Vice president Nalumango encourages businesses to adopt emerging technologies, innovation

Vice president Mutale Nalumango has urged all businesses to embrace e-commerce by adopting emerging technologies and innovation.

Nalumango noted that e-commerce, propelled by innovation and technology, had in recent times emerged, as a business growth driving force in the modern economy.

She stated that this had revolutionised the way businesses were conducted.

The vice president said this at the official opening of the Lusaka Business Indaba and Expo in Lusaka on Thursday.

“This revolution in conducting businesses is taking place from the small start-ups to multinational corporations.

“E-commerce is surely paving the way for a levelled playing field by empowering entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to reach new markets and customers around the world,” Nalumango said.

She, however, alerted businesses organizations on the downside of the digital transformation, such as cybersecurity threats and data privacy concerns, among others.

Nalumango cautioned on the need to remain vigilant, ethical and inclusive in the approach to e-commerce as businesses navigated this evolving landscape.

“Yet, amidst the countless success stories, we must also acknowledge the challenges and complexities that accompany this rapid digital transformation.

Cybersecurity threats, data privacy concerns and the digital divide are but a few of the issues that demand our attention and collective action,” she said.

She also highlighted government’s initiatives meant to accelerate the growth of Zambia digital economy.

These included the National E-Commerce Strategy in 2023 and the National Digital Transformation aimed at enhancing Zambia’s digital transformation and mainstreaming digital revolution in national programmes.

At the same function, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Chipoka Mulenga, stated that: “The world wants to transform from the usual analogue way of doing business into an e-commerce platform. Called on the chamber to ensure that all the products come and bring them in one platform and showcase them to the world.”

Meanwhile, Alexander Lawrence, President for the Lusaka Chamber of Commerce said: “Amongst the programmes we are doing is the capacity for our SMEs and this because we want to change the way we do business in Zambia.

“We are targeting converting our business community into an export-oriented business community which will spur industrialisation that will create jobs,” he said.

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