is called a sand box where we are going to look at case by case opportunities of innovative ways of raising funds from the public and channeling the same funds to the SMEs that need funding”.

The SEC Director further stated that “Remember our youths and children who are completing school require jobs and can only finds jobs if we make sure that SMEs in Zambia thrive and are funded so that they can grow into [large] companies,” he said.

And BOZ deputy governor operations, Dr Francis Chipimo said the central bank was working on this and are continuing with the outreach programmes and finding innovative ways of funding the SMEs.

Chipimo said BoZ is currently pushing financial service providers to develop products that are suited for people who do not have a lot of money to save. “When we look at the Finscope Survey for 2020, it reveals that uptake for financial products is still low, so we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that we increase the uptake.

“I would also like to mention that it is never to early or too late to start saving and any saving is not too small, you can start from any amount,” Chipimo said. The Bank of Zambia (BOZ) has said there is still a lot that needs to be done to ensure increased uptake of financial products through financial education. The theme of this year of the #FinancialLiteracyWeek2021 is “Take Care of your Health, Take Care of your money”.

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The Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC) Executive

Companies

Zambia Airport Corporation Limited – ZACL has signed a 15 year deal with the Urban Hotel Group (UHG) to operate and manage the newly built hotel at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport – SMKIA that will Service the Copperbelt region.

Speaking during the signing ceremony attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ZACL managing director Fumu Mondoloka said the development is in line with the vision to make Zambia a regional transport hub.

Mondoloka said the corporation’s strategic plan to grow its non-aeronautical revenue streams and revenue diversification program that consist of implementation unit – the commercial directorate, that will leverage the land use plans in Lusaka, drive hotel development at major airports and handle cargo.

The ZACL MD stated that the new airport will handle big planes such as the boeing 747-400 aircraft and is equipped with state of the art and modern airport equipment, three aerobridges, a new fuel farm, a commercial centre block and the cargo terminal facility.

ZACL Commercial Director Brian Chintu told ZBT that the selection of Urban Hotel was arrived at through a rigorous process that involved a Cape Town based consultant. There was an initial shortlist of suitable hotels that included brands such as Born Hotel, Protea Hotel, Tsogo Sun’s Stay Easy and urban Hotel who submitted bids from which Urban Hotel was selected as the ideal hotel.

“The selection of Urban hotel marks an endorsement to local hotel brands as Urban started their hotels at Kalumbila (impala suites), then expanded to Ndola and are now building a hotel in Lusaka”, Chintu stated.

And Urban Hotels Group Chairman Chisha Mwanakatwe said the new Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International airport Urban Hotel comes with 50 hotel rooms, will contribute to increasing hotel rooms capacity on the Copperbelt. He said the Urban hotel has been rated as the best hotel on the Copperbelt and will ensure that they aid the Copperbelt’s diversification from Copper to tourism and trade.

The Zambian government has invested over US$1 billion in airport infrastructure which has seen the country have three international standard terminals. The Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport at Zambia’s tourism capital of Livingstone is already completed and operational.

The other two are the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport extension at Zambia’s administrative capital of Lusaka is at over 90% completion while the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport is expected to service Zambia’s mining and industrial hub on the Copperbelt.

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Zambia Airport Corporation Limited - ZACL has

Tech

By Pacifique Ishimwe

In 2020, ENGIE Energy Access (EEA) Zambia, formerly Fenix International, successfully partnered with BURN to bring to the Zambian market the Fenix Mbaula, an efficient charcoal cookstove also known as the BURN Jikokoa. With over 1,500 Fenix Mbaulas sold since commercially launching in the first quarter of 2020, the cookstove has quickly become a household favorite.

Globally, more than 2.4 billion people continue to use inefficient open fires or simple clay and metal cook-stoves for cooking, of them, 848 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan African has total consumption of wood fuels 2-3 times higher per capita consumption than in any other region, (AFWC, 2020).

