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Shepolopolo know their group stage opponents for the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Cup that South Africa will host in Port Elizabeth from July 31 to August 11.
Zambia, who were the top seeds in Group B, will vie for a semifinal place against Namibia, Mauritius and Botswana.
Shepolopolo are in the midst of a ten-day pre-tournament training camp following an early-start to their program that began on June 23 in Lusaka.
Bruce Mwape’s side are hoping for better fortunes at the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Cup after finishing fourth at the same venue in 2018 when they failed to better their third place finish in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Shepolopolo Under-20 team will also be in COSAFA U20 Cup action of their tournament that will run simultaneously at the same location from August 1 to 11.
Shepolopolo U20 are in Group B where they have been drawn to face Botswana again including eSwatini and guest side Tanzania.
2019 COSAFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW Group A
South Africa
Malawi
Comoros Islands
Madagascar
Group B
Zambia
Namibia
Mauritius
Botswana
Group C
Zimbabwe
Mozambique
Angola
Eswatini
2019 COSAFA WOMEN’S UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW Group A
South Africa
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Malawi
Lusaka Province Bowman Lusambo (in cap) with his team checking on the Chongwe River
Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo has described the lack of water in Chongwe District as a disaster.
Mr. Lusambo who is also Kabushi Member of Parliament said the water crisis needs to be addressed quickly to avoid an outbreak of waterborne disease.
He was speaking in Chongwe on Wednesday when he toured the Chongwe River in the company of area Member of Parliament Japhen Mwakalombe and Lusaka Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Frazier Musonda.
To mitigate the situation, Mr. Lusambo said Government has already started sending water bowsers to affected areas to cushion the water problem.
He said government will do everything possible to find a permanent solution to water problems in Chongwe.
Mr Lusambo said Chongwe River has completely dried up, a situation that has led to the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company to stop supplying water to the residents.
“After this fact finding mission, I can confirm that we have declared the situation a disaster. The situation requires urgent attention and as Government we have moved in to alleviate the sufferings of the people and livestock by putting up boreholes,” Mr Lusambo said.
He added, We have so far sunk 6 boreholes in Mwachiyeya village, 30 KMs from the main water reservoir. The contractor working on this project has done very well and they have so far covered 18KMs remaining with about 7 KMs into the water reservoir so that the people can start accessing normalized clean and safe water supply.”
He said as a short term measure, Government has started providing water bowsers to the residents of Chongwe because of the gravity of the situation.
“Going forward, we will need to dam the Chongwe River because the source of the river has suffered encroachments and some land owners in the area have started creating small artificial dams which are affecting the water reservoir,” Mr Lusambo said.
Lusaka Province Bowman Lusambo (in cap) interacting with Chongwe residents on the effects of water situation in Chongwe.Lusaka Province Bowman Lusambo (in cap) with his team checking on the Chongwe RiverLusaka Province Bowman Lusambo (in cap) with his team checking on the Chongwe River
Zesco United coach George Lwandamina says he is not a tribalist and people should not hijack or politicise football banter.
Lwandamina on June 29 said in a post-match interview at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka after beating Southern Province -based side Green Eagles that the FAZ Super Division title belonged to the Copperbelt.
Zesco beat Eagles 3-1 on post-match penalties following a 0-0 fulltime draw to win their eighth FAZ Super Division title and retain it for a third successive season.
Had Eagles beaten Zesco last Saturday, they would have made history as the first side from outside Zambia’s football hotbed of the Copperbelt and Midlands to lift the FAZ Super Division crown.
Lwandamina told LT Sports on Wednesday that his statement, that has caused an uproar, that the league title belong on the Copperbelt, was digested out of the context, and was merely a football culture wisecrack.
“I just want to clear the air about what is going on, what is happening, and the outcries from Southern Province. I thought this was football, and I am sure Choma Eagles are based in Choma, which is in Southern Province,” Lwandamina said.
