Prepare Graduates For Entrepreneurship, Not Employment, Says Minister

Minister for Tourism and Arts Ronald Chitotela has told Zambian universities they ought to be preparing graduates to start their own businesses, rather than trying to get a job. 

It comes as unemployment in Zambia stands at 11.43%, up from 10.11% at the beginning of President Lungu’s premiership.

Speaking as a guest lecturer at the University of Lusaka’s Business Administration masters program, Mr Chitotela told prospective graduates to open their minds to new business ventures, including those in the tourism industry.

“It is ‘old school’ to think investing in tourism is only for foreign financiers considering that the government has opened up opportunities for local Zambians to invest in the sector,” the minister said. 

He added that entrepreneurship was necessary for the betterment of Zambia’s economy, asking students to try and think of a single Zambian who had become wealthy on a salary. 

The minister’s comments again come at a tough time for the tourism industry, with Victoria Falls receiving only about 14,000 visitors during the first half of this year, down from its usual millions of foreign tourists. The double impact of drought and Covid-19 has decimated the sector, which usually contributes 7% of Zambia’s GDP.

Despite this, UNILUS vice-chancellor Pinalo Chifwanakeni said the tourism sector had a lot to offer young people if they would consider investing in it. 

He compared the situation to that of countries like Israel, which have benefitted enormously from the foreign exchange earning brought in by religious tourism.