Zambia has a population of over 17 million people, and about 88% of households depend on forest resources such as firewood and charcoal to meet their basic cooking needs. This population relies on cooking solutions that range from charcoal braziers to makeshift woodfire burners made of stone, brick, or clay. These methods are sometimes dangerous, very inefficient, and environmentally costly.

These cooking methods also result in health challenges that come from smoke inhalation and vast negative environmental impacts like deforestation and high carbon emissions rate. The World Health Organization estimates that close to 4 million people worldwide (about twice the population of Lesotho) die prematurely each year from illnesses attributable to household air pollution caused by inefficient cooking practices that use stoves paired with solid fuel. (WHO,2018)

For EEA, the underlying challenge was to give its 150,000 customers a cost-effective clean cooking solution that would mitigate these challenges both at household and community level. The Fenix Mbaula is now offered to customers on a loan basis, and this eliminates the barrier of a high upfront cost. This makes it more affordable and has made the product accessible for lower-income customers.

Kevin Diau, EEA Zambia’s Head of Product & Strategy says the BURN Jikokoa cookstoves are a great complement to the existing solar home system product lineup, providing EEA customers with a cleaner, safer alternative to their traditional charcoal Mbaulas. “We’re excited to partner with BURN to offer a product that represents the first step in our customers’ journeys towards a clean cooking future.”

The Fenix Mbaula consumes 39% less fuel and emits about 45% less carbon compared to a traditional charcoal brazier. Since launching in Zambia, it is projected that over the products already sold five-year lifespans, about 6,500 tons of CO2 will be kept from the environment, and 11,828 tons of wood saved from deforestation. The Fenix Mbaula also offers users greater health benefits and convenience by allowing them to cook inside the house without the fear of excessive smoke inhalation.

In the field, customers have also happily pointed out the efficiency of the cookstove as an advantage. The cookstove’s design allows for more efficient heat distribution, resulting in cooking times half that of a traditional brazier. “I love the Fenix Mbaula because it looks nice and works very well, I also love it because of how fast it cooks. I have more time to spend with my family and on my business, because I am not spending as much time on cooking as I did before” explained Mary Hampyongo, a Fenix Mbaula customer.


As a result of this efficient design, customers have also reported spending about half of what they would typically spend on charcoal. A satisfied Fenix Mbaula customer said that they had used the money saved from spending on charcoal on school supplies for their child. Another customer said that they were using the saved money to buy groceries.

The highest demand and sales for the Fenix Mbaula have been in peri-urban areas, particularly in Copperbelt and Central Provinces. The cookstoves have also been popular in urban areas that often experience power cuts and have a high usage of traditional braziers as alternative cooking solutions to electric stoves.

Other customer segments have been rural customers from areas where they originally used firewood for cooking. These customers bought the stove to make a more efficient switch. The interviewed customers said that they were happy to buy their Fenix Mbaula because the financing that EEA offers makes it affordable to own a cookstove.

Mark Connor, BURN’s New Markets Expansion Manager says “BURN is extremely excited to work with ENGIE in Zambia to offer its life-changing charcoal stoves to ENGIE’s growing customer base in Zambia. Moreover, BURN looks forward to developing a long-term partnership with ENGIE, whereby it offers its new and growing product offering of biomass, electric, hybrid and liquid-fuel stoves, to all ENGIE markets across Africa.”

The success of the Fenix Mbaula in Zambia has shown that it is possible to give customers a clean, environmentally sustainable, and affordable cooking solution, which can be replicated in markets with similar demographics and demand. The Fenix Mbaula innovation has given access to affordable and clean energy to Zambian customers.

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By Pacifique Ishimwe In 2020, ENGIE Energy

Markets

ZSIC General Insurance operations are collapsing following the institutions failure to settle claims and refunds on time and as they fall due.

The Zambian Business Times (ZBT) can reveal that a lot of customers of ZSIC general Insurance have been left in the cold with some simply abandoning their rightful claims due to the back and forth explanations with no refunds or claims being settled.

A check by ZBT with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) further confirmed that a lot of clients have lodged complaints after failing to get any assistance from the ZSIC management.