Lwandamina said Eagles is a Zambian club and no one should labelled it with any tribal inclinations.
“But if you look at the (Green Eagles) team composition, they are not all Tonga’s, they maybe a few Tonga but the rest are from other Provinces,” Lwandamina said.
“For me to have said that we didn’t want the Cup to go to Southern Province and that the Cup should remain along the Line of Rail, don’t forget that Choma is also along the Line of Rail, we just wanted to protect the integrity of the Copperbelt.
“You just can’t relinquish or give up the fight for the title for the sake of, “playing the Tonga’s”, like they are saying.
“For me, I am not into politics where I have to start mentioning tribes.
“I have been in football long and I have worked with a lot of Tonga’s compared to even my own tribes mates the Kaonde’s.
“So today, I have become tribalistic, that is unheard of.
“The list is long if I start giving you the list of Tonga players who have worked under me; starting from Kennedy Mweene, Clive Hachilensa, Laughter Chilembi, Hichani Himonde, Lewis Macha and even (Spencer) Sautu who is even with Green Eagles.
“I am sure they are there to give testimony if at any point they heard me talk about tribes.
“I don’t talk about tribes, no. I impress the Zambian people; I work with all Zambian people.
“The most unfortunate part is the competition was between Southern Province and Copperbelt Province.
“And if they had won, they were going to say we have actually made history, we are the first team to have taken the Cup to Southern Province.
“So was that going to be an issue? That’s the question, and the answer is no.
“So let’s not trivialize this football. Football should remain football and independent of politics.”
The Civil Society anti-corruption Yellow Card Campaign
As an organization wish to register our position regards the ANTICORRUPTION YELLOW CARD CAMPAIGN, action by some members of the
Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) purportedly against the Patriotic Front government in respect to allegations of increasing levels of corruption.
Firstly, there’s no empirical evidence showing whether or not corruption is increasing or reducing. However, for a fact Zambia like any other country in the world has some corruption at different levels of society that need concerted efforts to fight within context and with a sense of responsibility without deliberately blowing the scourge out of proportion with the purpose of removing the government of the day by simply using the fight against corruption as a political trump card or purely for the purpose of political mileage.
Some CSO’s, notable religious figures and the current leadership at the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), as can be seen from their unlawful publicity of questionable revelations in the form of raw intelligence information and the failure to capture in their Trends Report suspicious movement of money from outside and within Zambia to political parties in financing the political agenda of aiding a named political party and their surrogate partners to form government that will facilitate the indiscriminate sale of the mines, the reversal of the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation, the introduction of gay rights in Zambia among others.
This consortium of CSO’s,political parties and notable religious personalities are in a carefully planned strategy to smear the Patriotic Front as a highly corrupt entity and failed government worth giving a Yellow Card (warning) and later towards the run up to the 2021 General Elections, the YELLOW CARD CAMPAIGN will be escalated to a RED CARD CAMPAIGN against the Patriotic Front government to have it replaced by some opposition political party whose Party colour is RED under the pretext of fighting the alleged increased levels of corruption. This political scheme is funded by some international entities through some diplomatic representatives in Zambia.We therefore urge the people of Zambia to guard against falling prey to this divisive and unorthodox scheme from shabby wood works.
Lastly, as an organization urge the government and people of Zambia to remain focused in the fight against poverty, unemployment, social inequalities, corruption and any other unlawful and retrogressive vice in our country. It is only true that this consortium of some of our citizenry has deceived some people for some time now but will certainly not deceive ALL the people repeatedly and forever.
MAURICE MALAMBO
Executive Director
ZAMBIA YOUTHS ASSOCIATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia has welcomed the proposal by Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Dr. Jobbiks Kalumba to print examination papers within the country.
NAQUEZ Southern Province Coordinator Mukukwa Mulyate said the proposal is progressive and government has the capacity to take up the task if well supported.
