Zambia Records 20% Increase in Non-Traditional Exports

During the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Export Survey Report, the Ministry of Commerce Permanent Secretary Lillian Bwalya gave a speech on behalf of the Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga.

Zambia’s non-traditional exports include cotton, tobacco, honey, and sugar. Exports increased from $3.5 billion in 2022 to $4.3 billion in 2023. Zambia’s significant export partners over the years have been Switzerland, China, and South Africa, as well as Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr Mulenga attributed the positive increase to both the government’s focus on promoting a broader range of exports, including non-traditional exports, and the ZDA’s connection of 23 different exporters from a variety of sectors to the export market in 2023.

The government has further supported this increase in exports by implementing certain policies to support the growth of export markets. This includes, for example, the approval of the first consignment of Zambian-grown avocados for export, which was put to the European Union in April 2022.

In response to the export survey’s findings, the ZDA made a call to the government to eliminate bureaucratic procedures in the acquisition of export permits.