CCPC told ZBT that they have resolved a total of three hundred twenty-three (323) cases of people claiming not to have received their pay out from ZSIC General Insurance after the maturity of their policies.

As if that was not enough, CCPC confirmed that they still have another total of three hundred and sixteen (316) cases that are still under active investigations, confirming that ZSIC general has serious operational and management challenges.

CCPC in their response to ZTB advised members of the public that whenever consumers are faced with challenges relating to unfair contract terms, the first step which the Commission advises complainants to undertake is by following the normal redress mechanism which requires the complainant to resolve the matter with their respective service provider before reporting to the Commission.

ZBT has received information from members of the public indicating that ZSIC is taking its customers for a ride, giving endless excuses and back and forth explanations, all in the effort to avoid paying out genuine claims and refunds. Some further complained that even their reporting to CCPC is taking even longer for them to get redress.

They told ZBT that the cost of hiring lawyers is prohibitive in Zambia, hence other resorting to abandoning their claims and refunds. Efforts to get a comment from ZSIC proved futile by press time.

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ZSIC General Insurance operations are collapsing following

Companies

Jesuit Center for Theological Reflections (JCTR) says many Zambians are compromising on their living of standard as many cannot meet the required standards due to economic hardships resulting from escalating prices of food and non food items the country is facing.

JCTR social and economic programs manager Chama Mundiya said according to the recent Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket publication by JCTR, the cost of living has escalated to about K8,500 from K 7,100 for a family of five in Zambia.

She said a number of Zambians are not able to meet these needs, families are struggling especially in areas of high population density, in terms of income. Most Zambians have had their income remain flat while food and non food prices have continued to escalate.

The average household income in Zambia is bout K4,000 and people are resulting to having less number of meals which is already compromising them in terms of their nutrition.

Mundia said JCTR is advocating to government based on the finding of this living standards survey that the country needs to do more in terms of protecting the less privileged and those whose incomes fall below the basket to see how best people can enhance their income sources, creat more employment opportunities and review the minimum wage that workers earn for social protection.

“In Zambia generally, there are high poverty levels which stand at about 50% and low income which stands at an average of K4,000 per month per household according to the labor force of survey of 2019,” she said.

She said the basic needs and nutrition basket – BNNB survey is a monthly survey of prices for an ideal basket of goods and services that a family should be able to access. The focus is on a family of five based on the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZSA) average family size in Zambia based on the based on the living conditions monitoring survey of 2015.

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Jesuit Center for Theological Reflections (JCTR) says

Sport

Zambian Soccer fans have called on the Confederation of African Football – CAF to refund Zambia’s Football Association (FAZ) after the association confirmed that it had spent about K 2.7 million (about US$135,000) in preparation of the under 17 (U17) Junior Chipolopolo side.

The U17 Africa Cup of Nations was scheduled to be held in Morocco, before the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to abruptly cancel the tournament due to the covid-19 pandemic.

FAZ Communication manager Sydney Mungala stated that in football, all Investments made have no surety of guarantee and [its not yet clear that] FAZ will get a refund as CAF has not yet indicated whether there is going to be a refund or any other form of compensation.

Mungala said the team was in residential camp for over a month, and after been in camp for over a month, the team also suffered the travel costs to Morocco as the under 17 national team was scheduled to participate in pre-tournament session.

“There was a scheduled competition which was going to draw participation from the host Morocco, Cameron, Nigeria, a local club called FUS Sabat and the Zambia junior side”, he told ZBT.

However, On March, 8, 2021, when the CAF committee met in Rabat, Morocco to decide on the holding of the 2021 AFCON. They decided to cancel the tournament. The committee was made aware of the constraints faced by some of the association as well as the host country including the fact that the coronavirus pandemic continues to present significant challenges for the organization of international sport.

Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times (ZBT), Mungala said it was a disappointment that the tournament was cancelled after Zambia had prepared adequately for it.

“We are disappointed that the tournament was cancelled but we had also offered to host the tournament as Zambia, I remember we hosted the under 20 AFCON, in 2017, which was a CAF tournament. However, CAF has not yet gotten back to us about what they think on our possible suggestion, so we waiting on CAF to respond to us,” he said.

