Zambia’s state owned telecoms provider Zamtel says it is confident of jumping to the number 1 position as the country’s largest network provider when ongoing investments into core network upgrade are completed.
Zamtel currently occupies the third slot after Airtel and MTN.
As part of its US$280 million investment in the network, Zamtel is installing 1009 new communication towers and upgrading existing ones which will see the company stand at 1,793 sites, more than any other network provider in the country.
The firm is also modernizing its Woodlands Technical Center in Lusaka at a cost of K7 million by transforming it into a Cloud Data Centre.
Zamtel is also rehabilitating and modernizing Lamya House in Lusaka at a cost of K30 million and upgrading its power solutions and also transforming it into a Cloud Data Centre.
The company is further putting up a new state of the art Call Centre whose works are 75% complete aimed at improving customer care.
Zamtel Corporate Communications Manager Kennedy Mambwe disclosed when he featured on a live Consumer Feedback radio programme on Hot FM on Tuesday evening.
Mr Mambwe said the projects have been initiated to improve coverage, increase capacity and place Zamtel at the centre of the country’s digital transformation.
He said the company is confident that the network improvement projects will catapult Zamtel into the number slot in about 30 months after the ongoing works are done.
“If you have been in Zambia for a long time, you will realize that of the three operators, one of them was number one, they are no longer number one; they are on number two position, Why? Because there is movement in numbers. We may be third placed right now but guess what, anyone who is really watching the trends must be worried about Zamtel because of the momentum at which we are moving we will soon most likely be number one and that is not like a farfetched idea, it’s a reality,” Mr Mambwe said.
“I don’t want to be a Prophet but I can make a statement of fact that once we are done with these projects, Zamtel is going to climb to the top slot as the number one network provider in this nation,” he said.
He further described the year 2017 as phenomenal for the company.
“The growth has been great. In February of this year, the company was struggling to pay certain bills and to meet certain obligations but there has been a complete turnaround, the performance has been great both in numbers and revenue and we have been able to meet our commitments to institutions such as the Zambia Revenue Authority,” he said.
Mr. Mambwe has since assured that Zamtel will continue on this growth trajectory in 2018.
“We went past the 2 million mark and we were upbeat about ending the year at 2.5 million subscribers but we may not end the year with that. By the time we switch on all the sites we are rolling out we will be able to accelerate our growth, perhaps double our growth, within a short space of time because we have put in a number of strategies and interventions to make sure we are catapulted into the numbers that we are looking at.”
If you do all those investments at the back of GRZ guarantee with inflated costs to benefits certain companies, and continue with the nepotism of employing relatives and friends, how do you hope to claim the number one position where people work with professionally and their shareholders are always breathing fire on them to make a profit?? As a ZAMBIAN I HAVE ALWAYS WISHED and WANTED ZAMTEL TO SUCCEED BUT THEY NEVER IMPRESS TO KEEP MY LOYALTY! I believe there are many I feel the same! WE WISH WELL FOR ZAMTEL AND OUR COUNTRY, BUT PLEASE PULL UP YOUR COMMERCIALLY! YOU MAY HAVE ALL SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT BUT WITH OUT BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE YOU MAY FAIL TO OPTIMIZE ITS USAGE TO MAKE REAL PROFITS FOR ZAMBIA,BUT MAY FOREVER CARRY US IN DEBT!!
stop being negative. lets support our own. we commend them for the realistic growth path they have embarked on. Bravo to board and management for this foresight.
@2 mugaba, EXCELLENT COMMENT. ONE OF THE REASONS ZAMBIA CAN’T DEVELOP IS THE NEGATIVITY OF ZAMBIANS ABOUT THEIR OWN. ZAMBIANS ARE DUNDERHEADS TO THE EXTENT THEY END UP BUYING THING MADE IN ZAMBIA ABROAD AND OVERSEAS ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE STAFF THEY BOUGHT IN PARIS OR LONDON IS MADE IN ZAMBIA WHEN THEY COME BACK HOME (ZAMBIA). SERIOS OF LUANSHYA USED TO BE A CLOTHING COMPANY IN ZAMBIA THAT EXPORTED EVEN TO UK. INSTEAD OF BUYING SUITS IN ZAMBIA, ZAMBIANS UNKNOWINGLY BOUGHT THEM IN THE UK. I SAW ZAMBIA AIRWAYS AIR HOSTACES BUYING MERE SALADS IN THE UK TO BRING THEM TO ZAMBIA. ZAMBIA HAS THE BEST ORGANIC VEGETABLES ONE COULD HAVE EASILY MADE SALADS FROM OUR VARIETIES. ZAMTEL MUST BE SUPPORTED LIKE BT (BRITISH TELECOMS) IS SUPPORTED BY THE BRITISH PEOPLE. AMA ZAMBIANS BATUTU SANA.
This announcement is again in line with what the IMF expect zambia follow to get the much need bailout.
Peter, we are good at talk these days but without realization of projects
Hopefully we haven’t missed our opportunity to again be a manufacturer,
To achieve this we must have government resolve, commitment and actualization, not just rhetoric .
We want to be involved in diversification of agriculture, tourism, industrialization, ICT, power.
We talk we dont do , FOCUS on one area, achieve then Focus on the next and so on. Too much tallk not enough action. No national debt figures released since 2012 only TALk by politicians as to figures. Just ask the World Bank
Hope you will be roaming every where in the world , i will no doubt switch on to the responssible and accountable team and be part of the local brand supporters. GO FOR IT . WE ARE PROUD OF YOU !!!
Please dislodge these thieves called Airtel and MTN
We said zamtel is back but Bambi abafitala baletalika. See now… Going all the way to the top! That’s what we expect. Zamtel don’t relent.
I am in support of you! The other guys exploit the masses – much! God guide you ZAMTEL to success!
Hazaluza Hagain!