By FRANK CHING’AMBU –
FOR many years, the Copperbelt Province has predominantly been known as a copper mining region.
This is due to the fact that since independence, successive governments focused their efforts solely on developing the copper mining industry.
The availability of a good road network linking all the 10 districts and the electricity grid, among other factors, make the province a good destination for investment.
Viable sectors such as agriculture and tourism did not receive similar attention in terms of investment.
This also applies to gemstone and cement industries.
However, following intensified calls to diversify the economy from over dependence on copper mining to other viable sectors, the province’s potential in developing other sectors has started coming to the fore.
The Copperbelt Province can now boast of being home to one of the largest cement plants in the country in the name of Dangote.
The establishment of the Dangote cement plant, which is situated in Masaiti District, brings the number of cement plants in the province to three, the other two being Lafarge, formerly Chilanga Cement, and Zambezi Portland Cement.
The province is now able to produce millions of tonnes of cement per annum for both local and international markets.
The availability of cement is an added incentive for would-be investors because the building material reduces the cost of construction.
Besides copper mining, the gemstone industry has remained underdeveloped.
The stable prices for gemstones on the international market should encourage investment in this sector.
Emeralds Association of Zambia president Victor Kalesha says the emerald sector is very viable and can effectively contribute to the growth of the economy.
He said economies for countries such as Colombia and Madagascar were doing well because of emerald mining but that it had not received adequate attention in Zambia.
Mr Kalesha said locally, the industry had proved to be very viable as evidenced by the huge profits that a few mining companies in the industry were reaping.
He said through auction sales, a few mining companies in the industry were able to raise over US$9 million on a quarterly basis.
At the moment, a carat of emerald weighing 2.77 kilograms, size 9×9 x6 mm is selling at $4,500.
“As we talk about diversification from copper mining to other sectors such as agriculture and tourism, let’s also think of diversifying from copper mining to emerald mining.
“The lack of equipment and operating capital is a major hindrance to the growth of the emerald sector. If these two things can be addressed, then the sector can thrive and create the much needed jobs and wealth for the country,” Mr Kalesha said.
The once dormant agricultural sector in the province is slowly blossoming with Mpongwe District taking the lead in terms of production.
Commercial and medium scale farms are emerging each season with the increased cereal output, among other agricultural products from the province.
In relation to the livestock industry, the province will be home to one of the largest hatcheries for day old chicks, Zamchick, which is under construction in Mpongwe.
The hatchery is being built by Zamchick sister company – Zambeef.
Growing of cash crops, such as soya beans, on both large and small scale is on an increase due to availability of market being created by livestock and manufacturing industries that are being set up.
However, massive potential still exists in form of feedstock production for both the local and foreign markets.
Provincial Agricultural Coordinator, Obvious Kabinda says with the lower prices which the commodity recorded in 2017, there is need for the promotion of value addition if farmers are to enjoy the sweat of their labour.
He said with the recent increase in the number of entrants in the poultry industry at both individual and organisational level, the situation provides an opportunity to those with intentions to invest in the sector.
Dr Kabinda said people should not be discouraged by the low prices that soya beans recorded during the previous marketing season, but rather start thinking of value addition in order to derive adequate benefit from yields.
He said companies such as Global Industries, which is adding value to the crop through the manufacturing of soya cake, are generating a lot of money from both local and international markets.
In an effort to stimulate investment in the lucrative agricultural sector on the Copperbelt, the Government, with support from Africa Development Bank (AfDB), is establishing Lwiswishi Farm Block in Lufwanyama District which is already home to one of the largest soya beans plantations established by Global Plantations.
Vast tracks of arable land and abundant fresh water coupled with good climate conditions and the ever ready Congo market is an incentive for any would be investors.
“Government has opened up land of about 100 thousand hectares where 10 thousand hectares has been given to a co-venture between the Government and the private sector, while five thousand hectares has been given to five commercial farmers who are supposed to give support to the small scale farmers,” Dr Kabinda said.
Dr Kabinda said the Government is building irrigation dams and warehousing facilities besides opening up new roads so that value addition would be done within the scheme.
He said clinics in the area will be upgraded to mini-hospitals and two secondary schools would be built for the growing local population.
Dr Kabinda said the government has established Musakashi Irrigation Scheme in Mufulira District to encourage horticulture after realising that many people had concentrated on production of maize.
So far, 113 displaced families had already been relocated and compensated and areas where reservoirs would be put up have been identified.
Works are underway on the reservoirs.
The availability of fresh water from the Kafue River which passes through the province presents another opportunity to exploit and grow the local fish industry.
The fact that Zambia has a deficit of fish, the location of a fish breeding center in the province, at Kitwe’s Mwekera area, should act as an incentive for would be investors in fish farming.
Presently, it is estimated that about 40,000 tonnes of fish is imported into the country annually just to meet the local demand of 156,000 metric tonnes.
The livestock sector is another area that has massive economic potential.
This is because most of the beef products the province consumes come from elsewhere.
Coupled with the yawning Congo market, this should spur investment in beef ranching, abattoirs and canning.
They say ‘all work and no play make Tom a dull boy’, and in this regard, tourism is another sector that has remained underdeveloped in the province.
Although the province has a number of tourism attractions such as the ‘sunken’ Lake Kashiba in Mpongwe, Kapisha Hot Springs in Chingola and many other sites, very little has been done to develop the sector.
Commonly known by the locals as ‘Pachipoto’ (big pot), Kapisha Hot Springs produces hot water of above 37 degrees Celsius.
The water is mostly used for cooking and bathing by those that mold bricks near the springs.
According to local people, only males are allowed to draw water from the spring because it is believed that the springs would dry up if a female fetched water from there for any use.
History has it that the hot springs were discovered by early white settlers who were trying to tap water by laying pipes from the site to their homes.
Unfortunately, the initiative was not successful because the pipes kept bursting due to the heat. Since then, the hot springs have remained dormant despite having potential to attract investment.
Northern Region Tourism Officer Twambo Muzyamba said the Government is looking for potential investors to develop the site by putting up hold baths and resorts.
She says once developed, the site would be of significant benefit when it comes to revenue generation from both local and international tourists.
She says jobs would also be created.
Ms Muzyamba says apart from the Kapisha hot springs, the Copperbelt Province has a lot of tourism attractions which are open for investment.
Despite Copperbelt being the backbone of the Zambian economy, the manufacturing sector has not grown as expected.
A good number of manufacturing companies, most of which were established in early 70’s, went under, following the economic reforms undertaken after the country’s return to multi-party politics in 1993.
Thus, investments in the manufacturing sector present another opportunity as the market for end products is readily available.
To support the growth of this sector, the provincial leadership has – through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) – put in place incentives aimed at attracting investors.
It is thought that the investors would be helpful in adding value to copper, agricultural products and other natural resources.
Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo says incentives being provided to investors are specifically meant to support new business entrants in the copper processing industry.
He indicated that copper processing would greatly discourage the export of raw copper; a situation he says had robbed the country of its much needed revenue.
“Despite being endowed with a lot of copper, the province has no copper processing plants, apart from a few firms that are producing copper cables.
“We have a lot of potential for investment in the manufacturing of copper products such as wires, plates and tubing, rods and cables,” Mr Lusambo said.
He said the provincial administration believed in putting in place certain incentives that will promote the steady growth of new industries in copper processing as well as in processing other natural resources into finished products.
With the extensive investment the Government is making to improve the road, rail and air transport, would-be investors should definitely be encouraged to invest in the province.