Zambia needs stronger policies to attract technology manufacturers

Zambia needs stronger policies and a more […]

Zambia needs stronger policies and a more enabling economic environment to attract technology manufacturers and reduce the country’s dependence on imported technological products, a technology expert has said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT Technology expert Ali Kingston Mwila said Zambia could attract established technology companies to set up manufacturing or assembly operations locally if the right policies and incentives were put in place.

Mwila said the country could also partner with foreign technology companies to develop local skills and gradually build capacity in technology manufacturing.

He said Zambia could learn from countries such as China, which have developed strong technology manufacturing industries through long-term investment, skills development and supportive policies.

“It’s possible because the same raw materials are coming from Africa,” Mwila said.

He said while Zambian universities are producing graduates with technical skills, the country has yet to develop an industrial base capable of manufacturing many of the technological components used in products such as phones, laptops and drones.

Mwila said Zambia currently has institutions training people to operate drones, but the country has not yet reached the level of manufacturing the technology locally.

He said attracting manufacturers would, however, require Zambia to consider several economic factors, including the size of the local market, investment returns, infrastructure and the country’s ability to export products to regional markets.

“It’s not a one-year or two-year project. It’s something that needs a long-term plan,” he said.

Mwila said policy makers should therefore focus on creating an economic environment that makes Zambia attractive to technology companies while also allowing local industries to gradually develop the skills and capacity required for manufacturing.

He said Zambia’s technology sector has made progress in areas such as digital connectivity, innovation, cybersecurity and digital services, but more funding and investment are needed to expand the sector.

Mwila said the growth of local technology startups and young people developing solutions to local problems showed that Zambia has the potential to build a stronger digital economy.

He said with sustained investment, appropriate policies and partnerships with established international technology companies, Zambia could eventually move beyond importing technology to manufacturing and exporting some products to the region and beyond.

Article by Karen Ngulube