Mr. Mulyate said his Organisation supports this development as it would create the much needed employment to the citizens of Zambia as opposed to empowering such to other countries.
He said this proposal is also an austerity measure as the money will be spent locally for improvement of examination processes.
Mr. Mulyate said NAQEZ in Southern Province also supports reforms aimed at streamlining the blotted curriculum to allow learners pursue learning areas of their strength.
He said this would enhance speciality and competence resulting in quality education and as well as establish and cub sources of examination malpractices easily.
Mr. Mulyate has since requested the minister of higher education David Mabumba to consider re-opening the Copperbelt University unconditionally and engage management and student union to find the root cause of the misunderstandings as opposed to expelling some students some of whom are innocent.
Chinese firm China Nonferrous Metal Mining Co (CNMC) is poised to take over KCM assets belonging to Vedanta Resources.
According to Africa Mining Intelligence, the firm has ramped up its media presence over the past few days to proclaim the legitimacy of its purchase of KCM.
While the Zambian government’s request for KCM) to be liquidated has been put on hold by a court ruling, CNMC seems to be convinced that it will take over the sites.
In June, CNMC representatives took to the local newspapers to affirm that the company is the best suited, both in terms of technical and financial capacity, to buy the assets post-liquida- tion.
Guobin Hu, the managing director of Chambishi Nonferrous Africa Corporation, the CNMC subsidiary that operates a copper smelter near to the KCM sites, also recalled that the group has recently invested a further $800 million in Zambia.
CNMC would like to have a larger presence in the Copperbelt and is also keen to make acquisitions in neighbouring Congo where it has also built a copper smelter.
The Zambian government, which owes large sums to China, seems to have been won over by the move.
The Ministry of Mines is understood to have organised a trip for potential buyers to the KCM sites in late June.
The mines have been running at half-mast since the liquidation process began in May.
It will however be difficult to make any sale before the dispute between the government and Vedanta headed by Indian Anil Agarwal, has been settled.
The Lusaka court ruling on the matter called for the liquidation process to be suspended on June 27, while at the same time the mining firm intends to file for arbitration in South Africa.
Music legend Pompi is set to unveil the ‘Unstoppable’ song, as part of his role as Standard Chartered Bank’s Digital Bank Ambassador. The song is set to play on radio stations this week.
Launched on 27th June 2019, Standard Chartered Bank’s first-ever digital bank in Zambia marks an important milestone in the Bank’s path towards digital innovation – a move which is certain to disrupt traditional banking in Zambia, and another first in the market for the bank.
As part of his role as StanChart’s Digital Bank Ambassador, Pompi is lending his voice and image rights through a series of Marketing and Community engagement activities over the next 6 months. Together, StanChart and Pompi will ensure the digital bank message reaches as many Zambians as possible.
Commenting on the partnership with Pompi, Herman Kasekende, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia CEO, said: “We are delighted to be working with Pompi to promote the first-ever digital bank in Zambia. Pompi is an inspiration, not only due to his musical talent, but also for his dedication to promoting youth development in Zambia. He has represented Zambia as a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum, and championed key youth empowerment initiatives. Pompi’s priorities and ideals are very much in line with the Bank, making him the perfect partner for this momentous new offering. The launch of our digital bank in Zambia is an important chapter for the Bank – going digital means progression, not just for our business, but also for our clients.”
Christine Matambo, Standard Chartered Bank’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, said:“Pompi was the natural choice for us to launch this exciting, truly digital bank. He is a true role model in Zambia. This partnership opens up a great opportunity to contribute to the social and economic wellbeing of the country, where we have been operating for over 112 years. The campaign which Pompi is spearheading aims to not only raise awareness of Standard Chartered bank’s innovative digital offering, but also to further enhance financial inclusion across the country. This is an exceptionally important undertaking for the future of Zambia.”
