By Derrick Silimina
In the midst of Nc’wala fanfare, wads of Kwacha notes exchange hands among entrepreneurs as they scramble for limited time trying to cash in from the traditional ceremony.
Situated about 560 kilometres from Lusaka, Zambia's capital, Chipata town was swarmed by local and international tourists who had come to witness one of the country's top traditional ceremonies.
As traditional leaders and residents of Chipata town in eastern province celebrated in pomp and splendour of the Ncwala ceremony to mark the first harvests of the season, but for local SMEs, it was a rare moment to eke a fortune out of the three days’ event.
“Nc’wala is a platform for us to display our quality services to our valued clients no wonder why our lodge is already fully booked and we have been so busy as response from clients has been overwhelming especially during the Nc’wala ceremony and business is on point,” Eastern Comfort Lodges Supervisor Rachael Banda told Solwezi Today Magazine.
Banda is optimistic that the future of the hospitality industry in the district is bright as Comfort lodges has widely spread its footprint in the district and that plans are underway to expand to Petauke district. Considering that during Nc’wala, hospitality business in Chipata is always at its peak as tourists from across the globe trek to the border town to have a glimpse of the lively traditional showpiece as well as to sample the local cuisine.
However, ahead of the Ncwala traditional ceremony, Chipata district is always hit by a critical shortage of accommodation forcing people to seek lodging in nearby towns of Katete, Petauke and Mwami districts as well as neighbouring Malawi due to an overwhelming number of Nc’wala enthusiasts.
A check at Chipata’s Royal Orbit lodge located right next to SGC filling station along the great east road found an executive room pegged at K3,500 each while a standard room was going at K2,500 each respectively for the N'cwala weekend but these rates are revised downwards immediately after the Nc'wala ceremony.
For Aaron Gondwe, it's that time of the year again to make cool cash for his taxi business especially that booking rates are doubled during the Nc’wala ceremony.
“I anticipate a profit margin of not less than K20,000 as my five cars get busy during the event ferrying clients prior, during and after the event,” said Gondwe, a taxi operator who operates from within Chipata’s Central Business District.
Gondwe disclosed how the traditional ceremony has been a game-changer in transforming his transport business as he now plans to establish a car hire company this year.
Just like transporters, hoteliers as well as lodge operators take advantage of the event and boost their sales, traders of various goods and services are not left behind as they too jump on the bandwagon of tough tested entrepreneurs to cash-in from the once-off annual event.
“I anticipate more sales for my artwork before the end of the event. This festival has always remained a pillar of our industry considering that most of our buyers are tourists who come to attend Nc’wala,” said Martin Jere who specialises in artefacts such as sculptures.
For this reason, the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EPCCI) has over the years positioned itself for business opportunities that come with the ceremony.
“It being a social, cultural and tourism event, it means that even those who are involved in tourism, hospitality, catering and transport related businesses at least derived some benefits out of the Nc’wala ceremony. Therefore, from the cultural and economic point of view, this year’s event was a success,” Chamber President Thomas Mtonga said in a telephone interview adding that as a cultural heritage, Nc’wala festival has continued to contribute to the growth of the tourism and hospitality industry in the province.
Mtonga noted that as the profile of the traditional ceremony grows, it brings out the corresponding corporate interest in sponsorship as it has become inevitable for the corporate world to get on board and compete for attention by being sponsors.
For instance, Seedco has long been associated with the Nc’wala as a key sponsor for many years due to its business interests in the Eastern Province where it has a huge footprint. However, it is not the size of sponsorship but spirit behind the contribution to the successful staging of the event which matters.
Some cultural pundits are of the view that commercialisation of traditional ceremonies is the way to go as it will boost the local economies via demand for accommodation and sale of artefacts as well as as promote revenue generation via visiting historical sites especially that much of this revenue will be in foreign exchange which is critically need as a country.
Meanwhile, as the main event reached its climax on the final day, paramount Chief Mpezeni left Laweni - his resting place as he led hundreds of impis to Mtenguleni - venue for the annual Nc’wala traditional ceremony. Thousands of onlookers were mesmerised by ngoni warriors clad in animal skins amidst songs of jubilation.
The event was characterised by the Ngoma dances, where the dancers artistically stomp the ground while waving their clubs. The ceremony culminated when one of the Ngoni warriors spears a black bull to death, while another slits its throat and collects the blood for the paramount chief to drink, a signal that people should now start eating the produce from their fields.
This years’ Nc’wala has been described as special since Paramount Chief Mpezeni is clocking 40 years on the throne and 40 years since the resumption of the ceremony. The ceremony is commemorated by the Ngoni people based in Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa. The Ngoni people are believed to be descendants of the Zulu people of South Africa who settled in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique after fleeing from wars.
The 2023 Nc’wala ceremony which was attended by various traditional leaders across the country, Malawi and Mozambique was commemorated under the theme; “40 years of love, peace and unity.”
“This ceremony makes us keep the tradition of our forefathers alive and helps the new generation know where they came from,” said Monica Mbewe, a Ngoni based in Lusaka.
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