Chinese Firm Breathes Life into Ventilator Supply in Zambia

 

A medical worker receives the COVID-19 vaccine in Lusaka on April 14 (XINHUA)

 By Derrick Silimina

The onset of the coronavirus disease has created a shortage of oxygen gadgets and medical ventilators worldwide. 

In the face of rising COVID-19 cases, countries have rushed to procure medical supplies, such as ventilators or high-pressure oxygen cylinders, in a bid to deal with the disease.

In Africa, the shortage of oxygen is even more severe, and there is urgent need of medical devices that are easier to use, so that different methods of generating oxygen locally at hospitals, including at provincial and district-level hospitals, can be adopted. 

According to the World Health Organization, some 80 percent of people with COVID-19 recover without needing hospital treatment. In the severe cases, medical experts have noted that the virus causes damage to the lungs, leading to a drop in the body's oxygen levels and making it harder to breathe. To alleviate this, a ventilator is used to push air, with increased levels of oxygen, into the lungs. The ventilator also has a humidifier, which adds heat and moisture to the air supply so it matches the patient's body temperature.

Inadequate resources 

In Zambia, lack of capacity to manage critically ill patients with COVID-19 has raised questions about the country's preparedness to deal with the pandemic. The use of advanced technology in the health sector is vital to embark on a vigorous battle against the pandemic.

Theresa Katuna, a COVID-19 survivor from Lusaka's Chawama Township, had wondered if she was going to stay alive after being infected with the virus.

"When I was admitted to the COVID-19 isolation center early this year, I noticed that lack of adequate ventilators hampered the delivery of quality health care to patients who needed to access the ventilators on time," Katuna said, adding however that local medical personnel were really committed to doing their level best to fight against the disease.

In his article titled View From the Hospital Window that recently went viral on social media, renowned journalist Gerald Mwale recounted the dreadful realities of the global pandemic from his bed at the Levy Mwanawasa Hospital in Lusaka where he was being treated for COVID-19.

"I am gazing at this beautiful scenario from my hospital room, where I have been admitted the last two days. I am in the COVID-19 section of the hospital. I am feeling much better than I was two days ago when I was brought in. It all started with a rather irritating sore throat, then a tightness in chest, followed by labored breathing," Mwale narrated on his Facebook page few days before he died.

About 880,000 ventilators are in demand globally amid the pandemic, with the U.S. in need of 75,000 ventilators, while France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain are together short of 74,000, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

The shortage of ventilators and intensive care capacity on the continent has been a significant limitation in saving critically ill patients from untimely deaths.

"I caught COVID-19 in the week of March 14, probably at one of the lodges due to a crammed training room. Make no mistake: COVID-19 is a horrible disease. Let us not drop the ball, not even for an iota of a second, in our fight against this disease," renowned Lusaka economist Chibamba Kanyama said. "This is a horrible disease that paralyses you in every way it can, to the extent recovery seems an impossibility. Brethren, keep your guard, protect others and be vigilant the way we wade off the devil."

According to the Ministry of Health, Zambia has recorded 89,592 cumulative COVID-19 cases as of early April, with 1, 225 deaths.

Camco Digital Marketing Officer Mweemba Mweemba demonstrates the operation of medical gadgets in Camco's showroom in Lusaka (DERRICK SILIMINA)

Chinese supply 

China, a major manufacturing hub for medical supplies, has become the source of supply for many countries across the globe as confirmed cases have skyrocketed globally.

Chinese ventilator manufacturers have ramped up production to expand supply of the medical gadgets to other countries, especially developing nations, as demands from abroad surge.

In Zambia, a local Chinese company has joined the country's fight against the global pandemic.

Distinguished for its supply of state-of-the-art agriculture, mining and construction equipment in the Southern African country, Camco has come up with Zambia's first-ever oxygen concentrator to help improve the country's capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.

With its affordable brand of HK series oxygen concentrator, the firm supplies hi-tech products which are researched and developed by Beijing Gaoxin Huakang Technology Co.