Deep Pal Singh, Standard Chartered’s Head of Retail Banking, said:“The Bank is thrilled to be working with Pompi – he represents the true values and ideals of our great country, and has truly been a role model, especially for young people. Throughout his career, Pompi has continued to fly the Zambia flag high and made fellow Zambians proud. We have no doubt that he will fly the Standard Chartered Digital Bank flag high.”
Speaking on his new endorsement, Pompi said: “I am excited to be working with Standard Chartered Bank. I am also honoured to be chosen to support their efforts to enhance accessibility to banking services for the Zambian people. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and proud to play a key role in spreading the word on Zambia’s first-ever digital bank.”
Through the launch of the digital bank, Standard Chartered Bank has disrupted the banking sector, and is bridging the gap between the traditional banking model and the new, digital savvy generation in Zambia. The first-ever digital bank model makes banking services simple, more accessible and convenient.
When bigotry becomes accepted as a norm in a society over the course of time, the powerful tend to create for themselves a moral code that glorifies awful, bizarre and often irrational decisions. Cowered into silence, the voice of the intelligentsia gradually drowns into a comatose.
Be very afraid then, when rights of law abiding citizens are trampled upon willy-nilly, when the powerful, chose to cast a blind eye to the real social and economic malaise afflicting a society. It is said after all that the hallmark of a constitutional democracy to which Zambia ascribes is its ability to produce a knowledgeable citizenry whose views, rights and choices are not only protected but respected.
Proverbs 24 verse 3-4, New International Version (NIV) amplifies this belief, “by wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Few would dispute that a Zambia, that is tolerant of dissenting views, either political or otherwise, supports multi – culturalism and respects a people’s choice of faith – key but among other attributes, is the society that we all aspire to live in.Be even more afraid when the most liberal clergy and commentariat resign themselves to mere spectatorship – allowing charlatans to sell discriminatory fortitudes as the beacon for morality.
Which brings us to this conversation. Whatever informed the declaration of Zambia as a Christian state, the irony of the consequences of that decision should not be ignored any longer.What prompted this declaration? Did the secular state – as it were pre-the declaration cost the country its moral compass. Was civil society and the general populace complicity in this decision?
With Christianity now firmly entrenched as the supreme faith of the land, what are we to make of the rights of other faith based religions? Suffice to add though, has the advent of this declaration achieved anything tangible. I beg to be indulged for my warped memory is unable to piece together – actual reasons that led to this development. It’s the inconsistency though and a perceived parochial application of Christian values and tenets that’s raised my interest.
Zambia’s constitution and the society envisioned by it, encourages a participative society. In Orwellian terms, all animals should not only be deemed equal but enjoy the same rights. Aside from the many questionable decisions made under the guise of protecting the moral sanctity of a society, this conversation deliberately steered clear of the belly of the political terrain but elected to interrogate a few but questionable decisions.
Soon after his punchy sermons spread like a wildfire, Seer 1, a Nigerian prophet was mysteriously bundled out of the country. His cardinal sin is believed to have been his ability to magically print loads of kwacha for his impoverished flock. Those in the know testify to the prowess of his miracles going as far as comparing him to the legendary Pastor Alf Lukau – remember he who resurrected a rotten corpse in a Johannesburg church. Keen to tap on this free manna, members of other churches began to flock to Seer 1’s temple – a factor that is said to have angered some prophets in the Pentecostal movement. In no time, he was mysteriously bundled on a plane destined to Mutalla Mohammed International Airport, Lagos never to be seen in Zambia again.
Whatever the argument, the fact is that prosperity gospel is big business in Zambia. If one dare argues, ask any of the growing slew of bible thumping cons masquerading as prophets. Among other practices of this phenomenon, staunch devotees are asked to cede a portion of their monthly earnings to their church in return for promises of a prosperous life after death. In other words, sweat your life to poverty on earth for your rewards are in heaven.
