An American housing company called Enviro Board has confirmed its interest to invest in Zambia and the region.
This follows the visit to Brazil and the United States by Government and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) in 2012 in pursuant to the invitation to Enviro Board Corporation.
Enviro Board has since appointed a local team to spearhead its operations in Africa and Zambia in particular.
Vincent Chakulya and Chabuka Kawesha will head Southern Africa and Zambia respectively.
In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Enviro Board Corporation Chairman, Glenn Camp, has thanked the authorities and the people of Zambia for the opportunities to invest in the country.
Enviro Board Corporation had together with Zambian officials discussed the use of Enviro Board’s fiber extrusion technology as a ‘Solution’ for a sustainable and affordable housing model for the people of Zambia.
The Enviro Board milling technology converts many agricultural waste materials such as wheat straw, rice straw and elephant grass and sisal into concrete-like wall panels for construction of homes, commercial structures, warehouses, hospitals and schools at a significantly lower cost than pre-existing conventional building processes.
Mr Camp said the company has a great opportunity in 2014 to bring Enviro Board’s durable, affordable and simple building system to the people of Zambia.
He said setting up multiple mills in all ten provinces will allow the Zambian people to construct more than half a million homes over the next ten years, thus significantly reducing Zambia’s severe housing deficit.
Mr Camp said Enviro Board factories will create 3,200 direct and over 10,000 indirect jobs drastically increasing employment levels country wide.
He further said the transfer of Enviro Board’s innovative technology allows the Zambian workers to multiply their respective skills and competencies in the housing, development and construction markets.
Mr Camp said Enviro Board technology will become a tool for the Zambian people in creating a sense of pride and joy in developing, building and sustaining the quality of life for their own people.
So ZDA is still doing a good job. Such arrangement sound better than the idea of IDC.
We welcome these initiatives. There’s no need for our people to continue living in shacks.
why is an american housing company coming to Zambia when there are alot of homeles(houseles) americans on the streets in USA,, Its like an indian company bring toilets to Zambia when there no toilets in bombay, it doesnot make sense..
besides that company should logically make more money in USA than in Zambia
PF at work. Seleni tubombeko
MOST ZAMBIANS HAVE A DEEPROOTED INFERIORITY COMPLEX SUCH AS BLOGGER ON #1.1. EVERYTHING WITH AMERICA IN IT IS EDIBLE. OUR BROTHER/SISTER CAN EAT EVEN HUMAN WASTE AS LONG AS IT WAS EJECTED FROM AN AMERICAN. IDC IS HOME-BRED AND A VERY GOOD IDEA ONCE MANAGED WITH HIGH PROFESSIONAL HIGH STANDARDS.
@PETER, firstly, let me teach you blogging etiquette. Do not type in capital letters as that is seen as rude and shouting. Secondly, our people have been living in shacks – shanties in case that is the word you understand for a long long time. You will not find shacks in the US, you may have the Bronx but there are are real buildings there and I have been there before and seen that with my own eyes. I have not said anything to warrant your diatribe on my post. All I said is that we welcome any foreign entities that we help us build cheap and affordable homes as we do not have the money and capacity to do it ourselves. Your shame is that you want a tiered community in Zambia. The well to do in real houses and the less fortunate in shacks right? Now ask the question – who is inferior u or I?
will help us rather^
AMERICANS ARE CAPITALISTS. THEY ONLY INVEST IN COUNTRIES WITH SOUND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL. IN OTHER WORDS THEY INVEST COUNTRIES WHICH PASS THEIR STRINGENT RATING SYSTEM.
Don’t bring fire hazards to Zambia. We don’t have functioning fire protection services!
My thoughts too @Goncalves!
The material is fire proof when complete. There is not enough oxygen left in the material to burn.
This is amazing technology for Zambia. It is a great company that has a genuine respect and love for Africa.
@ Goncalves you have villages made out of firewood and dry thatched roofs. Engage the grey matter before shooting your out of your gob. Africans enjoy seeing other Africans suffering. That’s why they think a village should not have running water,electricity,roads,cars,bread,shoes,,………… I am fuming.
Innovative products indeed..I hope the set up factory and machinery right in Zambia and not in RSA. I like their Green house technology ie. enviro board system, it reduces construction costs as it speeds up the process with an impressive finished product….definitely going to reduce the prices of the houses and commercial property on the market.
@Ndobo, I think you smoke indobo.
Projects coming to Zed, I don’t think ZDA know what projects are, ghettos
It would have been nice for PF if they considered vital stuff like housing than
Building stadiums, universities, 800 roads when people don’t have adequate
Shelter over their heads.
Housing bubble coming to Zambia soon.
Very true, however this may be the case for higher end properties rather than generic houses that are utilized by those less fortunate. There is rapid construction going on atm that is outpacing demand, particularly in the rental sector as well as high end housing market.
Groundnuts shells are also good raw materials for this project. These are readily available in the entire Eastern province of Zambia where there is massive produxtion of groundnuts.
God initiative. Lets build Zambia. ViVa dual citizenship viva HH
viva common sense though I have been informed that they have run out of common sense biscuits at shoprite.
If this is the case and these new building materials become more widespread in the Zambian market than i foresee a decline in sales for oriental quarries and Lafarge. Start pulling your shares out from these respective companies if you have any. I am completely in support of this project, might drive down the prices of cement.
In the US they use wood to construct houses,if you think they will support the cement manufacturing industry,forget!! It the timber that will be exploited. Find out more about there intentions.
The government should fully support such investors by waving duty on materials they will bring in to construct a factory. Zambia has everything to benefit; this will create employment, will help bring down the price of cement hence reducing the cost of building houses, will bring business to local supplies of raw fibre, will drasticaly reduce abnomal rentals we are experiencing and people will benefit by having decent houses. Politicaly the PF will record a plus as this will happen in their reign(Time)
Hi,I’am glad to send this message,asking you if I can get job in your company I’am good in making drawings of houses using Archicad.
While waitng your reply I thank you.