"This equipment is specifically designed as a product for both hospitals and clinics as well as individual buyers. It is very affordable and easy to operate as it is equipped with a manual guide," Camco Digital Marketing Officer Mweemba Mweemba told ChinAfrica.

Mweemba stressed that the unique medical kit which can also be used by individual patients at home is one of its kind in the health sector.

Medical experts have since described this technology as a huge milestone in the country's pursuit of self-reliance in medical engineering and the industrialization agenda.

Certainly, available evidence supports prioritizing investment in oxygen infrastructure, not only for COVID-19 cases, but also for other severe acute respiratory infections that are claiming lives.

Medical donations 

Meanwhile, the Chinese Government recently donated more medical equipment to four major hospitals in Zambia to help the country tackle the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donations include ventilators and other equipment meant to prevent and manage the pandemic.

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie said China decided to make the donation following the outbreak of the second wave and the urgent call to respond to contain the outbreak.

"We are hoping that the equipment will go to the places most in need and we would also like to see that Chinese experience could be used in this process of prevention," the Chinese envoy said.

Receiving the donation, Zambia's then Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya acknowledged that the country was facing challenges brought by COVID-19, but was quick to state that the good leadership and support from cooperating partners like China will enable the country to overcome the challenge.

He said that the donation was timely as it came during the time of the second wave which was severe and has resulted in many patients requiring oxygen.

Reporting from Zambia

Coments to: derrick.silimina@gmail.com

Think local, Buy local

© stepmap.de

By Derrick Silimina

 

As economic conditions worsen under the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, Zambia is looking for ways to boost domestic industries.

In February 2021, Zambia’s Agriculture Ministry restricted imports of onions and potatoes into the country, saying local farmers can meet the demand for the two vegetables. The ruling affects companies such as South African-owned supermarket chains that operate in Zambia and import vegetables from South Africa.

The import restriction “is in line with the presidential directive to prioritise and promote consumption of locally produced fruits and vegetables,” Songawayo Zyambo, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, wrote to the Zambia Revenue Authority, which enforces import restrictions at the country’s borders.

Zambian potato and onion farmers naturally were delighted. Calvin Kaleyi, spokesman for the Zambia National Farmers Union, noted that such import restrictions protect domestic jobs and improve the nation’s trade balance, thereby supporting the nation’s currency.

“We implore the Ministry of Agriculture to remain resolute in its policy implementation,” Kaleyi said. “Regulation of imported agriculture products should go beyond onions and potatoes and include all commodities in which we have a comparative advantage as producers.” Less vocal were consumer groups, whose constituents are likely to pay higher prices whenever competitors are excluded from a market.

Farmers are not the only beneficiaries of policies favouring domestic producers. In his 2020 “State of the Nation” address, President Edgar Lungu said government agencies and consumers should give preference to local products. He praised the “Proudly Zambian” campaign, a government-initiated programme that encourages consumers to buy products labelled as made in Zambia.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, 500 product types made by 33 companies have so far been certified to use the “Proudly Zambia” logo. The government and Zambian manufacturers say that, in addition to certifying that a product is local, the logo confirms that a product meets certain quality standards.

The “Proudly Zambian” campaign “creates a ready market for local producers and also employment opportunities for more of our people, particularly the youth,” President Lungu said at the start of the “Buy Zambian” exposition last November. The event showcases Zambian-made goods and services.

He added that more local companies should strive to meet the requirements of the “Proudly Zambian” logo. “I urge you to continue improving the quality and packaging of your products so that they meet these standards,” Lungu told the conference.

The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), a trade group, works toward boosting quality standards of products made in Zambia. It also encourages companies to change production processes to add more value inside Zambia. A key to success is persuading consumers to prefer products with significant local content, says ZAM President Ezekiel Sekele.

“The ‘Buy Zambian’ campaign can succeed when people start to ‘think local’ first,” Sekele says. “I encourage consumers to think Zambia first, buy local products, help promote the growth of the Zambian manufacturing sector and keep our people in employment.”

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

New homes for orphaned children

© stepmap.de

 

By Derrick Silimina

 

Zambia has launched a pilot project to return orphaned or abandoned children to their own extended families or to new foster homes, in an effort to re-integrate them into normal families.

