Connect with:
Sunday / April 27.
logo
mobile-logo
HomeStandard Blog Whole Post (Page 167)
Tech

Zambia’s largest mobile network operator by revenue – Airtel has shut down its head office on covid 19 threats.

In a statement made available to Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Airtel  Head of Corporate Communications Yuyo Nachali-Kambikambi has disclosed that Airtel head office has closed because one worker at Airtel has tested positive for COVID 19.

“Airtel Networks Zambia Plc wishes to advise its customers and the general public that its’ Head Office situated on Stand 2375, Corner of Addis Ababa drive and Great East Road, Lusaka has had to be closed due to one member of staff having tested positive for COVID 19”, the statement read.

Meanwhile, Kambikambi has assured the general public that they will continue to deliver services to the people using the digital platform.

“Our staff will continue to be available electronically and customers are urged to visit our other service centres for any urgent assistance and encouraged to use self-help portals as well as do any monetary transactions using the Airtel Money service”, she said.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambia’s largest mobile network operator by revenue

Companies

The Policy Monitoring and Research Centre – PMRC has weighed in and given further details of the use and allocation of the K8 billion COVID 19 bond.

Zambia’s cabinet, the highest decision making organ of the executive arm of government recently approved the establishment of an economic stimulus package that would be financed through the issuance of a K8 billion COVID-19 bond. 

PMRC Executive Director Bernadette Deka-Zulu in a statement availed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT stated that about K3.2 billion of the COVID-19 Bond will be allocated to the Presidential COVID-19 Economic Recovery Fund.

Payment to third-parties (Micro Finance Institutions) will get about K1.3 billion, Drugs Debts and Medical Equipment Procurement will get an allocation of K1 billion, Grain Purchases have been allocated K1.7 billion while other applications K800 million.

Deka-Zulu further stated that raising the K8 billion bond will be done in multiple tranches. The Bank of Zambia is the issuing authority of the Bond on behalf of the Government and this Bond has the same features as regular bonds that the Bank of Zambia issues.

The initial indication was that the entire K8 billion covid 19 bond proceeds were to be used to dismantle domestic arrears and inject liquidity in the market that has been weighed down by partial and in some sectors, full restrictions of business activity. 

The clearing of drugs and medical equipment debts is one area that has seen the increase in domestic arrears but this field will most likely result in funds being paid of out the Zambian economy. Most drugs, medicines and medical supplies are imported or simply assembled in the country with low local content.

As for grain purchases, this is dominated by mostly local small scale and emerging commercial farmers. This is perhaps one of the key areas that should see more liquidity flowing into the domestic market and local economy.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Policy Monitoring and Research Centre -

Lifestyle

Zambia Association of Manufacturers – ZAM has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Florence Muleya to take over over from Chipego Zulu who is currently the Associations Vice President (South).

Muleya previously worked as a Researcher and Manager at the Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR), an institution committed to working towards sound economic policies.

Her roles at ZIPAR included providing evidence-based solutions for public policy influence and implementation as well as managing research projects.

Prior to this role, she worked for the Zambia Revenue Authority – ZRA in both the Customs Services and the Domestic Taxes Division in various portfolios and worked with private sector, advising on tax matters.

Muleya’s  educational background includes a Master of Science degree in Trade Policy and Trade Law from Lund University, Sweden (2010) in which she graduated with distinction and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Zambia (2007).

According to a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT by ZAM Vice President – South and Spokesperson Chipego Zuu on July 13, 2020, Muleya is looking forward to spearheading the team at ZAM.

She envisages that under her leadership, ZAM will generate best practice learning and facilitate problem solving in the manufacturing sector. As an optimist, she believes that within the context of the COVID -19 pandemic lies a seed of an equal or greater opportunity to learn valuable lessons that can ultimately be used to better manufacturing and fully entrench the Proudly Zambian Campaign.

“Zambia Association of Manufacturers welcomes Muleya to the “Voice of Industry” and look forward to supporting her in enhancing the performance and contribution of the manufacturing sector to national development under her leadership, Chipego said. The Zambian Business Times – ZBT congratulates Muleya for the appointment and looks forward to her leading the association of manufacturers to greater heights.

4 Comments
0 likes

Zambia Association of Manufacturers - ZAM has

Tech

Airtel Zambia is set to expand its mobile money offering as the company is soon expected to launch virtual cards which will enable Airtel mobile money account holders enjoy privileges comparable to traditional bank accounts.

Airtel Zambia has hinted that they will soon launch virtual cards in the Zambian market soon without disclosing the actual date for the launch. Airtel told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that they are keeping their cards close to their chest as they do not  want to let the cat out of the bag until the launch date.

