According to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) […]

According to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) 2025 Annual Statistical Bulletin, Mount Meru Petroleum Zambia has emerged as the country’s largest oil marketing company after beating 2024 industry giant Puma Energy from the top position in Zambia’s petroleum sector.

A further check on the figures contained in the bulletin by the Zambian Business Times (ZBT) shows that Mount Meru increased its market share of white petroleum products from 17.9% in 2024 to 18.9% in 2025. This development marks a significant shift in Zambia’s fuel industry, where Puma Energy had previously maintained dominance with a market share of 22% in 2024.

 However, Puma’s position weakened sharply in 2025 after its market share declined to 15.2%, representing one of the most notable contractions among major oil marketing companies. Meanwhile, Total Energies Zambia maintained third position despite its market share falling from 13.5% to 11.2% during the same period. The latest rankings also show Engen Petroleum increasing its market share from 5.7% to 6.7% while Rubis Energy Zambia climbed from 3.6% to 4.3%.

 Uno Energies Zambia also strengthened its market position, recording growth from 2.6% to 4.0% as competition intensified among fuel marketers.

Meanwhile, Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia (OMCAZ) President Dr. Kafula Mubanga has told Zambian Business Times-ZBT that the market share movements should not be viewed in isolation from broader investment and policy considerations.

 “When your policy framework does not speak to the security of the investors, investors slow down, and eventually there will be discrepancies between particular years where they feel the terms are favorable to investment,” said Dr. Mubanga. He argued that fluctuations in market share are often driven by conditions that either attract or discourage investment rather than operational performance alone.

Dr. Mubanga further noted that developments such as the reintroduction of the TAZAMA Pipeline have created advantages for certain players within the petroleum value chain. “You will notice that sometimes with the introduction of the TAZAMA pipeline there are certain terms of difference that favor particular bulk OMCs,” he said.

 Dr. Mubanga added that market share rankings only tell part of the story because some companies may dominate bulk fuel supply without necessarily appearing among the leading distributors.

Article by Phillip Sinkala