Prophet Bushiri poses next to his luxury cars
In the eyes of the state, Herbert Angel, a Zimbabwean – UK based prophet and his controversial spiritual son, Pastor Bushiri – his recent infamies aside- are also considered undesirables in Zambia. In the absence of facts, the duo’s crimes are hard to fathom. What is certain though is that they are both filthy rich having accumulated their wealth by among other things – harvesting the spoils of this phenomenon. They use mass internet platforms to lure new flock. Simply put, they have become the envy of their less sophisticated Zambian peers – bear in mind that this business is about numbers.
Back to their crimes, what did Angel and Bushiri ever do to earn the status of “undesirables?” I’m tempted to speculate for there is seldom smoke without fire. Did they ever covert a turf that’s become a fortress of the politically connected prophets of prosperity gospel? You be the judge.
Controversial dancer Zodwa Wabantu
Unlike the trio who gracefully opted against contesting their banning order, South African Vosho dancer, Zodwa Libram aka Zodwa Wabantu dared the state. She quietly sneaked into Zambia for a planned series of shows in Lusaka – not before authorities pounced on her soon after she landed at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. After a brief detention, she was bundled onto the next available flight out of Zambia. The reason? Zodwa who is known for sensually gyrating her pelvics while standing on her torso barely covers her bottoms rendering her performances a danger to hapless Zambian mortals.
My jaw is still hanging. In the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit, is Zodwa’s dressing undesirable enough to warrant a state sanctioned deportation? Except for the fact that Zodwa barely covers her loins, how different is her dress code to that of Swililili hit maker, Mampi? Watching Mampi belt her music countless times in both Lusaka and Johannesburg, you could well argue that her scanty dressing is in fact more torturous to one’s imagination. Make no mistake, this comparison is not meant to demean the gist of this conversation. Pound for pound, two wrongs do make a right yet it’s the application of a different set of standard against the duo that is so naked to the eye.
Mampi
In the same breath, it is difficult to comprehend a recent decision to ban Somizi “Somgaga” Mhlongo – one of Africa’s most brilliant and proudly gay choreographers – from ever performing in Zambia. The state alleges that Somgaga is a person with questionable character – whose presence in Zambia could have compromised or diluted the morality and integrity of the country. Really?
What right has the state got to start policing a society into choosing which songs to listen to, which entertainer to watch or which pastor’s church to visit or sign up to?
For all its intentions, is the declaration of Zambia as a Christian state still relevant as it applies? For the bible, I read does not discriminate, my Christian faith does not judge and the God that I worship is rich in forgiveness. Most of all, I subscribe to the virtues of mutobe ilibwe.
The Zambia Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance says 17,000 children will continue to die in Zambia annually if nutrition is not made a priority by those in Authority.
Mathews Mhuru, the Alliance Country Coordinator has observed that currently, efforts by government to end malnutrition in the country are not all encompassing as they have continued to elude the poor who are the most affected.
Mr. Mhuru has noted that although there has been a 5% drop in chronic malnutrition reported in the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, which has seen a reduction mostly in children from wealthier households, 40.1% of children from poor households remain stunted.
He added “these efforts are not in line with the theme of the Seventh National Development Plan which is “accelerating development efforts towards Vision 2030 without leaving anyone behind”.
Commenting on the set priorities for 2020 by the by the National Development Coordinating Committee, Mr. Mhuru has wondered why the plan has not prioritized the fight against malnutrition, a problem which affects the majority poor Zambians and accounting for about 45% of all child deaths in Zambia.
Mr. Mhuru has urged government to prioritise addressing the challenge of malnutrition saying the country will only see meaningful development when significant progress is made in addressing this problem.
Zambia and Zimbabwe will start building the USD 4 billion Batoka hydropower dam across the Zambezi River next year.
In a statement, the Zambezi River Authority says the project will commence next year, 25 years since it was first mooted.
Authority Chief Executive Officer Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa explains that procurement of the developer for the project is underway and is expected to be engaged by the end of 2019.