A check by ZBT analysts on what was launched in other African markets regarding virtual cards shows that a similar partnership with MasterCard enabled mobile money account holders to pay for online services, apps, hotel, digital content and any other payment services that bank debit cards are able to do.

Once virtual cards are launched, it is projected that mobile money account holders will be enabled to shop online and pay for services like Netflix etc so long as one has a their phone and have an active mobile money account.

Mobile money in Zambia continues to grow with 2019 annual growth rate pegged at over 126% by the central bank – BOZ. Even as traditional banks continue to contract, merge and close down more brick and mortar branches, mobile money which operates through independent agents continue to aggressively expand year on year.

The introduction of virtual cards on mobile money accounts, if it delivers international and digital payment capabilities, will take away the debatable competitive advantage and the need for traditional bank accounts for the vast majority of consumers and medium size businesses.

1 Comment
0 likes

Airtel Zambia is set to expand its

Agribusiness

Zambia needs to urgently agree a more equitable and tangible bilateral trade deal with South Africa – SA and Saudi Arabia to arrest a skewed trade flow as the country embarks on more fertilizer imports to further push up its Agro production volumes for 2020/2021 season.

According to data obtained by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia – NCZ is manufacturing and contributing a very small portion to the total national fertilizer requirements, resulting in most of the national requirements being satisfied via imports.

On average, for the past six agricultural seasons from 2015 to 2020, Zambia used about 177,000 metric tons of basal dressing fertilizer and 163,000 metric tons of top dressing fertilizer per year. In 2019/20 agricultural season, Zambia used about 200,000 metric tons of basal dressing fertilizer and about 190,000 metric tons of top dressing fertilizer. It means that majority of these supplies are being imported and partly explains why the local currency is perpetually depreciating.

Zambia currently imports the bulk of its basal dressing fertilizer from South Africa and while most imports of top dressing fertilizers come from South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine. The Ministry of Finance who are the custodians of the National treasury should be the first to set the example when it comes to import substitution and eventual cutting down of forex outflows which would aid the stabilization of the local currency – Kwacha.

Successive ministers of trade and their senior ministry permanent secretaries have failed to successfully engage South Africa to sign bilateral deals to enable Zambian products or even raw materials to be exported to that country. This is one way that net forex outflows can be reduced. The establishment of the Zambia – South Africa Business Council has yielded limited to no tangible results so far as trade flows continue to be one way.

And local Agro experts have told ZBT that NCZ has the potential to produce compound D fertilizer on a large scale but lack financial support to continuously modernize its equipment and fund its working capital. If NCZ is given these big fertilizer supply contracts and funding commitments by the treasury, they can use the contracts to obtain working capital and fund their urgent capital expenditure to fully revamp local fertilizer manufacturing.

Zambia only has one manufacturer of Compound D fertiliser – the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ). The other three private companies that include Export Trading Group (ETG), the Zambian Fertilisers and Fertiliser Seed Grain (FSG) only specialise in blended fertilisers which incorporate various vital nutrients and also produce customised fertilizers.

Zambia at one time was self sufficient in production of both basal and top dressing bulk fertilizers cutting down the need for imports for products that could be manufactured locally. The country can use its available raw materials, central location and its more reliable and safer transit routes to manufacture and export fertilizer to vast regional markets such as Malawi, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and other surrounding countries.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambia needs to urgently agree a more

Lifestyle, Mining

Zambia’s largest copper miner, First Quantum Minerals – FQM’s Kansanshi Mine of Solwezi has appointed Anthony Mukutuma as General Manager.

Mukutuma has become the first Zambian to take over from David De Vries and hold such a post at Kansanshi which is the largest copper mine in Africa by production.

Mukutuma has 20 years of experience in operations and management of mineral processing and hydrometallurgical plants, covering business development, research and development, design and design optimization, commissioning, process optimization (including bottlenecking), operations management, business performance improvement and talent development.

Before his appointment, Mukutuma run First Quantum Minerals Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine in Mauritania, and most recently was General Manager for the restart of operations at its Ravensthorpe Nickel Operation in Australia.

According to a statement emailed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT on July 8, 2020, Mutukuma’s previous designations include, the position of metallurgist in minerals processing at the Konkola Division of the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines – ZCCM.

He has also worked in hydrometallurgy at Anglo American’s research laboratories in South Africa, from senior metallurgist to plant manager, then technical manager at First Quantum Minerals’ Bwana Mkubwa Mine processing plant in Ndola. He also worked as plant manager at the early stages of the Kevitsa Mine project in Finland.

Mukutuma holds a BEng in chemical engineering with minerals engineering from the University of Birmingham and an MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Liverpool.

FQM Country Manager General Kingsley Chinkuli is proud to announce the appointment of Mukutuma as the new general manager for Kansanshi Mine saying it’s a significant milestone for the company and it reinforces its commitment to providing equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race or creed.

