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Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), an investment promotion arm of the government, has reportedly garnered US$13.80 million business deals from the recently facilitated Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) trade mission.
This is according to a statement made available to Zambia Monitor by Head of Communications and Public Relations Kwali Mfuni on Tuesday.
Mfuni stated that the deals consisted of confirmed orders valued at US$6.6 million and US$7.1 million trade leads respectively.
The transactions were recorded from 37 Zambian companies that participated in the Trade Mission held from October 26 to 27, 2023 that was also supported by ABSA Bank Zambia limited.
The participating companies were from various sectors which included manufacturing, agro processing, agriculture, transport, mining, tourism and construction among others.
The key interest areas for the recorded business transactions were for the supply of commodities like cooking oil, tea, wild orchids, agrichemicals and insecticides.
Others were treated poles, garments, groundnuts, sugar, wooden product paint, furniture, irrigation equipment, engineering equipment and personal protective equipment (PPEs).
In addition, provision of services like transport and logistics, printing, branding and interior designing were other business interests.
ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa commended the facilitation of ease of trade agreements at Government level between the two countries.
He urged the business sector to emulate this government to government collaboration.
Halwampa was of the view that the establishment of a non-stop border post would also go along way towards easing the movement of goods between the two countries thereby facilitating enhanced business transactions.
DRC’s Katanga Province, continues to be a lucrative and accessible market for Zambian Non Traditional Export Products.
“This is evidenced by the increased volumes of trade from US$893 million recorded in 2021 to US$1,599 million in 2022.”
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Major exports to DRC include sulphuric acid, non-alcoholic beverages, electrical energy, maize, raw cane sugar, sweet biscuits, quicklime, buttermilk, curdled milk and cream among others.
The main objectives for the Trade Mission was to enhance Zambia‘s presence in the DRC through ZDA Trade Missions was to increase the number of companies that have an understanding of the size and dynamics of the Congo market.
Others were to support companies to show-case their products, maintain the current foothold in the DRC market and establish new and future business relations.
On the Congolese side the ZDA was supported by the Federation of Chambers of Katanga (FEC), the Zambian Consulate General Office in Katanga Province and the Provincial Administration of Katanga.
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