The government-approved project is run by Catholic Care for Children in Zambia (CCCZ) at two of its facilities – St. Martin’s Children's Home in the Copperbelt province in the north and Lubasi Home in Livingstone in the southwest. So far, 48 children have been placed in families since the programme began two years ago. Another 12 are being prepared for transfer by the end of this year.

If successful, the transfers could be used as a model for more of the 8,335 children living in Zambian orphanages. Some are there because their parents died and no other family members were available to care for them. Others went to orphanages because their parents could not support them.

The pilot project looks for families – including the children’s own extended families – who are willing to take the children in. It then prepares the way for a successful reintegration, offering financial and other support to the host families.

“We assess whether the children will be embraced back and whether they are ready to be reintegrated,” says CCCZ project coordinator Sister Cecilia Nakambo. Support activities include drawing up the needed documents, preparing children to bond with their new families, and giving the families money for food, school fees, clothing and transportation.

In a second phase after children are placed, CCCZ will follow up with the host families, providing ongoing counselling as needed. In addition, the project trains staff at the two orphanages to support children in the transition. “We have carried out trainings such as case management, reintegration, trauma counselling and basic qualification to care for children,” Sister Nakambo says.

The children themselves receive extensive counselling. “We have counselled children against the effects of mental stress, and most of them are now coming out of the trauma they had been through,” says Charity Shaba, a senior psychosocial counsellor from Zambia’s Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare.

The pilot project is being watched closely by other orphanages in Zambia. As the Coronavirus pandemic takes a financial toll, some institutions are considering similar reintegration programmes. One of them is the Home of David and Faith Orphanage, a privately run child care facility in Lusaka.

“We depend on well-wishers to feed and clothe the children in our care,” says manager Joe Mwikisa. “With Covid-19 effects, many of our funders are down financially. For this reason we feel child reintegration is the way to go.”

The government backs such efforts, as long as transfers are done responsibly. Transferring an institutionalised child to a family setting can mitigate the effects of having been orphaned or abandoned, says Shaba of the Social Welfare Ministry. “I feel that reintegration will help children to find their own family identity and discover who they are as individuals,” she says.

In a way, re-integrating orphans into communities is in line with age-old African cultural norms, under which children are raised by extended families and clans. In Shaba’s words, “what these children know so far is caregiver institutions; to them that is a normal way of life. In the near future, we will have family set-ups, which will be better.”

Zambia Raises Production of its Second-Largest Crop

 

Zhongkai International Chief Executive Officer Chen Guiping refuels ethanol in containers ready for sale - Pictures by Yoti Graphix

By Derrick Silimina

A humble tuberous starchy root that ought to be cooked properly and eaten safely is gaining attention for its commercial use.

Once considered as a poor man's crop, cassava is Zambia's second-largest agricultural produce after maize. Unlike maize, however, it does not require a lot of water - a big advantage in the drought-prone country.

Cassava is now grown by about half a million small-scale farmers in Zambia as part of a push to diversify agriculture beyond maize, the country's drought-vulnerable staple. It is estimated that annual cassava production saw a rise of over 6 percent in the last five years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Zambia.

But most of the cassava farmers are struggling to sell the commodity to nearby villages or urban areas due to a volatile market and poor road conditions.

Amos Nsama, 52, is a cassava farmer from Kasama District in Northern Province of Zambia and has over the years found it difficult to sell his cassava produce due to numerous hurdles.

"I first started cassava production while living in Luapula Province; but lack of demand for cassava forced me to move to Northern Province in search of a lucrative market," Nsama said. "I owned oxen, an ox-cart and a plough. But lack of market in the area discouraged me to produce on a large scale as the produce would sometimes go to waste."

Ruth Chitambo is another cassava farmer and trader who started her agribusiness in 2015 by supplying cassava to Lusaka's sprawling Soweto market. But low profits from the commodity have slowly dampened her morale to cultivate the root crop despite its massive value to the country's food security and industrial development.