“Management wishes him all the best in his new role as GM. We are confident he will be equal to the task and we are eager to tap into the vast knowledge he has acquired in the last 20 years in the industry. This is one of numerous appointments that have seen senior Zambian staff taking on top management positions not just at Kansanshi and its sister Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila but also other mines under the FQM group world”, He said

He added that the company would continue to create an enabling environment where employees have an opportunity to progressively rise through the ranks.

Kansanshi has around 3,300 direct staff and about 5,000 contractors, most of whom are primarily Zambians and uses state of the art technology to extract copper from three different ore types with world-class efficiency.

1 Comment
0 likes

Zambia’s largest copper miner, First Quantum Minerals

Mining

CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines has confirmed that only part of the Roan cricket field may be affected by the extended mining activities which has threatened the existence of the Luanshya sports complex.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times -ZBT, CNMC Luanshya copper mines Public Relations Manager Sydney Chileya Says the oxide only reaches a small portion of the cricket field.

“The sports complex has got about nine facilities in that area. We got rugby, cricket , squash and so on. Of all those, the copper oxide extends only a small portion into the cricket field. The rest of the facilities are not reached by the copper oxide”, he said.

Chileya also disclosed that there has been some illegal mining on the roan basin by youths and that CNMC was forced to dig a trench when the illegal mining intensified and people started to bring heavy equipment on the site.

There area in question is known as Roan basin which is part of the Muliashi oxide mine area which is bordered with our Luanshya sports complex. There has been some illegal mining activities taking place in that area.

But those activities where initially done by youths with shovels and picks, but then the activities there increased where people started coming with excavators, truck loaders and so on. So we decided to dig a trench just to fence off that area.

Furthermore, Chileya disclosed that CNMC have also engaged the Zambia Environmental Managements Agency – ZEMA to ensure that in the process of developing the area follows pains down procedures and that all illegal mining activities of the copper oxide is stopped.

We have also engaged ZEMA and the mine safety department to ensure that we begin the process of basically developing the area because we know that the illegal mining activities taking place in that area are as a result of the copper resource that is there. So, once we mine that resource the illegal activities will stop.

0 Comments
0 likes

CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines has confirmed that

Lifestyle

Zambian’s have been urged to get traditional land and transform it to titled land that can be used for various economic activities, create both self employment and employment for others as well as be used as collateral to obtain financing.

Speaking during the launch of the aquaculture seed fund youth empowerment initiative under the Zambia aquaculture enterprise development project in Lusaka on July 2, 2020 attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Lands Minister Jean Kapata disclosed that there is no Land in urban areas but that there is plenty of it in rural areas, hence applicants who wish to have land outside Lusaka and other key cities should visit the lands ministry offices across the country.

“We do not have land in urban areas but there is plenty of land in rural areas. 10% of land in Zambia is government land while 90% of it is under the traditional leaders and it is very easy for Zambian citizens to transform traditional land and be able to get title provided certain procedures are followed,” She said.

The Land’s Minister further disclosed that government has not concluded the process of validating the Land policy which has been on the cards since 2006. Kapata however encouraged that youths and Citizens who don’t own land should proceed to get traditional land and transform it to titled land.

Kapata stated that the process of validating the document has been agreed by key stakeholders and that it will soon be presented in parliament saying the Covid- 19 situation has contributed to the slowdown in the process.

Kapata said the proposed land policy has catered for youths in the country and a minimum age of an applicant begins from 18 years from the previous 21 years. She added that this is being done to ensure youths are accommodated into owning formal land especially that land can be used as a collateral, hence an individual is able to walk into a financial institution to borrow without experiencing any challenges.

The ministry of lands has since published a process for land transformation from traditional to titled land. This process is being utilized by an increasing number of citizens so far and the ministry wants more Zambians, especially youths to take advantage of this streamlined process.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambian’s have been urged to get traditional

Sport

The Zambia Swimming Union – ZASU has called on both public and private sector support to ensure that state of the art and Olympic standard swimming facilities are installed in all the ten provinces of Zambia to enable the country have a representative national league.

Even though Zambia has and continues to competed well in many international swimming competitions, swimming is one sport that has not really been given public attention as many council pools have either been privatized or closed altogether.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Zambia Swimming Union President Guy Phiri says lack of swimming pool infrastructure is one the biggest challenges ZASU have faced and is one factor that has slowed down their penetration into all 10 provinces of Zambia.

“We are in about five of the ten provinces in the country. Its not good enough but our thrust is to get swimming in all corner of Zambia, all ten provinces must have representation through swimming clubs that compete in the national league, so it is a process we’ve started. Our challenge is to get infrastructure in the outlined area but we are getting there”, he said.

