Zambia's Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls

                                   Zambia's Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls                                                                                                                

Photo via Google Images search

One of the most spectacular sights in Africa, MOSI-oa-Tunya is a mile-long marvel of mist and spray marking the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Known to locals as Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders”, the roar from the world’s largest single curtain of falling water can be heard 40km away.

The falls were named after Britain’s Queen Victoria by David Livingstone, the first European known to have crossed the Dark Continent. On coming face to face with the waterfall in 1855, the explorer and missionary incredu­lously recorded, “It has never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so wonderful must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”

Chief Sekeletu, of the local Makololo tribe, paddled the adventurous Scotsman to Goat Island, now Livingstone Island, which is as close to the dramatic cataract as you can get. Well, almost. Today’s tourists take the same route until they, too, are surrounded by the tossing, tumbling Zambezi River. Water levels are at their lowest from late August to early January and this is when fearless (or foolish) foreigners dive in and swim to Devil’s Pool. A submerged ledge enables show-offs to lie on the lip of the falls, barely a metre from the raging rapids, without being swept over.

The ultimate infinity pool is reached from the Zambian border town of – you guessed it – Livingstone. The easy-going former capital is a popular base for visitors wary of the political, economic and social unrest just across the river.

Zimbabwe may be about to bounce back from its tourism slump, however. Lonely Planet has included the nation once known as Rhodesia in its top 10 of countries to visit in 2019, Victoria Falls (also the name of the town) hotel occupancy rates are at their highest for 20 years and 300,000 people are expected this year – a far cry from 2008, when visitor numbers dwindled to 25,000.

Tourism chiefs on both sides of the river realise the destination they share has what it takes to become a lucrative year-round attraction (the waterfall draws even bigger crowds during the rainy season). Victoria Falls might be twice as high as Niagara, in North America, but it’s a lot less commercialised, although that’s changing. Helicopter flights and hot-air-balloon rides offer birds-eye views, and adrenaline junkies go white-water rafting down the mighty Zambezi or zip-line over it. They can also follow in the footsteps of Hollywood actor Will Smith, who gave the local tourism industry a boost last year when he bungee jumped off the 111-metre bridge that links Zim and Zam.

On the subject of adrenaline sports, (Zimbabwean) ground was recently broken on a Grand Prix circuit for Victoria Falls, bankrolled by a Dubai-based consortium. Besides the racetrack, there are plans for convention facilities, a medical centre and shopping mall.

Further afield, both countries offer world-class game viewing. Safari goers have an excellent chance of spotting the Big Five in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, which is home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations. In Zambia, South Luangwa National Park is renowned for its walking safaris. Frankly, I’d rather sit on the ledge at Devil’s Pool.

Credit: SCMP.COM by T. Pile 

Business Profile - Java Foods

Edited by In'utu J. Mubanga 

Oversubscribed: How To Get People Lining Up To Do Business With You

Java Foods is a proudly Zambian company founded in 2012 with the objective of providing convenient, affordable, and nutritious foods made from local ingredients.

We began operations as a trading and distribution company selling our own brand of noodles – eeZee Instant Noodles, before going into manufacturing. Java Foods now manufactures cereal – eeZee Supa Cereal (a high-energy protein cereal) and Num Num Snacks (corn puffs) from our factory in Lusaka.

Monica Musonda - Java Foods Zambia CEO

We believe that buying local Zambian products first is very important because it builds our economy. By choosing to buy Zambian first, we make Zambia a priority simply by choosing to support one another. 

Why is this important?

Zambia is a young nation and we believe that building a nation requires a diverse and sustainable local economy. Everybody has a different role to play in making Zambia a great place to live for all her people.

By buying Zambian first, we do not just help build up our economy and create employment for our people – we create a sense of pride and confidence in ourselves. We set a positive example for our children and help them understand that together we can achieve anything.

National development is important, but what is more important is that every Zambian can live a life of dignity, free of extreme poverty and deprivation. 

Too often do we look to Government and foreign donors to solve challenges that we are more than able to overcome as individuals and as a people. Every country that has grown into a self-sufficient, prosperous nation has done so based on the efforts of all its people. Local business is the foundation of such success.

Why buy Zambian first?

To us, it is the same as asking why you should send your children to school. Without developing our own strength and resources we fall short of the blessings and potential that our country has been endowed with. 

Without local industry we condemn ourselves, our children and future generations to continue suffering, servitude and unfulfilled potential.

More importantly, we see this same seed of change and greatness in our customers. Currently, eeZee noodles are currently the leading noodle brand in Zambia all because our customers chose to buy Zambian first. Thanks to this we now also produce a nutritious instant cereal – eeZee Supa Cereal and corn puffs – Num Num Snacks.  All of this is possible because Zambians are beginning to believe in local products, brands, and themselves. 