Engineer Munodawafa added that once engaged, the developer is expected to commence works in the last quarter of 2020.
He further says studies have revealed that the project will have minimal impacts regarding physical and economic displacements of the host communities as the reservoir will be contained within the gorge where there is limited livelihood at present.
He however stated that where physical or economic displacement is necessary, the authority will prepare a resettlement action plan in consultation with the affected parties and relevant government institutions to compensate such affected households to a level better than before by applying national and international good practices.
Currently, the proposal is for two power plants, each with an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts one on the Zambian side and another on the Zimbabwean side.
The dam to supply the reservoir with water will be a 181 metres tall arch-gravity type.
The Batoka Gorge dam will be situated 50 kilometres downstream of the Victoria Falls with a designed capacity of 2,400 megawatts shared between the two countries.
As well as the dam, roads, transmission infrastructure and housing would also be built.
Engineer Munodawafa said feasibility studies were almost complete and a developer would be signed up by the end of this year.
He said the project would have “minimal impacts” on local people as the reservoir behind the dam wall would be contained within the gorge.
Engineer Munodawafa said studies are underway to mitigate environmental damage.
“Once engaged, the developer is expected to commence works in the last quarter of 2020,” Engineer Munodawafa said.
In February, Zambia’s Energy Ministry said the ZRA short-listed U.S, European and Chinese companies to build the Batoka Gorge hydro power plant.
Mr. Nkhuwa said recently that a bidder had yet to be chosen to build for the project.
Those short-listed are a consortium of General Electric and Power Construction Corporation of China, Salini Impregilo of Italy and a joint venture of Chinese firms Three Gorges Corporation, China International and Water Electric Corporation and China Gezhouba Group Company Ltd.
The project will use a Build-Operate-Transfer financing model and place no fiscal strain on either government as no sovereign guarantees will be required.
According to Bloomberg News, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said last month that General Electric of the US and Power Construction Corporation of China had been selected.
Zimbabwe suffers regular power cuts of 19 hours a day, while Zambia has shorter outages of around five hours.
As of July 2018, the projected cost of development was estimated at US$4.5 billion.
A Zambian Engineer based in Vancouver, Canada died in a hit-and-run crash at the base of Burnaby Mountain.
Charles Masala, 53 is a professional engineer who went to extraordinary lengths to promote education in Zambia.
Charles Masala, 53, was killed Saturday afternoon while riding his bike in the 1500-block of the road that leads up to Simon Fraser University on Burnaby Mountain.
A black Jeep Cherokee SUV left the scene but was located shortly after on University High Street and Tower Road where the driver was arrested, the RCMP said in a news release on Tuesday.
No charges have been laid, but police said “it is believed that alcohol was a contributing factor.”
The investigation continues.
Masala was riding his bike along Gaglardi Road when he was struck by an SUV on June 29.
He didn’t survive his injuries.
Police investigators on scene after Charles Masala was struck by a driver Saturday afternoon on Gaglardi Way. He died on the scene.
Friends have created a makeshift memorial for the father of two, according to Global B.C. News.
In 1989, Masala graduated from the University of Zambia with a bachelor’s of engineering degree.
A year later, he obtained a master’s degree from the University of New Castle Upon Tyne.
In 1995 after moving to Canada, he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a master’s degree of applied science and has been an engineer since then.
According to the Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. website, Masala worked for Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. in Vancouver.
His primary area of expertise was water resources, and he had secondary expertise in hydrology.
“I have been directly involved in studies relating to mine water management, including water quality and characterization, surface water management and design, and water treatment in North and South America,” Masala wrote in a 2016 technical report on a feasibility study for the Fruta del Norte project in Ecuador.
Masala was widely admired for his efforts to give students in his native Zambia an opportunity to succeed in life.
In 2006 while living in Seattle, he wanted to help a volunteer group that was offering classroom education to a few dozen students near where he grew up.
Masala and some friends launched the Dwankhozi Hope organization to raise funds for this initiative.