"With the hard economic times, consumers are not buying as much cassava as before. As a result, it is negatively affecting my business as this is my only source of income," Chitambo complained.

New markets

While household demand for cassava has been stagnant over the years, industries are coming up with sustainable means of producing their goods using agricultural goods. Cassava is one of their major raw materials.

The government and development organizations have since launched efforts to find new markets for the tuber, in hope that more of it will be grown to raise agricultural income countrywide. These efforts are paying off, and the solution is coming from an unexpected source: manufacturing.

With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, notable by-products made from cassava such as ethanol that is used for making hand sanitisers have created a large demand. Other uses include stock feed and flour to prepare food and beer.

This new demand is creating jobs for intermediaries between farmers and industrial manufacturers in Zambia.

One manufacturing firm that is adding value to the cassava produce is Zhongkai International, a Chinese-owned multi-million-dollar company with a plant in central Zambia.

The Chinese manufacturing plant uses cassava as its major raw material to produce various by-products, including ethanol, for industrial use, glue and feed for livestock, which benefit many cassava farmers.

"Our final product is ethanol and that is why we need this crop (cassava). For instance, the cassava from Mansa District has 75 percent starch and we found out that the best cassava in Africa comes from Zambia," Zhongkai International Chief Executive Officer Chen Guiping told ChinAfrica. "Before setting up the factory, we visited all African countries and found that the produce in Zambia had the highest starch percentage; so, we established the factory in this country."

Chen disclosed that his company uses about 200 tons of dried cassava, and that from just 1 lima (0.49 hectare) of land, a farmer can easily raise about K5,000 ($231) cash that can go a long way in supporting their livelihood.

Amos Nsama (right) one of the suppliers of the commodity to Zhongkai International, a Chinese owned firm in his cassava field

Game changer

Arguably, the new industrial demand is gradually encouraging more farmers and traders to expand their operations.

Entrepreneur Monica Chanda buys dried cassava from farmers in northern Zambia for resale in bulk to Zhongkai International. "While they (farmers) concentrate on producing cassava, I focus on dealing with my industrial clients," said Chanda.

Meanwhile, in the midst of climate change, agricultural experts have recognized cassava as one of the cash crops which has potential to create wealth for farmers in the Southern African country prone to annual droughts, while at the same time enhancing national food security and adding value to industrial production.

"I heard about companies supporting cassava farmers and decided last year to buy farmland and produce cassava," said Kelvin Chilwalo, a cassava grower from Gwembe in south Zambia. "Since cassava is drought-resistant, I believe it will do fine here. I expect to harvest more than 100 bags of 50 kg each and supply to both local and industrial markets."

Other notable commercial entities utilizing cassava include Zambian Breweries, a local firm that is also a major bottler for Coca-Cola, which has signed contracts to buy large amounts of cassava. The company procures dried cassava chips from small farmers, processes them into flour and fermented cassava starch, and uses these as ingredients for its Eagle Lager beer.

Zambian Breweries needs to ensure a continued supply of cassava. It has contracted 5,000 farmers to grow on average 1 hectare of cassava each.

Premiercon Starch Co. is another local start-up firm producing starch and flour from cassava. Among other products, it turns cassava into a starchy feedstock that it sells to mining companies, which in turn use it to process minerals. The company has signed agreements with copper mining companies to supply 7,000 tons of industrial starch per year.

Recently, Zhongkai International signed an offtake agreement with Chifwani Concepts, an initiative launched by Zambia's Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba to raise cassava production in north Zambia.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Mwamba said the partnership is taking place at a time the government is focusing on widening the food basket beyond maize.

"Cassava has been grown as a staple food; but the commercialization of cassava has helped us promote this cash crop under the Chifwani Concepts," Mwamba said.

Chifwani Concepts has so far empowered over 1,500 small farmers by providing cassava cuttings.

