A global outage affecting Microsoft’s 365 services has disrupted business communication in Zambia, exposing the vulnerability of organisations that increasingly depend on cloud-based technology to conduct daily operations.
The disruption, which began on Thursday evening, November 12, has affected several Microsoft services, including Outlook, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, leaving users unable to access essential communication and workplace tools.
The impact has now extended to Zambia’s aviation and financial markets, with Proflight Zambia reporting that all its email services are down due to the disruption.
The airline has since advised customers to use its reservations WhatsApp number or a temporary email address to make bookings and seek assistance as it works around the disruption.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has also acknowledged the outage, disclosing that it has affected communication between the regulator and Capital Market Operators.
In a public notice issued on Friday, November 13, the Commission encouraged Capital Market Operators to use alternative communication channels until the problem is resolved, adding that it will provide further guidance as more information becomes available.
The developments highlight how disruptions to a single global technology provider can affect organisations operating in different sectors, potentially interrupting communication, service delivery and regulatory engagement.
For businesses, the incident raises questions about the resilience of digital infrastructure and the adequacy of alternative systems when critical technology services become unavailable.
It also underscores the importance of business continuity plans, particularly for organisations whose daily operations depend heavily on cloud-based platforms.
Microsoft has attributed the disruption to infrastructure-related problems and is working to restore affected services and stabilise its systems.
By Rachel Mumba
