Getting the Point

 

Acupuncture therapy gains popularity in Zambia

By Derrick Silimina | VOL.12 January ·2019-12-30

An African TCM doctor presents acupuncture points of the human replica (XINHUA)

Anita Njobvu, 32, was introduced to acupuncture therapy by her husband because her blood pressure was through the roof.

"I was first introduced to some other Chinese herbal medicines and I later ended up with acupuncture treatment, which has been helpful as my blood pressure has actually stabilized," said Njobvu, who lives in Lusaka, capital of Zambia.

Acupuncture is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and involves the insertion of long needles into specific points on a person's body with the aim of balancing the body's energy levels.

Njobvu, who had been battling severe hypertension for some time, said that after three months of being administered with acupuncture therapy, she is now on the course of recovery.

Acupuncture is part of the growing trend of Chinese involvement in the health sector in Zambia. The growing footprint of TCM in the country is a mirror of the broader perspective of China-Zambia relations, highlighting mutual cooperation in a wide range of areas.

In Zambia, traditional and alternative medicine is used and accepted by a great majority of the population, regardless of ethnic, religious, or social background. So, people are open to the idea of TCM.

Popular treatment

Acupuncture treatment used to be something new to the African continent, but with awareness of it growing in countries like Zambia, an increasing number of patients are opting for the healing technique rather than conventional medicine.

"[My TCM doctor] Feng Kehong's treatment took about two months and from the third month, I have not had any high blood pressure readings," said Njobvu.

As compared to conventional medicine, Pamela Chisunka, a teacher in Zambia's Central Province, said that she found Chinese traditional remedies to be more effective than Western medicine.

"I think for me, Western medicine couldn't help cure my chronic headaches. Conventional medicine just has a temporary effect, and the pain remains when one stops taking the medicine. As a result, you spend more on medication," said Chisunka. For Benjamin Mambwe, a local bus driver from Intercity Bus Station in Lusaka, acupuncture has proven to be more effective than conventional medicine. He said it wasn't long after he began treatment that he recovered from partial paralysis earlier this year.

He told ChinAfrica that during the acupuncture treatment process, the doctor used needles to prick into the affected body part.

"You will feel slight discomfort when she starts the process; but thereafter, it's okay and the pain will disappear. After 30 minutes, the needles are removed and the process is repeated [daily] for 10 days."

After the treatment, Mambwe is now back on his two feet attending to his daily duties.

Wide range of benefits

Meanwhile, Benjamin Chitumbo, a renowned Ndola-based medical doctor, is impressed with his Chinese counterparts and their effective medical practice.

"All I know from experience is that acupuncture is one of the alternative medical treatment methods as it is based on the long Chinese tradition and explains the interconnectivity of our hormones and nervous system. Acupuncture has been used for a variety of illnesses. It is certainly a practice that has helped many of my patients too," said Chitumbo.

It is because of this acceptance that Feng established the private medical facility - Zhong Yi Surgery in Lusaka, following an increase in demand for Chinese medical treatment among the city's residents.

"Since I came to Lusaka, more and more people understand acupuncture. I attend to various patients suffering from strokes, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, paralysis and diabetes, among others.

In 1997, Feng came to Zambia on a tour of duty from China and worked for two years as a resident medical doctor first at Ndola General Hospital in the Copperbelt Province and then Kabwe General Hospital in Central Province.

Driven by her passion to provide quality health care to people, Feng went on to establish Zhong Yi Surgery in Lusaka in 2002 with a focus on TCM care.

Feng's assistant Neila Mumba, a Zambian lady, explained how Zhong Yi Surgery, located in Lusaka's Roma residential area, has helped many Zambians recover from various diseases.

"We had a chief from north Zambia who suffered a stroke and he was unable to walk. But after [acupuncture] treatment, he started walking. We also have several cases of senior government officials who come here to seek medical attention," said Mumba. "For instance, there is one lady who is diabetic and she has been to several hospitals but her condition was quite severe and couldn't recover until she came here. Her condition has now improved as her sugar levels drastically came down."

Asked why she has prioritized acupuncture therapy and not conventional medicine in her private medical practice, especially since she is a fully qualified medical doctor who has served in Zambia's public hospitals, Feng said her calling is to help people with the most effective medical care available.

"In China, I learned Western medicine and TCM. I chose the latter after I established a private clinic; but before that, I practiced as a full-time conventional doctor," said Feng.

Local compliance

Since TCM is built on a foundation of thousands of years of medical practice, it includes various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and dietary therapy, among others.

Feng said she has since been helping more local people understand how traditional therapies work and comply with local rules and standards.