"The partnership we are launching today is first of all in line with what government is doing. The government has focused on crop diversification and job creation and we are shifting from mining to other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing," Mwamba stated. CA

Reporting from Zambia

Cassava is now grown by about half a million small-scale farmers in Zambia as part of a push to diversify agriculture beyond maize, the country's drought-vulnerable staple

By Derrick Silimina VOL.13 APRIL 2021 ·2021-03-26

Digital payments – Key to Enhanced Regional Trade

 

By Mbuyoti Silimina 

Consumers around the world, Zambia included, have shown an increasing desire to use digital financial services. This has, in part, been influenced by the proliferation of affordable mobile devices.

Digital payments through platforms such as eWallet, ePay and mobile money, among others, were on the rise prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and they continue to rise as the pandemic rages.

When households have secure bank accounts and reliable channels for making payments, they are in a better position to make large purchases and to save money for future purposes. As a result, when most people in society have such financial tools available to them, businesses thrive and are more likely to invest in those communities with ease.

‘‘Digitalisation is already the future of financial services,” said Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Mukuli Chikuba. “Adopting advanced information technology and online business models will enable financial service companies to achieve greater scale, reduce operating costs, penetrate new markets and better understand the needs of customers.”

Many developing countries including Zambia, aim for universal access and usage of basic financial products but they have a long way to go.

Trade experts believe that quality digital financial products and services also provide cross border traders with the mechanisms to make payments and import their goods, an idea that enables them to manage their businesses in a more efficient manner.

The COMESA Business Council (CBC), a business member of the regional organisation which represents the interests of the private sector at a regional level, offers services that go beyond advocacy to actively promote business participation in regional integration, investment and global trade.

CBC Chief Executive Officer Sandra Uwera has noted that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) lack affordable and effective platforms to accommodate digital cross-border payments.

“In an effort to address this challenge, CBC’s Digital Financial Inclusion program, piloted in nine countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), is expected to catalyse the transition of MSMEs from a cash-dominant to a cash-lite economy, where they have access to affordable, interoperable, secure and real-time digital financial transactions,” Uwera said at the Financial Services Regulators Sub-regional Stakeholder Meeting in October 2020.

More than 40 percent of Zambian adults do not have access to quality financial products and about 60 percent of adults may have that access but do not use it, according to Zambia’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy Paper for 2017-2022.

In Zambia, especially in remote rural areas, some traders of goods and services still rely on a barter system, or use unregulated channels to make payments and store their savings through minimally regulated village banking groups, locally known as chilimba.

According to a World Bank study titled “Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Zambia,” the main reasons for this poor showing are lack of funds, high bank charges, time-consuming travel to a bank branch, and lack of trust in the financial sector.

For this reason, most financial institutions such as Atlas Mara Zambia, a large retail bank with headquarters in the capital Lusaka, recently opened two branches in the remote North-Western Province, one in Mwinilunga and the other in Zambezi districts respectively.

“We are bringing financial services to the Zambezi District after an absence of over 30 years,” said James Koni, the bank’s managing director.

In an interview, Febian Matanda – a cross border trader from Mwinilunga district responded enthusiastically to this development, “Having a bank here will enable me to save and be more secure financially.”

Matanda, a supplier of pineapples at Kasumbalesa border post near the DR Congo added that by opening a bank account, he can easily get a loan and expand his business in the neighbouring countries such as Angola and DR Congo.

For Matilda Siame, another cross border trader from Livingstone feels that banks that provide their clientele with electronic access to funds making transactions easier, efficient, effective will help lessen the cost of doing business among MSMEs in the country.

“The onset of digital financial services such as mobile money, Zanaco Xpress and other online payments has really scaled-up my cross border business as I can transact at anytime and anywhere without difficulties of accessing funds from the traditional financial services such as banks,” Siame stated.

For this reason, most banks are excited to invest in information technology in a bid to reach out to unbanked populations countrywide by offering digital financial services as a way to go especially living in the era of COVID-19. Most financial institution’s key strategy is to offer a secure digital network that protects customer data from hackers and ensures that online financial transactions are safe from fraud and theft.

Atlas Mara CEO James Koni affirmed, “At the centre of our offer is our first-class digital platform. This shows our commitment to support the government’s vision for financial inclusion for all Zambians.”