This limitation in swimming infrastructure has at times forced our top swimmers to train in South Africa (University of Pretoria) so that they can swim in state of the art swimming and international standard pools. Swimming is much more technical than meets the eye and needs specialists engagement to produce world class swimmers.

Furthermore Phiri disclosed that the union understands that government has other commitments like the public health and education needs more attention but advised that the Ministry of Sport must at least have a fixed budget for all the major sport federations. Lack of a fixed budget makes it hard to come up with plans as its uncertain whether funds will be received or not.

“We understand that the government has other more pressing needs in different sectors. But what we are trying to promote, is that every year they should budget a fixed amount to every or strategic sporting federations so that we can plan”.

“You can’t plan if you don’t know whether you will be given something or not from the sports council [of Zambia]. But if you know that every year you are going to get say K100,000 or K200,000, then you can make plans, because you know you will get the money. But we can’t plan because its guess work as to whether we will get the money or not. I think there needs to be consistency in terms of funding and allocation”, Phiri told ZBT.

However. ZASU is fortunate enough to have alternative sources of funding from organizations like the International Youth Olympic committee and Federation Internationale de Natation” (FINA), one needs to apply for the grant and explain what the grant is for.

We are lucky because of our record as a strong federation and have a reputation that we are very organized, we have been able to source funding from international organizations. We have up to-date and audited financial accounts.

We attract funding from the International Olympic Committee and FINA, they send us about K500,000 every year because they have seen what we are doing and like our programs. But we have to apply for the grants, it’s not like they freely give us, but we need to tell them what we are going to do with the money and you need to demonstrate that you are accountable”, he said.

Sports analysts however indicate that Zambia’s international junior sports fortunes can best be revived if sports associations like ZASU and even FAZ utilize the existing and vast public and private schools system to set up training facilities and competitions across all the ten provinces of Zambia.

The use of both public and private primary and secondary schools to promote sport enables cost sharing, leverages the already existing learning environment and massive number of children most of whom attend various schools to have a bigger talent pool to pick from.

Moreover, school going children are taken care of by their households and all the federations and sports unions have to do is to arrange regional and national championships and sponsorships as well as grants for improving and upgrading sports infrastructure at school and national level for junior sports.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Zambia Swimming Union - ZASU has

Agribusiness

One of Zambia’s landmark biofuel investments located in Luapula province expected to produce biofuel that will see the country cut down on petroleum imports by over US$100 million per annum has suffered setbacks resulting in construction works stalling.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Sunbird Director for Agriculture Mark Muchinga stated that works on the 120 million biofuel refinery plant and factory has stalled because the equipment needed for the factory have been caught up in logistical challenges mainly due to covid 19 restrictions.

Muchinga told ZBT that the covid 19 pandemic has also resulted in some experts from China needed on the ground to progress the high tech and factory construction works being unable to travel to Zambia because of the pandemic.

“The project had already started. That’s why we are planting our nursery but a lot of things have stalled now because of the coronavirus situation. That includes the construction of the factory itself”. Muchinga said.

He further stated that “the experts that are supposed to do some of the construction work cannot come in because of the covid 19 restrictions. Even the factory itself is coming from China and that there are some Chinese that have come through and install the equipment and factory”, he said.

When asked to confirm the progress on the Cassava growing which is mostly under local control and less impacted by the covid 19 situation, Muchinga disclosed that they have so far planted 400 hectares of cassava and that Sunbird have so far engaged over 1,800 local out-grower farmers.

“We’ve got about 400 hectares of nursery cassava so far. That’s the only cassava that has been planted and that’s the nursery we are using to expand on our nuclear farm. We have so far registered about 1,824 out-grower farmers which is translating to about 2,400 hectares being cultivated”, he said.

When asked if Sunbird had approached the government or the Chinese embassy to help facilitate the factory and experts passage to Zambia, Muchinga said that “It’s something that we are working on, it’s not really the government or the Chines embassy that can work on that, but we are looking at where they are coming from”.

“To move the equipment from China to Zambia is not something that can happen in the next three to four months even if it has to start off now, because in all the routes of transit it has to take, the borders are closed”, he said.

Meanwhile he praised the Government and the Luapula Province team for the support that they are giving to Sunbird for helping them in some of the challenges they face. “We are getting the support that we need from the government. The local government and provincial are really assisting with whatever we need from them and there just a few things that need improvement but we know that when it come to that time it would happen”, he said.

Sunbird Biofuel has been allocated about 20,000 hectares of land in Kawambwa, Luapula province. According to the project brief, the company projected to complete the construction of the biofuel plant in 2020 and resume full bio-ethanol (biofuel) and about 36MW power production and sales in 2021.

0 Comments
0 likes

One of Zambia’s landmark biofuel investments located