"One big advantage of traditional Chinese medicine is that it is easy to perform, and it doesn't have high requirements for medical equipment," said Feng.

In line with how these medicines adapt to local conditions, the Zambian Government recognizes traditional and complementary/alternative medicine and national policies do support these treatments.

Although there are no official regulatory measures for recognizing the qualifications of practitioners, the Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia reviews and registers traditional practitioners for licensing, and plans are underway to develop such regulations.

Zambia is now considering better utilization of its diverse medicinal plants, a worthwhile lesson learned from China.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 70 percent of Zambians use traditional medicine.

Recently, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said the government was in the process of reviewing the act that governs the traditional practice of medicine.

"As we strengthen our health system, we have identified the need to strengthen collaboration, in particular with China. Zambia will collaborate to strengthen the cultivation of medicinal plants and to share experiences and knowledge," said Chilufya, when a delegation from Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (JUTCM) called on him at the Ministry of Health headquarters.

Chilufya has since hailed the wider partnership between China and Zambia, especially in the area of health infrastructure and human resource training. Zuo Zhengyun, head of the delegation and President of JUTCM, informed Chilufya that his university had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tropical Diseases Research Center (TDRC), to collaborate in the area of research.

Located in Ndola, Zambia, the TDRC is a biomedical research Center initiated by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the Zambian Government.

"We also hope to cooperate through research and development to promote clinical use of Zambian traditional herbal medicines," said Zuo.

The mission to Zambia by the university follows Zambian President Edgar Lungu's visit to the JUTCM campus in 2018.

(Reporting from Zambia)

Sweet Exposure

 

Zambia's honey market is abuzz with opportunity from China

By Derrick Silimina | VOL.12 February ·2020-02-13

Employees of Mpundu Wild Honey Ltd. in Zambia display their honey products in November 2018 (XINHUA)

High up in the remote forests of central and northwest Zambia, bees are producing some of the world's best organic honey.

For centuries, honey bees have met human demand for products like honey and beeswax. It's a demand that continues to this day and by all accounts is growing exponentially.

The huge gap between the world's consumption of bee products and available supply presents a profitable opportunity for entrepreneurs to exploit.

In Zambia, honey has long been treasured locally for its medicinal properties, and today it is also cherished as a powerful engine for local development.

Lucrative sector

With over 30,000 Zambians engaged in beekeeping, the sector has become a lucrative business venture in the country's bid to diversify its copper dominated economy.

Trade experts say honey is the most popular natural sweetener in the world and the global trade in bee products is worth millions of dollars every year. Due to its diverse use, the worldwide consumption of honey is so huge that supply can barely cope with demand.

Interestingly, honey from Zambia is currently in high demand in foreign markets such as China, and other countries, due to its pure taste that is free from any additives, preservatives or economic adulterants.

Rita Mbulo is a mother of three from a small village in northwest Zambia. After years of trying to make ends meet in the charcoal industry, she was selected to be part of a network of beekeepers managed by Al-Apis Concepts Ltd. She was trained as a beekeeper, and now manages 20 hives which produce over 250 kg of organic honey annually. This venture has increased her income to allow her to send her children to school, buy food, and pay for medical bills.

"It's awesome to belong to this network because it has taught me and other farmers how to add value to honey through improved beekeeping methods. Since our honey is highly sought after on the international market, we look forward to increasing our yield in order to meet global demand," said Mbulo.

Driving along the Great North Road from one metropolis to another, en route to the Copperbelt Province, motorists are usually attracted to an avalanche of Zambia's natural multiflora honey, straight from the forests of Central Province.

Mable Nkolomba, 32, is a street vendor based in Kapiri Mposhi District. He said being a trader of pure organic honey along the Lusaka-Ndola Highway, popularly known as the Great North Road, has been fruitful.

"I order the raw honey from beekeepers from nearest forests and after I process it into clear syrup, which is packaged into 2.5-liter containers, I sell each container at K40 ($3) depending on the local market demand," said Nkolomba.

On the international market, honey is trading in the range of $5-6 per kg, as compared to the local market which fetches between an average K30-40 ($2-3) per kg of the same commodity, according to the National Honey Board, a U.S.-based industry-funded agriculture promotion group that educates consumers about the benefits and uses of honey and honey products.

It is for this reason that several small- and medium-sized beekeepers in rural Zambia are repositioning themselves to enter the Chinese and other foreign markets.

New markets

Mpundu Wild Honey Ltd., a Zambian honey maker, got some sweet exposure at the First China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in November 2018. Last year, the company showcased new products, such as honey facemasks and honey soaps, to meet the diverse needs of Chinese consumers.