Mungala further revealed that the under 17 national team will continue preparing as this was not the only tournament that they had to prepare for. He said the team is preparing for the COSAFA this year.

Though the Under 20 world cup has also been cancelled, the team will continue preparing and hopefully, the same team can be used for qualifiers for the next under 20 Africa Cup of Nations, because most of them will be eligible.

The Ministry of Sport and the National sports council of Zambia is yet to make their position known on this refund matter though its understood that the government of Zambia contributes financially to the soccer teams tournaments participation.

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Zambian Soccer fans have called on the

Lifestyle

The Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ) has urged Zambians to be supportive of having more local fuel transporters as this will mean saving on foreign exchange payments out of the country because transportation of imported fuel is paid in US dollars.

Association Secretary General Benson Tembo said local transporters have the capacity to transport all fuel imports into Zambia, therefore government’s initiative of empowering local people with fuel tankers is a step in the right direction as it will reduce the use of foreign transportation services.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Tembo said the association expects more of such initiatives because for many years, foreign transporters have dominated the transport sub sector and the only way to improve the local transporters’ growth is by having such deliberate government interventions.

He said currently, the people who are actively involved in the transportation of fuel are not local Zambians, which means that the benefits in terms of foreign exchange are going to foreign nationals and flowing out of Zambia, which should not be the case.

He added that the association expects government to come up with policies or regulations that will see a reduction in the use of foreign tankers and transporters as is the trend in many other countries.

Tembo said there must be a deliberate policy to reduce foreign participation in the transportation of imported fuel because this imported fuel is for the Zambian public and Zambian based companies, therefore it should be able to benefit Zambians.

He said the petroleum industry has been talking about growth for a long time and such initiatives will add to the growth and capacity of the local transporters.

He mentioned that over 900 tankers are currently involved in the cross-border transportation of fuel and the only way the empowered youths will be able to see the maximum benefits of the fuel tankers is when foreign transporter participation is reduced.

Last week, President Edgar Lungu handed over 25 fuel tankers to the youths owned cooperatives during the commemorations of Youth Day whose theme was “Enhancing National Development Through Sustainable Youth Partnerships”.

The fuel tankers each costed about K2.8 million and were handed over as part of the Ministry of Youth empowerment programme. The hand over went viral with most youths asking how they can qualify for such programs while others questioned the criteria that was used to select youth groups to empower.

President Lungu disclosed that government has released funds to empower youths in all the 10 provinces of Zambia with 1,800 targeted to benefit from transport programs, 2,200 to benefit from establishment of milling plants and over 1,000 to benefit from agriculture related activities.

Zambia has no local petroleum deposits and relies on importing all its supplies from mostly the Middle East via South Africa, Tanzania and Mozambique ports. However, local privately owned companies have struggled to break into this lucrative fuel sector with most of it controlled by multinational oil marketing companies local units.

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The Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ)

Companies

The Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation – ZAFFICO has been given the mandate to resume the trade in the famous Mukula logs.

In a statement seen by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, ZAFFICO has announced the commencement of of the purchase of legally harvested Mukula logs country wide.

The company had since started inviting concession license holders and holders of felling permits to engage the company and agree modalities.

ZAFFICO has further extended the invitation to companies and individuals seeking to sell Mukula logs to ZAFFICO to submit certified documents from the forestry department.

Public relations manager Irene Chipili further revealed that government has given ZAFFICO the mandate to sell the Mukula logs to entities engaged in value addition to Mukula logs as well as export to international markets.

The trade in Mukula had been suspended after the trade attracted all sorts of interest within and outside Zambia. Mukula is a type of rosewood which is currently highly sort after.

China and Vietnam, the two sighted to be the countries that account for the vast majority of imports in rosewood products from Africa.

The trade in rosewood between Africa and Asia has concentrated on a few species. The scientific name is Pterocapus tinctorius, locally known in Zambia as “mukula”.

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The Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation