By JUDITH NAMUTOWE? –

PANGAEA Securities has said foreign investors are looking for alternative sectors to explore in Zambia because of its potential for economic growth.
Company chief executive officer Ceaser Siwale said the international investment community was attracted to Zambia because of its potential for economic growth through untapped sectors.
In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Siwale cited logistics and distribution sector where the country was yet to fully maximize on its geographical position to be a hub for the region.
“From our perspective, this is probably the most important sector for the entire Zambian economy as all sectors are heavily dependent on its efficiency. Zambia needs to change the model of accepting Johannesburg and Durban being the hub for Southern Africa. Without embracing our competitive advantage as the hub for the Southern and Central African regions, we will also be an expensive destination for doing business,” he said.? And Pangaea Securities in collaboration with the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) is set to host the international Zambia Investment Conference in December, 2014.
The conference would host more than 30 well-known panelists and speakers, including business leaders, investors and policymakers.
Among the speakers were economist Charles Robertson, author of “The Fastest Billion”, Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) chief executive officer Brian Tembo and Carl Bruhn, founder and chief executive officer of the agriculture and food company Amatheon Agri Zambia Limited among many other speakers.
He noted that international interest in Zambia’s investment opportunities remained high with companies keen to explore non-traditional sectors such as fast moving consumer goods, telecommunications, media and technology, logistics and distribution, infrastructure and construction as well as agri-processing.
“Zambia is attracting interest from investors that are interested to support the country’s economic diversification plan.
“There is an increasing awareness of the opportunities outside of the mining sector and this is something that can be a catalyst for the transformation of our economy from its reliance on mining to a diversified sector that not only attracts foreign direct investments inflows but creates employment opportunities,” he said.