Amos Kunda, 42, from the Mkushi District of central Zambia has been in the honey sector for over a decade. "Belonging to Mpundu Wild Honey Ltd. has more benefits as the company has empowered me and other local farmers in terms of access to viable local and international markets," said Kunda.

"I can now afford to buy farming inputs such as fertilizer, chemicals, and seeds to cultivate crops, pay for my children's tuition fees and support other family members as well," he said.

Company Director Zhang Zhanping explained that his company plans to increase honey production by increasing the number of beekeepers in the area.

Zhang said the Kabwe-based company is helping local bee farmers add value to their products and explore the local market, instead of producing only for the export market.

"The export of honey to China from Zambia will improve the economies of both countries through employment creation and international trade," said Zhang.

On the other hand, Al-Apis Concepts Ltd., a private organization, supports over 1,000 small scale beekeepers in northwest Zambia by providing them with the hives and training needed to produce raw honey. This has a positive impact on their social welfare and on the environment.

Mumba Ai, Director of Training at Al-Apis Concepts Ltd., echoed Mbulo's idea that for local farmers to meet the international demand of unprocessed honey, they are required to supply no less than 50 tons a year to meet the demand.

"If we can increase the number of farmers we have in our network, we should be able to meet that, especially in the coming season," said Ai.

Wide range of use

Al-Apis Concepts Ltd. is also conscious of the spin-offs of the honey industry, including medicine, food processing, industrial manufacturing, and natural healing.

"For instance, most local farmers are unaware of the economic benefits of beeswax, a wax material produced from the honeybee's body that is thrown away after harvesting honey from beehives. A lot of craftspeople and manufacturers still spend a lot of money importing beeswax which can be produced locally," Ai noted. Beeswax is widely used in a range of cosmetics.

China and African countries have notably advanced their cooperation in recent years, with multilateral platforms such as the CIIE and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation playing a constructive role. The First China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is another international platform which was recently held in central China's Changsha City in June 2019.

Following the signing of an export protocol witnessed by Zambian President Edgar Lungu and Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China in September 2018, Mpundu Wild Honey, a company based in Kabwe District, has since exported more than 10 tons of honey to China.

It is indisputable that the boom of the honey trade in the global market will improve the lives of thousands of small scale beekeepers in Zambia; hence, the focus should now be value addition of its by-products following an increase in export demand by a whopping 700 percent in five years, according to the Zion Market Research – a company that produces futuristic, cutting edge and informative reports.

It is for this reason that the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) is working with the country's Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and International Trade Center to grow the sector and create efficiency in the production and supply of honey.

In line with Zambia's Seventh National Development Plan (2017-21) to diversify the economy, the honey sector is among the priority areas which the government has identified to drive the diversification agenda.

Zambia's annual honey production is 2,500 tons and it currently exports only 1,000 tons to the European and African markets, leaving a surplus of 1,500 tons, according to data obtained from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

"You can see a lot of passion among our leaders all the way down to individual households about honey - it is Zambia's gold," said ZDA Director General Perry Mapani.

(Reporting from Zambia)

Technology empowers Zambian farmers and woos young people into the agricultural field

 

A Chinese company, Sunagri Investment has invested in farming equipment that promotes the use of smart agriculture to help Zambian farmers

By Derrick Silimina | VOL.12 May ·2020-05-22

Sunagri Investment Zambia staff assemble drone equipment ready for operation (Sunagri Investment Zambia) (XINHUA)

It's the end of the rainy season in Zambia, but it's not been good for farmers due to the effects of climate change.

During the 2019/20 agricultural season, many farmers' fields were severely ravaged by an invasive pest commonly known as fall armyworms, posing a threat to Zambia's food security.

As Zambia's staple food, maize is the most cultivated crop and a staple on most households' menus in the Southern African country where 90 percent of the country's daily food intake is through a meal widely known as nshima.

During the 2018/19 farming season, a total of 59,993 hectares of land, supporting over 70,000 households, was affected by the outbreak of the armyworms. This has resulted in 46 districts and 521 agriculture camps sending out distress calls, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The voracious caterpillars also attack other grains such as soybeans and wheat and have since spread to more than 40 countries in Africa, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization.

But for Leonard Sakala, 34, a small-scale farmer based in Mazabuka District in south Zambia, all is not lost. He has been getting help from new technology courtesy of a Chinese company, Sunagri Investment, which has invested in farming equipment that promotes the use of smart agriculture through innovative tools such as drones in order to combat armyworms.

Efficient fumigation option

Sunagri's use of drone technology bypasses labor-intensive manual spraying of maize fields in favor of intelligent automatic spraying.