Therefore, digital payment ecosystem in the ‘new normal’ would expand cross border traders market for financial solutions aligned to sustainable development goals and promote regional cooperation and governance. More importantly, digital financial services can bring more of the general citizenry into the financial system, support economic growth and promote shared prosperity.

Zambia Preserves a Source of Life

 

An environmental expert (left) shares his views on the value of technology in environmental protection 

- Pictures by YOTI Graphix

By Derrick Silimina

Keeping rivers flowing freely and safeguarding its ecological system is vitally important for the future of people and nature. Hence, Zambia has over the years put in place policies, strategies and programs that promote conservation of the fauna and flora in the country

Africa is a haven of excellent natural conditions and is rich in freshwater bodies with great potential to revamp its socio-economic development.

In Zambia, water resources form the basis of almost every aspect of life and include major rivers such as the mighty Zambezi River, Chambeshi River, Kafue River and Luangwa River. Others include Lake Kariba and the Itezhi-tezhi lake which all provide sustenance to animals, human life and biodiversity.

Supporting livelihood

Apart from sustaining biodiversity, water resources in the southern African country are critical for meeting the basic needs of industrial development, sanitation and waste management, factors that drive the social, economic, political and cultural development of the population along the rivers.

For instance, fishing is a big business in Zambia and is one of the sources of income for most of the people that live along major rivers such as the Zambezi.

"This business is our only source of livelihood here and without it, most of us wouldn't be able to provide for our families," said Memory Simushi, 32, who has been a fishmonger in Mongu district in western Zambia since 2018.

Each day around 3 a.m. when many people are deep in slumber, Simushi and other women of Nalolo area in Mongu district trek along the Barotse flood plains to buy the best fish from fishermen in the lower Zambezi fishing camp.

The two-hour journey on foot to reach the camp is quite challenging as the women have to walk in darkness. The fish they hope to buy is known as litapi in Lozi. The women will resell what they got in the fishing camp in Mongu town, a source of income to support their families. The fish sell like hot cake in the local market at K400 ($20) per basin, from which they make a profit of K100 to K150.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the fishing industry contributes 3.2 percent to Zambia's GDP and provides more than 70,000 metric tons of fish per annum.

On the other hand, the upper Barotse flood plains, renowned for their annual floods, still bring pride in anticipation of an abundant harvest.

The Zambezi River 

Protecting waters

Keeping rivers flowing freely and safeguarding its ecological system is vitally important for the future of people and nature. Hence, Zambia has over the years put in place policies, strategies and programs that promote conservation of the fauna and flora in the country.

For instance, the National Conservation Strategy was formulated in 1985 which provided a solid base for a coordinated approach to the country's environmental management culminating into the promulgation of the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act No. 12 of 1990. This piece of legislation established the Environmental Council of Zambia, now the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) as a statutory body charged with the mandate to regulate water, environmental management and pollution control, among others.

In 1999, the first National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was formulated to respond to new challenges and align it to global frameworks, including the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity from 2011 to 2020 and its Aichi Targets, according to the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

The second NBSAP represents Zambia's quest to domesticate broader international frameworks including the Sustainable Development Goals and other national obligations under the international instruments which the country is party to, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as regional SADC protocols on wildlife, water, fisheries, forestry, and biosafety among others.

However, recent investigations by ZEMA in Copperbelt Province have revealed that some of the most affected water bodies having high levels of pollution are all tributaries of the Kafue River, which in turn flows into the Zambezi River while the major pollutants of the water bodies were copper, cobalt, and iron among others.

"These pollutants have adversely affected the said water bodies resulting in among other effects, siltation of stream beds, changes to the water chemistry, and impact on aquatic life and adversely affecting other water users including domestic users," Lloyd Kaziya, former minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environment said in a ministerial statement on pollution of water sources as a result of mining activities in north-western Zambia.

It is for this reason that, ZEMA has instituted investigations and increased the frequency of monitoring of industries to ensure control and compliance to national standards for emissions not only into water but air as well, in a bid to revive aquatic life and its surroundings.