Greatness starts at home. World-class products and prosperous nations started with a commitment to self-reliance. In Zambia and as Zambians, this is where we begin our journey into greatness. 

When you buy local first, you buy into a great prosperous future for yourself, your family, and our beloved motherland. Our potential is limitless; now let us show the world what we are made of!

Buy Zambian first proudly... always and forever!

Read more profiles on Zambian Companies on our Blog: HERE

Zamtel, Barclays Plc partner to launch online payment solution

Zamtel and Barclays Bank Zambia Plc today announced the launch of online payment solution to enable Zamtel customers to pay for various communication products and services.

In a statement released to the media today, the two companies said that together they bring together years of experience and unique expertise in telecommunication and financial services to deliver a payment solution that is safe, secure, reliable and efficient and is consistent with provisions of the National Payment Systems Act (2007).

"Through this partnership, Zamtel customers will be able to pay for their data accounts on ADSL as well as purchase credit for pre-paid mobile and fixed-line numbers from the comfort of their homes or offices using an e-Commerce platform,” read the statement.

Using the e-Commerce solution, users will be able to purchase credit, data bundles on ADSL, check credit balance and view payment history.

Commenting on the partnership, Barclays Bank Zambia said in line with its strategy, its focus was on delivering innovative products and services to its customers that is anchored on the effective use of technology.

“As a trusted brand in banking with over 100 years existence in Zambia, Barclays Bank Zambia has continued to focus on providing its customers with financial solutions that not only meet their needs but exceed their expectations,” read the statement.

“Globally, the banking sector has been no exception to the ever-changing technology trends, and for this reason, we have continued to invest in our technology platforms to provide our customers with superior banking services that offer them the convenience to transact anywhere and anytime. 

Therefore, for us at Barclays, the digital agenda is part of our DNA and as a way of transforming our customers’ experience, we continuously seek partnerships and alliances such as the one we have entered into with Zamtel in order to leverage complementary competencies that benefit customers.” said Barclays Bank Zambia Managing Director Mizinga Melu.

Commenting on the partnership, Zamtel Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sydney Mupeta said: “ This strategic partnership clearly demonstrates the confidence that both Zamtel and Barclays have in the Zambian economy and are committed to cashlite and risk-free payment solutions.” - www.lusakatimes.com

Zambia Weights and Measures Agency worried with unlabeled and underweight products

Source: Google images

The Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) has expressed concern at the growing number of unlabeled and underweight products on the market.

ZWMA Public Relations Officer Mutale Chileshe says his the Agency has, for this reason, intensified its inspection of products on the market throughout the country.

He said it is only right for consumers to get the right quantity of the products they purchase adding that traders should make sure that the products they stock measure to the weight indicated on the package.

“We will not only hold the traders responsible for stocking underweight products, but we will trace these products back to the manufacturers and hold them liable,” said Mr Chileshe.

Mr. Chileshe stated that the Agency is currently sensitizing both consumers and traders to educate them on regulations pertaining to weights and measures.

Meanwhile, the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has urged Zambians to demand for quality products.

ZANIS News, reports that ZABS Public Relations Officer Hazel Zulu says Zambians should make sure that the products they buy are adequately labeled with a brand name, expiry date and other important information.

Mrs. Zulu said traders should make sure that the products they sell are labeled in English adding that any unlabeled products will not be allowed on the market as they are considered of substandard.

Mrs. Zulu stated that ZABS is committed to taking out substandard products off the market and sensitizing the consumer on the dangers of buying such products. - www.lusakatimes.com

Zambia Seeking Bids for New Mobile Provider to Take on MTN

by Taonga Clifford Mitimingi and Matthew Hill

Zambia is seeking bidders for a fourth mobile-network license to take on operators including market leader MTN Group Ltd. in the southern African country, Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba said.

The ministry last week gave the go-ahead to the telecommunications regulator to start the process, he said in a recorded response to questions on Monday. The new carrier could be in place over the next six to 12 months and the country may even have capacity for a fifth operator, he said. The local unit of India’s Bharti Airtel Ltd. and state-owned Zamtel make up the current trio.

Communication costs in Zambia have been “rather on the high side,” Mushimba said from Lusaka, the capital. “The market analysis that we have done supports the fact that we can have a fourth licensee and possibly a fifth and still the market will be profitable.”

For full story - www.bloomberg.com

Zambian Biz - Kamanga Wear (2016 Top Zed Brands Finalist)

In 2016 you nominated and voted for this list of the '2016 TopZedBrands Winner and Finalists'. And on that list, we have a total of 10 Zambian brands that you support and love. Kamanga Wear, was one of those brands. We asked them to let us (and you), know why they think it is important for Zambians to 'Buy Local and Zambian First'. 