"Using drone technology has helped me a lot," said Sakala. "While my profits haven't gone up dramatically, technology is helping me reduce my losses that I would have incurred if the pests had ravaged my crops."

With more than 50 hectares of land, Sakala's entire family lives off the farm. Like him, most people in Zambia are completely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

Meanwhile, Muhammed Patel, owner of Evergreen Farm situated west of Lusaka Province, said drone technology is a game-changer for farmers fighting the annual notorious pests and offers an efficient fumigation option.

"I benefited well from the drone spray service from Sunagri. It fights against armyworms and the equipment is efficient. I have used the drone a couple of times in my soya and wheat crops and the results have been impressive and cost-effective," said Patel. He said he recommends drone spraying to all small farmers who rely more on expensive manual labor to spray their fields.

In Zambia, China is not only involved in infrastructure development but is also investing in other viable economic sectors such as agriculture, which represents the new face of globalization in Africa.

The dawn of technology through modern equipment is key to revolutionizing Zambia's agriculture sector, said Sunagri Investment Zambia Director Frazer Zhang.

"In 2016, I saw how many farmers here wept due to an outbreak of armyworms. I then had an idea and thought about how I could find the right drones that can help combat the armyworm outbreak in Zambia," Zhang told ChinAfrica. "In 2017, I managed to import three manual agricultural drones from China and subsequently brought in smart drones that are able to spray insecticides even at night."

Zhang stressed that Sunagri's XAG (Xaircraft) drone is one of the effective alternatives to decimate notorious pests quickly because manual spraying during the day is labor-intensive, costly and a waste of chemicals as the worms only come out to feed on the crops at night.

In terms of efficiency, he said that each drone can cover 45 hectares per day and the job can effectively vanquish even the bigger worms that usually hide inside the maize stalk.

However, not every farmer can afford to invest in expensive technology - as the XAG (Xaircraft) drone is costly at between $2,000 and $3,000 each.

To make the drones more accessible, The African Development Bank (AfDB) recently launched a $1-billion initiative called Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation, jointly with the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, International Fund for Agricultural Development and other partners, to scale up available agricultural technologies across agro-ecological zones on the continent.

The AfDB is also providing $20 million to tackle the challenge of the armyworms. This support will allow at least 15 million farmers in six countries in Southern Africa to combat the armyworms using control technologies.

A drone of Sunagri Investment Zambia sprays pesticide over a crop field (Sunagri Investment Zambia) (XINHUA)

Getting youth into farming

Due to the high cost of production in the sector, farming has an unglamorous image in Zambia, especially among the youth. But this perception is gradually changing.

Most young people portray agriculture as a sector meant for retirees, or for elderly people who are poverty-stricken.

"We must invest in the youth of Africa. They are not only the future but also the presence of Africa. I do not believe the future of Africa's youth lies in migrating to Europe. The youth's future lies in an Africa with more rapid and inclusive economic growth, which creates quality jobs," AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said recently.

Climate change is worsening the farming environment, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it's been estimated by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) that the continent will add an additional 38 million hungry people by 2050 due to climate change.

With the rapid growth of the use of drones, automated tractors, artificial intelligence, and robotics, among others, agriculture is poised to see a boost in productivity.

It is estimated by the IFPRI that the size of the food and agribusiness market in Africa will be worth a whopping $1 trillion by 2030.

It is more likely that the future farmers will be sitting in their homes with computer applications using drones to determine the size of their farms, monitor and guide the applications of farm inputs, and driverless combine harvesters bringing in the harvests.

It is for this reason that Zhang emphasized it is his passion to help inspire young people in Zambia to appreciate the value of smart agriculture in their lives, through harnessing technological tools.

"My dream is to influence Zambia's young people [and bring them] back to agriculture. I want to help Zambia and its youthful generation become a model of smart agriculture in Africa."

Zhang reiterated that apart from providing spraying services via his drones to commercial farmers at $20 per hectare, his company has done a lot to train local small-scale farmers in using high-tech agricultural equipment.

He emphasized that the government should invest in technology and come up with a deliberate policy in order to incentivize locals and help them improve their agricultural production. This can be done through smart agriculture, especially in Zambia where the majority of farmers have smallholdings.

Through free tutorials and spray demonstrations in local farmers' fields, Zhang stressed that his services have gone a long way in rekindling the hope that young farmers have in the sector.

Zhang added that his company is already working with major agricultural entities such as Chamba Valley Farm, York Farm, Seed Co, and Zambia Sugar, among others, in a bid to expand its services in the Southern African Development Community region.