It now offers education to 600 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 9 in the Dwankhozi community school, according to the group’s website.
“Our work has grown to address community health projects, sustainable economic projects, adult education—and recently the construction of a local high school for graduated students in the area,” it states. “Dwankhozi Hope is not about charity. It’s about justice.”
In 2010, Masala went on a nearly 2,000-kilometre bike ride to raise funds for Dwankhozi Hope, a Zambian organization that runs a school for 600 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 9.
After Masala was struck and killed, Burnaby RCMP detained a vehicle at the top of Burnaby Mountain.
As of this writing, there’s no word on whether any charges have been laid against the driver or any passengers.
File:PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu feeds the fish in one of the ponds. This was during the official opening of Yalelo Fresh Zambian Fishing farming company at Kamimbi village in Siavonga district
Zambian tilapia operation Yalelo is embarking on an ambitious growth path this year, after securing a $10.5 million loan from Dutch development bank FMO.
While the funding should help it more than double its production volumes this year, another big focus will be furthering its processing and retail footprint, Adam Taylor –CEO of FirstWave Group, Yalelo’s parent company – told Undercurrent News.
At present the Lake Kariba-based firm produces and sells just over 1,000 metric tons of tilapia per month. With this additional funding, sales should double, Taylor said.
“We have the hatchery ponds and production pens necessary to double production, but that’s a relatively minor part of the picture; fish pens are not a high-cost item.”
“Doubling sales depends on a wide range of functions across the firm, from recruiting and training several hundred new staff, additional boats, trucks, warehouses and retail shops, maintaining and securing each of those and launching dozens of new retail locations. Developing scalable systems such that we can do that in a controlled manner has been a significant area of investment over the last 18 months.”
With its plan in place, Yalelo should be able to grow sales by around 7,000t per year, he said. Sales in 2019 should lift to 1,600t per month.
Laying a strong foundation for scale has been necessary when it comes to Yalelo’s retail side.
“There are a lot of things that were simple with a handful of retail shops, however now that we operate 50 shops, growing towards 100, it is a sizeable business in itself and one of the larger cold-chain footprints in East Africa,” said Taylor.
“There are many factors in operating a successful retail chain in such a challenging environment, from data analytics to operations auditing.”
As well as its own retail shops, Yalelo also sells through most of Zambia’s major supermarket chains.
In each supermarket a Yalelo merchandizer staffs a fresh fish concession.
“Additional processing is an important focus for us this year. We see an opportunity to leverage our existing distribution to the 40 fresh fish supermarket concessions we operate to also include frozen retail packaged products, such as gutted and scaled family packs,” he said.
“Frozen product can also be distributed into additional third-party retail locations which, unlike fresh fish, does not require full-time merchandizers at each location.”
The firm already produces a moderate amount of frozen product, sold in bulk 10-kilogram packs for export markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and the foodservice segment, but now it is investing in gutting, scaling, filleting, and consumer packaging for formal trade across the region, he said.
Most of its tilapia is currently sold as fresh – that’s where it has the competitive advantage over smaller, frozen, glazed fish imported from Asia – but there is a niche for higher-margin processed products, he feels.
Another good opportunity to sell the extra volumes lies across Zambia’s borders.
That country, Yalelo says, is a 180,000t-per-year market, while the region – the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, and more – is much larger.
He specified that exports and packaged, processed products should represent an increased revenue share over time, naming supermarkets in South Africa and further wholesale in the Congo as high priorities.
“Zambia will naturally continue to be Yalelo Zambia’s primary market, but there are some great opportunities in cities in other countries to attract higher-margin sales,” said Taylor.
“Prices in neighboring countries can be materially higher, more than enough to justify the additional transport costs.”
In each of those markets, as in Zambia, Yalelo will look to sell larger, higher-quality fish, attracting a price premium relative to Asian imports.
