Zambian Potato Chips Come to East Africa, Pouring into SADC markets

Demand for Zambia’s potato chips has carried on growing into East Africa. Uganda are the latest to place orders.

Previously, Zambia had to import chilled potato chips form Africa. However, the efforts of the Zambia Potato Company (ZPC) has now saved the country foreign currency, helping replenish the treasury with the US dollar.

Mathews Kaubo, the ZPC Country Sales and Business Development Manager, expressed happiness at the company’s progress over the last few years since being on the international market.

The ZPC is now witnessing benefits of its growing share of business in both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) markets – a significant growth from the original 27 tonne export to the DRC. Following successful exports to Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda has now made orders.

Within the SADC, along with successful business in the DRC, the company has also been exporting to Malawi, Namibia and South Africa.

“South Africa is our biggest market. From the pilot export of 27 tonnes to the DRC in January, 2022, the company now exports to eight countries in the EAC and SADC markets,” Kaubo said.

Mr Kaubo highly praised the Zambian Government through its quasi institutions for guidance, saying that the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has been pivotal in supporting the company’s entrance into the export market. The ZDA were brought on board for the business expo in Lubumbashi, DRC in late 2021.

He further commended the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZBS), which respectively ensured the company was compliant to the country’s tax regime and phytosanitary standards for the export market.

So far this year, the company has raised its exports to 1,850 metric tonnes from the 750 exported in 2022. Exports are expected to reach 2,000 by the year’s end.

Mr Kaubo said that the ZPC strikes a delicate balance by ensuring both the local and export markets are satisfied.

The company also supplies locally to chain stores countrywide; local entrepreneurs are serviced by the Buya Bamba outlet on the outskirts of Lusaka City Market. Buya Bamba is an outgrower agent and distributor for raw potatoes.

“Our focus was mainly to satisfy the local demand. But the processing equipment was projected to be producing more than the country’s needs,” observed Mr Kaubo. As local demand is estimated at around 700 tonnes monthly, the company had to offload the surplus to foreign markets.

“South Africa is our biggest market. Kenya and the DRC are our second biggest markets in terms of demand,” Mr Kaubo revealed.

The company was established in 2018, starting production in 2019. It now has 150 full time employees, mostly women at its Ngwerere factory in Chongwe District. This shows important improvement in diversifying Zambia’s workforce.

The company has also created hundreds of jobs through its outgrower initiatives in Northern and Southern provinces.

Mr Kaubo further provided information on the scale of the company’s production: “Farmers employ about eight people per hectare. We are growing above 2,000 hectares.”

“We are happy to keep our farmers growing. The more they increase the hectarage, the more jobs they create. We have to continue growing the export market,” he said.