Reporting from Zambia

Chinese traditional medical practice of acupuncture brings relief to patients in Zambia

 

Zambia considers better utilization of its diverse medicinal plants, a worthwhile lesson learned from China

By Derrick Silimina VOL.13 June ·2020-06-18

female acupuncture model with needles in the shoulder （HELLORF）

Infertility can be stressful and frustrating for couples the world over; but in Zambia, there is also stigma attached to barrenness.

After trying for almost two years, Tamara Chiponge had given up hope that one day she would be able to bear a child of her own.

On the verge of reaching menopause, Chiponge became desperate for a child as she could no longer withstand the intense social stigma and pressure, especially coming from her close companions and family members.

"I used to put on a false smile to the public, but inside, I was hurting. I took care of other people's children [and it got to a] point where my mother-in-law forced me to adopt a two-year-old child," she told ChinAfrica.

Infertility on the rise

Zambia's Health and Nutrition Communication and Advocacy Strategic Plan (2018-21) highlights that gauging from the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections alone, it is estimated that both primary and secondary infertility rates in the country are of concern. Gynecologists say infertility is actually a major public health concern because it affects one's mental well-being, disrupts social bonding, lowers economic productivity, and erodes self-confidence.

It is for this reason that Zambia's Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya recently said the situation calls for a great investment in comprehensive reproductive health, including fertility services.

"Infertility accounts for 10 to 15 percent of outpatient gynecology clinic attendance in Zambia, yet access to fertility services is seriously limited due to the high cost of services," said Chilufya.

As in many other societies, in Zambia, the inability to conceive and bear a healthy child is considered to be the fault of the female partner rather than a problem of the couple. The lack of access to effective treatment causes much personal suffering, family discord, and social dysfunction.

Whyson Munga, Registrar of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of University Teaching Hospital (UTH), recently noted that infertility is a huge problem in Zambia. Munga said that out of every 100 women that visit UTH seeking gynecology services, about 30 of them have infertility problems.

Worldwide, both men and women do suffer from infertility, but culturally, infertile women are at risk of social stigma. Health experts say infertility refers to the failure of a couple to establish pregnancy after one year of having unprotected and adequate sexual intercourse.

In developing countries such as Zambia, much as infertility is a health condition, it is also a social problem because, from the perspective of the individual concerned, many unfruitful women consider that without children, their lives are hopeless.

Chiponge's condition dates back to her mid-20s, when she had a severe ectopic pregnancy (a complication of pregnancy when a fertilized egg grows outside a woman's uterus) somewhere else in her belly, according to medical experts. They state that if left unchecked, the condition is life-threatening as excessive bleeding may lead to death, hence the need for urgent medical care. Consequently, her chances of falling pregnant were negligible, having only one fallopian tube - she lost the other tube after an operation.

As an old adage says, desperate situations call for desperate measures. Chiponge had tried all sorts of medication, not only conventional medicine, including fertility boosters, but also advanced infertility treatment called in-vitro fertilization treatment and African traditional herbs, in a bid to conceive. But all was in vain.

Feng Kehong works in her clinic (Derrick Silimina)

Acupuncture success

In Zambia, fertility treatment is prohibitively expensive for most couples, with some people becoming destitute trying to pay for it.

Chiponge was first introduced to acupuncture therapy in 2009 by her younger sister, a friend of Dr. Feng Kehong, a Chinese medical practitioner who runs Zhong Yi Surgery in Lusaka's Roma suburb.

According to Acupuncture.com (a Chinese online medical platform), acupuncture is defined as an age-old healing technique of traditional Chinese medicine in which needles are inserted into energy points on the human body.

"It was in 2009 when I met Feng. Since I desperately wanted a baby, after having failed to conceive for more than 15 years of marriage, I was put on acupuncture therapy for three months and the following year [2010] I conceived," she said, adding she was 46 years old at that time.

Having concerns about infertility in a world that needs vigorous control of population growth may seem odd, but it's a choice that many have no control over.

Nathan Mbewe, a Ndola based teacher, recently survived a protracted stroke because of the acupuncture therapy he got from Feng.

"I had a stroke for some time and might have died had it not been for Chinese specialized treatment I got here," he said, adding that acupuncture worked wonders on him.

Mbewe said he has been recommending anyone with chronic illness to seek acupuncture treatment, and they have reported progressive results. A truck driver based in the Zambian capital of Lusaka is also impressed with acupuncture after having recovered from his swelling feet that almost rendered him jobless.

"Due to the long-distance driving, I used to have constant swelling in my feet," said Andrew Mulenga. "This affected my work until a colleague advised me to consult Feng to try Chinese medicine after an attempt at conventional medicine failed," he said.