Consequently, there is a global concern to safeguard and restore the ecological environment of rivers as transboundary water bodies cross national and administrative borders across the globe, thereby supporting majority of the world's population and ecosystems.

In the Southern African region, eight countries, namely Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique, share the Zambezi River basin, the fourth largest in Africa. Approximately 30 million people live in the basin, which has its headwaters in Zambia. The main river channel forms the borders between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Zambia and Botswana before reaching the ocean in Mozambique.

Locally, in its continued effort to conserve biodiversity while improving the welfare of local people, the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia has embarked on a Conservation and Forest Management project in the Mafinga Hills of northern Zambia, and the project has trained about 60 people from three villages where the inhabitants are mostly traditional pastoralists who act as guardians of biological diversity. They also play a critical role in the preservation of the headwaters of the Luangwa River.

Conservation cooperation

China and Zambia seek to explore innovative ways to promote conservation of biodiversity amid growing threats linked to human behaviour and climate change.

Recently, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie shared his thoughts with Zambia's Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Kampamba Mulenga, and called on the two sister nations to adhere to the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

The Chinese envoy affirmed that Zambia is blessed with excellent natural conditions and is rich in freshwater and forage resources with great potential for the development of fish farming and livestock husbandry.

"China is willing to work together with Zambia to fully implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and promote practical cooperation in all fields," Li said.

And Mulenga expressed her sincere appreciation to the Chinese side for the long-term support and assistance to Zambia's economic and social development and people's livelihood, adding that she expects more Chinese companies to come to invest in Zambia and bring advanced technology. CA

Reporting from Zambia

Taking it to the Bank

© stepmap.de

By Derrick Silimina

 

Financial products such as bank accounts and bank loans help people to manage their money and invest in assets such as houses and education.

When households have secure bank accounts and reliable channels for making payments, they are better able to make large purchases and to save money for the future. As a result, when most people in a community use financial products, businesses are more likely to invest in those communities.

That is why many developing countries, including Zambia, aim for universal access to basic financial products. But they have a long way to go to get there. More than 40 % of Zambian adults have no access to quality financial products, and about 60 % of adults who have such access do not use it, according to Zambia’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy paper for 2017-2022. In vast areas of Zambia, especially remote rural regions, people still rely on cash or barter, or use unregulated and unsecured channels, to make payments and store savings.

The main reasons for this poor showing are lack of funds, high bank fees, time-consuming travel to a bank branch and lack of trust in the financial sector, according to a 2017 World Bank study titled “Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Zambia”.

Slowly, however, this is beginning to change. Atlas Mara Bank Zambia, a large retail bank with headquarters in the capital Lusaka, recently opened two branches in the remote North-Western Province, one in Mwinilunga and the other in Zambezi. “We are bringing financial services to the Zambezi District after an absence of over 30 years,” says James Koni, the bank’s managing director.

Customers responded enthusiastically. “Having a bank here will enable me to save and be more financially secure,” says Clement Mufwaya, a pineapple farmer from Mwinilunga District. “Also, by opening a bank account, I can get a loan and expand my business.”

The government is asking other banks to take similar steps. It is also asking banks to provide electronic access to customers in remote locations.

‘‘Digitalisation is already the future of financial services,” says Mukuli Chikuba, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance. “Adopting advanced information technology and online business models will help financial service companies operate on a bigger scale, cut operating costs and better understand the needs of customers.”

Expanding to rural areas and offering online services is costly, however. Most likely, banks will need to merge with or acquire other banks to become big enough to invest in information technology and to reach out to unbanked populations.

Some merger activity is already in evidence. For example, Atlas Mara acquired Finance Bank Zambia in 2016 and subsequently merged the acquired bank with an existing subsidiary. The combined institution has a network of 65 branches, a roster of 23 external agencies and a collection of 176 automated teller machines in ten Zambian provinces.

The bank’s strategy is to offer a secure digital network that protects customer data from hackers and ensures that online financial transactions are safe from fraud and theft. “At the centre of our offer is our first-class digital platform,” says Koni. “This shows our commitment to support the government’s vision for financial inclusion for all Zambians.”

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