“We do charge a quality premium relative to Asian imports which are smaller-sized with a high glaze, but we’ve found this is a premium our customers are happy to pay.
Brand loyalty is high, even in these very price-sensitive markets. Our current retail pricing is $2.10/kg, relative to imported product at $1.70.
Lake Kariba, of course, is enormous. Africa’s “inland sea” is 223 kilometers long and 40km wide at its extremes, and has a surface area of 5,580 square kilometers.
The Netherlands’ Wageningen University is in the process of establishing the lake’s tilapia farming capacity, but internal analysis suggests the figure could come out at well in excess of 100,000t, said Taylor.
“Assuming the carrying capacity of the lake isn’t a near-term limiting factor in aquaculture — and the addressable regional market is upwards of 500,000t and growing — what might be?
For an individual farm, biosecurity and health management are important considerations, along with diminishing economies of scale above a certain point. Eventually, multiple locations are required, both from a production risk management and distribution perspective.”
For Yalelo, the limiting factor, for now, is managing growth.
“Yalelo Zambia has the same challenges as would be experienced by rapidly growing companies anywhere in the world, plus the added challenges of Africa.
Issues such as increasing headcount while maintaining the company’s culture; more refined delegation of authority across diverse functions; standardization of processes without stifling innovation; and ensuring management information systems are suitable at 2x and 10x today’s complexity of activity,” he said.
“This is the case across each of our group companies, and we’re fortunate to have a deep team of senior professionals leading our development. In this environment, having the right team with a clear direction is 90% of the answer – everything else follows from there.”
The only other major aquaculture operation on the lake is Lake Harvest, which has operations both in Zambia and Zimbabwe, but the majority in the latter.
Its website states it produces 9,000t per year.
There’s also very little smallholder farming on the lake, Taylor said, despite Yalelo trying to encourage it.
“Unfortunately, it’s not really taken off on Lake Kariba. Through our company Horizon Aquaculture we are trying to make fish farming more accessible to smallholder farmers by providing feed, fingerlings, and equipment in a one-stop-shop concept,” he said.
The dream of Zambia’s first AFCON final captain, the late Dickson Makwaza, was to live to see Chipolopolo qualify to the FIFA World Cup, and now FAZ and the Zambia Football Coaches Association have pledged to honour him with that hope.
Zambia’s 1974 AFCON silver medal winning captain, who died on June 29 in Ndola after an illness, was put to rest on July 2 at Luanshya Central Cemetery.
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga and ZAFCA boss Daniel Kabwe said they will utilise the four-year technical deal with the Croatia Football Association as a base for Zambia’s 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup qualifying ambitions.
“We have lost a gallant sportsman who wanted to see Zambia qualify to the World Cup. Every time we met, we talked about progression and he said; why haven’t we gone to the World Cup?” Kabwe said in his tribute to Makwaza during the funeral church service on July 2 held in Luanshya at the UCZ Central Church.
“Yes, we have done everything and he appreciated that we won the Africa Cup and we have been to Seoul twice (For the 1988 Olympics and 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup) but what he wanted to see before he died was to see Zambia qualify to the World Cup.
“We can only do that by coming together as one football family.”
Kamanga, in his tribute to Makwaza at the same juncture, said the onus was on Football House to qualify for the World Cup.
“They (Croatia) have agreed to assist us though a four- year program to first of all build a coaching school, so we are now going to adopt the model that the Croatians are using so we hope that can attain success with that level of support from those who have done it,” Kamanga said.
“So if we can pick up from there, there is no doubt that we can honour Mr. Makwaza’s wish, that one day, Zambia will play at the World Cup, that, I think, is one way we can honour him.”
Makwaza was Zambia’s longest serving captain from 1965 to 1975 and won the 1972 Zambia Footballer of the Year and 1973 Sportsman of the Year.
He was also the founding member of ZAFCA in 1988 when he was its first vice president while his contemporary the late Samuel‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu was its first president.