At first, Mulenga questioned whether acupuncture was real and doubted that pricking needles into his body would change anything. But, to his amazement, after a few sessions, his condition started improving.

Feng Kehong in her clinic (Derrick Silimina)

Helping with needles

According to Feng, who has been in Zambia since 2001, initially working as a doctor in two of Zambia's general hospitals before opening her own clinic, she is delighted that a lot of people are being helped through acupuncture in Zambia.

To help her cope with the increase in patients, Feng has trained local assistance, Nelly Banda, to work with the needles.

Reminiscing about the time when Chiponge, now 56 years of age, came to seek fertility services at her surgery despite her older age, Feng said she was hesitant to help.

"I was hesitant to work on Chiponge; but after recommending acupuncture therapy on her, within a few months, she came back so excited and informed me she was pregnant," said Feng. "You see, a lot of diseases could be treated through acupuncture and I have seen this happen over the years to many patients that I have attended to."

Despite Chiponge having reached menopause, she successfully gave birth naturally to a bouncy baby girl who is now a healthy nine-year-old.

Feng said some of the known diseases that she has treated successfully include hypertension, stroke, diabetes, infertility, and sexually transmittable diseases.

Officially, acupuncture has the accreditation of Zambia's medical council, as the Zambian Government recognizes traditional and complementary/alternative medicine.

Although there are no official regulatory measures for recognizing the qualifications of practitioners, the Traditional Health Practitioners Association of Zambia reviews and registers traditional practitioners for licensing, and plans are underway to develop such regulations.

Zambia is now considering better utilization of its diverse medicinal plants, a worthwhile lesson learned from China.

Reporting from Zambia

Chinese phone manufacturer aligns with Zambian market

 

Transsion Holdings, a private Chinese smartphone manufacturer based in Shenzhen has had great success against bigger and more established global brands like Samsung and Apple

By Derrick Silimina VOL.12 August ·2020-07-24

A man makes a call with a TECNO phone in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, in 2017 (XINHUA)

When most people think of China in Africa, mining and construction come to mind. But things are changing. While the developed world still too often views the continent as a charity case, many Chinese companies see mutual business opportunities.

China's increased involvement in the African telecommunications industry is part of its multidimensional engagement with the continent to enhance trade and cooperation.

In Zambia, it's hard not to see China's footprint wherever one goes, as its investments in various economic sectors in the Southern African country over the years have been extensive and unprecedented.

Chinese engineers have cooperated with their Zambian counterparts in designing and building the country's iconic buildings such as the Government Complex, a gleaming 24-story skyscraper that houses government offices. Additional infrastructure includes the illustrious Tanzania-Zambia Railway, roads, hospitals, and schools.

Furthermore, the presence of Chinese manufacturers in Zambia's telecommunications industry has added much competition in the market share.

One of these, Transsion Holdings, a private Chinese smartphone manufacturer based in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province in south China, which owns brands such as Tecno, Itel, and Infinix, has had great success against bigger and more established global brands like Samsung and Apple. These brands are specially designed and manufactured for the African market and are not available in China.

Transsion is one of the top-selling mobile phone manufacturers in Africa, according to the 2019 Vendor Data Overview by the International Data Corp. (IDC), a premier global provider of market intelligence.

TECNO banners in a street in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 (CHEN JIAN)

Dominant market share

With a population of more than 18 million, there is a growing market for the latest smartphones in Zambia. Transsion's ability to build market share has come about by combining affordable prices and trendy features.

"The Infinix model is selling like hotcakes here. I sell more of these phones per week than any other brands," Leonard Kumwenda, a mobile phone retailer told ChinAfrica.

A glimpse inside Kumwenda's shop in Lusaka, situated along Chachacha Road in the heart of Zambia's capital, shows how well-stocked it is with China-made phone brands as compared to other makes.

"Our IT engineers spent a lot of time in Africa to understand the market properly. This industry is driving the modern lifestyle and [because] we understand the needs and demands, [we] bring the solutions to our consumers," said Transsion Holdings Vice President Arif Chowdhury.

Mobile handsets such as Infinix-Hot-Play and Tecno-Camon15-Premier offer impressive specifications and designs to help create and share the most demanding social media needs. These brands retail from between $85 and $200 a phone.

"I enjoy this [Tecno-Camon15-Premier] mobile phone model due to its stylish design and ultra-battery capacity of 6,000 mAh. It takes my personality to another level," said Maureen Mumba, a fan of Tecno mobile phone in Lusaka.