Why Buy Local Fashion? By Fay Sowden

Kamanga Wear is a Zambian Ethnic Eclectic ready-to-wear brand that offers an alternative to international mass-produced garments. Since its inception six years ago, the Kamanga Wear brand has managed to grow from a fully dependent start-up into a self-sufficient small scale business. It has successfully managed to develop a business model that designs, produces, markets and sells a clothing line that is, without doubt, one of Zambia’s leading locally produced ready-to-wear women’s clothing lines. This couldn’t have been possible without the support of our local customer base. 

Kamanga Wear aspires to be a leading ready-to-wear brand at home and abroad. More often than not people choose to buy clothing made overseas in factories rather than clothing made by Zambians for Zambians. As consumers, sometimes we do not think twice about the long-term effects of our shopping habits on the communities we live in. We have become addicted to low-cost products made abroad (and also thinking that foreign things are better) and got hooked on accumulating quantity over quality. Products that used to be built to last are now built to be disposed of, making them seem “cheaper” at first glance. 

Every culture has different kinds of fashion trends according to their tastes and preferences. Diverse fashion styles can be found all over the world. But at Kamanga Wear we see fashion as a symbol that represents a bonding amongst the local community. Since it represents the fashion sense of a community, establishing which fashion to follow is highly important for a community. Local talent is a rare gift which should be natured and encourage to grow hence support the local fashion industry is very important for the prosperity of a nation. 

"WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND GROW AN INDUSTRY WITHOUT IT BECOMING SOME CHARITABLE CAUSE OR GLOBAL PITY PARTY."

1. We sell unique innovative fashion

One of the core values at Kamanga Wear is authenticity. When you buy a shirt made in China, you don’t know the full story. You can’t ask the maker, and many times, you can’t even ask a big company about the history of your clothes. But locally made fashion is accessible and can give customers the transparency that the fashion industry desperately needs. All our garments have a name and a particular journey to the showroom that is completely unique to the Kamanga Wear brand.

2. You are supporting real empowerment not charity 

We work closely with our sister company Xstina Creations to manufacture high quality, desirable ethical fashion products for other labels, while simultaneously empowering micro-artisans through access to gainful employment, knowledge and skills. This business model marks a radical departure from previous development interventions with the informal sector as we facilitate a direct link with the fashion industry. For the first time, micro-artisans can operate as an integral part of the international value chain because the production of fashion goods responds to market demand. We are demonstrating that we can support each other and grow an industry without it becoming some charitable cause or a global pity party. By owning it we are creating our own narrative and avoiding stereotypes of the typical Zambian enterprise. We are showing we can build up an industry based on our aesthetics through market demand and supply. Rather than wait for a multinational corporation to swoop in and do it their way. 

3. You can help build communities

Kamanga Wear often drum-up custom by participating in events, from the Zambia Art and Design Show to Pop -Up shops at local shopping malls and markets. If the businesses are not supported, the local groups tend to disappear too. Markets can have community value, as there is often a social purpose to stalls – they can be public spaces as well as retail outlets.

4. You might get a better deal or some good advice

As a local independent retailer, we have the opportunity to really get to know our customers. Our team are able to share their knowledge of body shapes and style. So that we can recommend the best products to meet our real-life Zambian customer needs.

5. It encourages entrepreneurship and creativity

To create a viable fashion brand requires finding and working with professional models, graphic designers, stylists, accountants you name it. The personal interactions between other professionals, designers, manufacturers and customers allows for curiosity, exploration and learning something new. At Kamanga Wear we firmly believe in collaboration with other designers. We have so many enquiries from designers wanting to learn at Kamanga Wear that we have developed an internship program. If the local demand is there, we would be able to add many new designers and give them opportunities to showcase their talent.

6. Creation of jobs and poverty reduction

Most of us know that shopping locally is good for the economy because more of your Kwacha stays in the community. The Kamanga Wear brand has created jobs directly and in close collaboration with its sister manufacturing company Xstina Creations. Supporting local manufacturing sustains (and can even create!) jobs. Supporting local Zambian industries and creating employment—be it tailoring workshops, fabric sellers, sales staff, and so on. This collaboration creates much-needed employment for local Zambians, with the benefits extending to entire communities. The multiplier effect on education, financial independence and even health is unbelievable.  Supporting local Zambian fashion enables communities to support their local designers as well which adds to the economic situation of any economy.

7. We represent the local community and culture

Fashion is a form of a statement for a nation. It showcases the interests and values of a nation worldwide. Establishing the local fashion sense and promoting it internationally enables a nation to display it's diversity in the foreign markets. Many people purchase the fashion labels of other countries out of interest hence it is very important to build a local fashion statement before taking it to the international markets. 

You can get in touch with Kamanga Wear via 

Tel: +260 978 567333

E-mail: Kamangawear@gmail.com

www.kamangawear.com

Facebook: Kamangawearclothing  

Twitter @kamangalife  

Instagram: @Kamangawear

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