Enhance Efforts to Encourage More Trade and Investment in the Copperbelt Province- Minister Mwakalombe |
| The South African business representatives have been advised to enhance efforts in encouraging more trade and investment into the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, with a greater focus on job creation, value addition and diversification. The remarks were made by the Minister of the Copperbelt Province, Mr Japhen Mwakalombe. He was addressing the South Africa-Zambia Business Seminar in Kitwe, Zambia.
The seminar was part of the Outward Trade and Investment mission to Zambia led by the department of Trade and Industry (the dti). “We are ready for you and will make ensure that we facilitate your setting up of business in this province in conjunction with all the relevant authorities and bodies. We do not want you to be frustrated when you access the available trade and investment opportunities,” said Mwakalombe. He told the delegation that the Copperbelt has a lot of potential in the sectors of forestry, agriculture, small-scale mining and tourism besides large-scale mining, energy, infrastructure and others with emphasis on investment in the whole value-chain. “As a country we are trying to promote joint ventures as a way of empowering our people and you are also free to partner with government through public-private partnerships,” said Mwakalombe. Although the mission focused on energy, mining, capital equipment, infrastructure rail, road and steel fabrication, Mwakalombe took the liberty to also mention opportunities in the agricultural sector which he said could turn the province into one of the country’s largest agricultural hubs. He added that the custodians of the land were willing to give land for purposes of investments. Mwakalombe added that the province was emphasising the production and productivity improvement along the entire product value-chain from farm to agro-processing and manufacturing at the sector and enterprise levels. In the same light, he said the Copperbelt has great potential for tourism and further urged the South African business representatives to take advantage of these rare opportunity and ensure they network as much as possible or else other people would take the opportunities. The First Secretary-Political of the South African High Commission in Zambia, Mr Dumisani Dlomo delivered an address on behalf of the South African Acting High Commissioner to Zambia, Mr Marx Cameron said the delegation was in Zambia to build on the success of the past, tap on the opportunities presented by the solid bilateral relations and Southern African Community Development economic integration narrative. Most importantly, he said the delegation wanted to be ahead of the opportunities yet to be presented through the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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