IDC data further indicates that Transsion's phone brands enjoy the lion's share of the market in Africa with over 60 percent of shipments in the third quarter of 2019.

A seller receives customers in a TECNO shop in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018 (CHEN JIAN)

Game changer

The rising appetite for smartphones in Zambia, encouraged by cheaper Internet costs and increased mobile-based innovations, has induced more demand for Chinese mobile brands on the local market.

Beyond pricing, most Chinese telecom companies have built their businesses over the years by producing phones with locally tailored features that include double-SIM card slots to ensure callers avoid lapses in-network coverage. Their phones also come equipped with camera technology calibrated for darker skin tones and stronger battery lifespan - a vital feature most cherished by local users in Zambia where electricity supply is intermittent as power black-outs are a daily routine.

Equally, the emerging demand for advanced higher-quality communications among consumers in Zambia poses a paradigm-shifting challenge to Chinese mobile phone manufacturers.

Originally designed to carry circuit-switched voice traffic, existing networks now need to carry heavy data loads, deliver streaming video and provide Internet access to a rapidly growing user base.

With a budget-friendly price tag from as cheap as $50, Chinese mobile phones are a game-changer in the Southern African nation where over 60 percent of people live in poverty.

Whether it is farmers accessing local market prices for their produce to arm themselves against profiteering middlemen, or nurses, doctors, and patients accessing medical monitoring and data services, Chinese mobile phones and wireless devices are transforming lives.

Creating local jobs

The success of China-made mobile handsets has shown how manufacturers with the right product and strategic pricing can influence socio-economic growth in any society they operate in.

This has in turn created more jobs among the local entrepreneurs, who are both retailers and suppliers of mobile devices and accessories.

In most Zambian towns, busy streets are awash with the bright shopfronts of Transsion's flagship phone brands, a sign that shows that the company is transforming the lives of local entrepreneurs.

"Our intention was to serve the communities with something that can bring value to them. It's not only about making money, which can be a short-term venture; but if you bring value to society, the business can be sustained for the long term," said Chowdhury.

Just like other upcoming mobile phone dealers in the country, Japhet Tembo, 34, is the proprietor of Mobile Trends - an outlet situated in Lusaka's crammed town center market.

He started selling Chinese mobile phones in 2014 in a small operation with just a few handsets and a couple of accessories at a makeshift store. "I used to struggle to sell a single handset per day. But thanks to more supply of Chinese phones on the market, it has induced more demand as the handsets are affordable and have advanced features just like other big brands like Samsung or iPhones," said Tembo, who today employs four workers in his shop.

Lusaka-based economist Mambo Haamaundu highlighted that global manufacturers like Transsion have realized the potential to make money in Zambia through the sale or production of mobile phones, a move that has awakened or birthed more local entrepreneurs in the country.

Haamaundu said it is time people begin to have a positive mindset by learning from successful Chinese companies such as Transsion and acknowledging their contribution to society through job creation and significant taxes they pay to national coffers.

"Our local entrepreneurs need to seize every opportunity because you can be a giant today and a small boy will overtake you tomorrow and become a giant. Most successful Chinese companies are successful because they understand the market that they operate in and they are able to satisfy the needs of that market," said Haamaundu.

(Reporting from Zambia)

SOLAR ENERGY: Power from the sun

 31/08/2020 – by Derrick Silimina

Nowadays

© stepmap.de

As chronic droughts erode Zambia’s hydropower-based energy supply, the country is turning to a more reliable renewable fuel: sunshine.

It is a natural alternative for a country that benefits from year-round sunshine. Zambia has an average of 2,000 to 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and an average irradiation of 5.5 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day.

Zambia’s shift to solar is not new but is accelerating as a result of the crisis in hydropower (also see my contribution in D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/05, Focus section). Zambia’s Rural Electrification Authority (REA), which is tasked with electrifying rural areas, so far has undertaken 423 solar home system projects in rural communities.

The first such project, completed in 2013, set up a solar mini-grid in Luapula province, supplying electricity to 480 households, a school, a health center, and the harbor. The REA built two more such mini-grids in 2016 in Central and Luapula provinces.

In developing solar generating capacity, Zambia is part of a pan-African trend. The African solar photovoltaic market could grow to as much as 30 gigawatts by 2030, doubling the current capacity, according to a 2019 report by the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar).

A range of outside investors is aiding Zambia’s shift to solar power. GET.Invest, for example, mobilizes investments in decentralized renewable energy projects. It is a multi-donor platform supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.

The World Bank’s “Scaling Solar” program also mobilizes private funding for solar generating projects. The Swedish government’s Beyond Grid Fund for Zambia cooperates with Zambian partners to increase energy access and develop energy service markets.

