The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) welcomes the Grow Zambia Agenda’s focus on the inclusion of the manufacturing sector in the next five years.
In a statement, ZAM President Muhammad Umar says President Hakainde Hichilema’s speech in Parliament on 9 October has been welcomed by the Association, highlighting that the shift from stabilising the economy to raising living standards, anchored in the Grow Zambia Agenda, will help develop the manufacturing sector and the country at large.
Mr. Umar says the fall of inflation to 6.1% in September 2026, Kwacha stability and foreign reserves, and GDP growth to 5.2% in the second quarter of 2026 mean predictable input costs, the ability to plan and renewed investor confidence for the manufacturing sector.
He says President Hichilema, by placing manufacturing at the centre of the Grow Zambia Agenda, describes it as a key driver of economic transformation alongside agriculture, mining, tourism, energy and transport infrastructure, highlighting that the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP rose to 8.75% in 2025, a 30-year high, yet remains far below the 36.1% target set in Vision 2030.
Mr. Umar further notes that 3 million tonnes of copper, 10,000 MW of electricity generation and 5 million tourist arrivals can only be achieved if Zambia consumes and exports more of what it makes.
He says the 10,000 MW target and greater private sector participation in transmission and distribution are vital, emphasising that Zambia must move to exporting finished goods.
The production targets for maize, soya, wheat, sugar and beef are aimed at agro-processing, with every additional tonne produced, whether on the farm or in the mine, being an opportunity to process locally rather than export raw.
ZAM also welcomes the President’s commitments to reduce the cost of doing business, promote the export of finished products under the AfCFTA, COMESA and SADC, invest in industrial parks and economic zones, and strengthen linkages across sectors to deepen local value addition.
ZAM has further encouraged government to consult industry closely on the planned review of the monthly fuel pricing mechanism, as fuel prices feed directly into the cost of production and distribution.
Mr. Umar says the commitment to digitise border processes, move towards non-stop borders and develop the Lobito, Walvis Bay–Ndola–Lubumbashi, TAZARA, Nacala and Durban corridors is critical for manufacturers in a land-linked country, especially in exporting Zambian products.
In addition, the pledge to establish a skills training centre in every district and a public university in every province, perfectly contributing to value addition, is cardinal, as ZAM members consistently cite the shortage of skilled technical workers, including welders, machinists, food technologists and quality controllers, as a barrier to expansion.
By Mutinta Hamusankwa