The shift to solar is giving rise to a related industry in solar-based appliances for homes, farms, and other businesses. Urban shops and market stalls sell a wide range of solar-powered appliances, including water pumps, radios, power-supply banks, telephone chargers, and lights.

Shopkeepers say that business is booming. “Demand for solar-related products has gone up here ever since power blackouts started,” says Andrew Chibwe, a shop owner at the Mtendere market east of Lusaka. “Given more capital to expand, I will make more money.”

The same is true in rural areas. David Chimuku, a resident of Mumbwa district, supplies solar-powered farm tools such as water pumps to farmers in central Zambia who depend on irrigation to grow vegetables. “Selling solar-powered equipment has given me an edge,” he says. “I started small but now I have opened two outlets selling various solar tools.”

The customers are equally impressed. “I cannot believe how solar energy has improved my life after years of living without electricity at my farm,” says Daniel Kandimba, 55, a farmer in the Mumbwa district, 160 kilometers west of Lusaka. He and other farmers have invested in solar-powered equipment including lighting, drilling machines, and farming implements.

Compared to the demand, the pace of building solar energy plants is modest; according to GET.Invest, only 28 % of Zambians have electricity. But the new power projects are transforming lives. “I never expected to have electricity in my house during my lifetime,” says farmer Daniel Kandimba. “I thought perhaps this would happen during my great grandchildren’s time.”

Derrick Silimina is a freelance journalist based in Lusaka. He focuses on Zambian agriculture and sustainability issues.
derricksilimina@gmail.com

FIRE HAZARDS: Up in flames

 17/08/2020 – by Derrick Silimina

Nowadays

© stepmap.de

In Lusaka’s shantytowns, ramshackle homes made of cardboard and wood are packed tightly together. Charcoal and firewood are used for both cooking and heating.

When night falls, kerosene lamps and candles provide lighting, particularly during the frequent power cuts caused by low water levels in hydropower dams (also see my contribution in D+C/E+Z e-Paper 2020/05, Focus section).

In these conditions, a moment’s inattention can cause entire neighborhoods to go up in flames. And in fact, this happens with increasing frequency. According to the Lusaka City Council, the city recorded 1,176 fire cases in 2019 compared to 1,000 in 2018. “The biggest fire hazards are in the homes of the less privileged, where fire prevention measures are very low,” says Lusaka Fire Brigade Deputy Chief Robert Banda.

According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), a non-profit scientific organization, up to 90 % of Zambia’s households rely on wood fuel to meet their energy needs. CIFOR’s “Forests News” portal reported earlier this year on “an unprecedented charcoal boom” in Zambia’s cities, which is depleting the country’s forests.

Environmentalists blame the government’s energy policy, which relies too heavily on hydropower that falls short of demand in times of drought. “This regime should invest in sustainable sources of electricity instead of forcing people to use hazardous fuels,” says activist Amos Nkandu.

Making matters worse are deficiencies in firefighting infrastructure. Lusaka, the capital with over 2.5 million people, has only one fire station. It was inaugurated in 1959 and still uses some obsolete firefighting equipment.

The country’s firefighters are facing an uptick in fires mainly in poor districts, where residents cannot afford solar or diesel-powered generators and rely on open fires instead. One example of many occurred in June when six members of a family – two women and four children – died when fire engulfed their home in Kabwe, the capital of Central Province. “I was on night duty and was alerted by neighbors that my house was on fire,” said the father of the deceased children. “When I arrived, I could no longer identify my kids.”

In another example earlier this year, three children received serious burns in a fire in their home in Lusaka’s Kanyama compound. The fire broke out after a 14-year-old dozed off and left a burning candle on the edges of the mattress where she and her siblings, aged three and six, were sleeping.

In the face of persistent reports of house fires, in 2017 the government bought 42 fire trucks at a cost of $ 1 million each – a controversial price that still enrages citizens. When fire trucks arrive at the scene of a fire, some citizens express their rage by throwing stones at the firefighters and the fire trucks, particularly if firefighters arrive too late to limit the loss of life and property.

For firefighter Nick Zulu, the controversy adds to the difficulty of responding to fires that may be hard to reach from the central fire station. “I love this job but our daily experience in the field puts me off sometimes,” he says.

Further reading

Forests News:
https://forestsnews.cifor.org/64586/drought-fuels-charcoal-boom-in-zambia?fnl=en

Derrick Silimina is a freelance journalist based in Lusaka. He focuses on Zambian agriculture and sustainability issues.
derricksilimina@gmail.com