GROWTH TAKES FLIGHT IN ZAMBIA
FDI from private entities and global organizations, as well as government efforts to radically modernize airport infrastructure, are giving Zambia's aviation industry bigger wings.
For several years now, it has widely been acknowledged that the country has been let down by an underdeveloped aviation industry. Lack of airport infrastructure, low human and cargo capacity, and a marked absence of a national airline are all factors holding Zambia back from achieving its potential as a tourism hub and exporting focal point for the Southern African region. However, all that seems to be about to change
One of the most eye-catching improvements that will put Zambia back on the map is the planned extension to the country's main serving airport, the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA). This expansion, due to be finished in 2019, has been designed so that when seen from above the new builds take the form of an eagle, the trademark symbol of Zambia, which also appears on the country's flag.
Located 27km away from Lusaka, the KKIA is the largest airport in Zambia. The single 3,963m runway serves as the main entry and exit point for the country's visitors, who numbered 1 million in 2014. The expansion project, which consists of the construction of a brand-new terminal, will increase the airport's capacity to accommodate 6 million travelers. Designed by China Airports Corporation, the new terminal will have a more advanced international arrivals and departures area, as well as new aprons, taxiways, and a control tower, and is expected to cost USD360 million.
Meanwhile, in the Copperbelt region, the mining heartland of the country, the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport (SMKIA) in Ndola is struggling to cope with the high level of traffic passing through the area. One of the fastest-growing international airports in Zambia, the SMKIA has no further room for extending runways. Because of this, there are plans in the pipeline to develop a new sister airport to serve the region. Works on what will become the Copperbelt International Airport began in August of 2016 and are expected to be completed by 2019.
At an estimated cost of USD397 million, the Copperbelt International Airport is meant to soar into the lead as the regional transport center for industry and tourism. With a 1 million-capacity international terminal building, three aero bridges, a large-scale hotel, a business complex, an air cargo terminal, and an airport fuel farm, the project is no small feat for the contractors, China's AVIC International Holding Corporation Limited. The results are expected to have a large impact on the industrial activities at the nearby Chambishi Multi-Facility Economic Zone, where many of the country's cobalt and copper mining companies are based, as well as tourist hotspots of Nsobe Game Reserve and the Chimfunshi Chimpanzee Orphanage. With the planned capacity for 1 million passengers, 8,000 tons of cargo, and 20,000 aircraft take offs and landings per year, it seems the Copperbelt International Airport has been designed with precisely this demand in mind.
Elsewhere, Zambia's potential as a high-flyer has caused foreign parties to lend their support. At the end of 2016 the EU awarded Zambia a EUR5.6 million grant to improve regulatory frameworks in the aviation industry. It is hoped that this money will finance programs targeting improved air safety and security oversight systems, ensuring air traffic control conforms with international standards as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with a final view to enable air carriers registered in Zambia to safely and legally operate in European airspace.
In conversation with TBY, the Minister of Transport, Hon. Brian Mushimba, pinpointed the necessity of developing aviation infrastructure to bolster business in industry and tourism, revealing the government's plans to build airports in Kasama and Mansa. “We are making changes to policies and regulations and signing certain statutory instruments to unlock and streamline the sector,” he said. With many of these projects planned to near completion before 2020, there are high hopes all round that Zambia's aviation industry could really take off.
GROWTH TAKES FLIGHT IN ZAMBIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Year In Review
What A Year
Zambia has long been a bastion of stability in Southern Africa, and while its economy has been rocked in recent years by the falling value of copper prices, a devaluating kwacha, and high inflation, through the Economic Recovery Program the government has bold ambitions to right the ship.
read articleReview
Convoke, Confound & Collect
Squeezed between a rock and a rather hard place by the slowdown in Chinese demand for copper, by far Zambia's biggest export and government-revenue generator, President Lungu has been forced to get creative in his country's alliances to broaden revenue streams and lessen its dependence on the vagaries of one foreign market.
read articleGuest Speaker
Dr. Stergomena L. Tax, Executive Secretary, Southern African Development Community (SADC)
TBY talks to Dr. Stergomena L. Tax, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on regional economic development, boosting pan-continental free trade agreements, and improving security through mutual development.
read articleInterview
Susan Sikaneta, Ambassador, Zambia to Ethiopia & Permanent Representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa
TBY talks to Susan Sikaneta, Ambassador of Zambia to Ethiopia & Permanent Representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa, on championing peace across the continent, advancing women's rights, and promoting Pan-Africanism.
read articleInterview
Sebastian C. Kopulande, CEO, Zambian International Trade & Investment Centre (ZITIC)
TBY talks to Sebastian C. Kopulande, CEO of Zambian International Trade & Investment Centre (ZITIC), on taming austerity, stimulating sustainable growth, and creating the framework to support entrepreneurship
read articleFocus: Zambia Plus
Adding it All Up
On October 20, 2016, at the 2017 Budget Address, Finance Minister Felix Mutati launched the government's economic recovery program, christened "Zambia Plus." The program is designed to spur domestic productivity, through strengthening ties and collaborating with external donors and developers.
read articleReview: Banking
Macroeconomics Rule the Roost
In its ongoing efforts to diversify away from one principal commodity, copper, the government fosters the development, standardization, and efficacy of the private sector. In doing so the systematic support of the financial universe, especially banks, is vital, as is the goal of financial inclusion.
read articleFocus: SME Growth
IMF support program
An IMF support program stands to provide Zambia with some much-needed discipline on its expenditure and operational efficiencies; however, many caution the need for Zambia to determine what it wants to achieve and how the program will benefit the country.
read articleInterview
Christabel M. Banda, Executive Director, Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ)
TBY talks to Christabel M. Banda, Executive Director of Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ), on the evolution of the local insurance landscape, raising awareness, and tackling challenges in the sector.
read articleFocus: Solar
Sunny Side Up
As power demand continues to rise and power production continues to fall behind, it's the same old story for Zambia, still wrestling with an ongoing energy crisis. Public- and private-sector drives are seeking to mitigate this deficit by activating the country's solar industry.
read articleInterview
Margaret K. Chalwe-Mudenda, Director General, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
TBY talks to Margaret K. Chalwe-Mudenda, Director General of Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), on new projects, the ZNDC, and expectations for the year ahead.
read articleInterview
Hon. Dora Siliya, Minister, Agriculture
TBY talks to Hon. Dora Siliya, Minister of Agriculture, on the investments being made in agriculture to enable agricultural households, diversifying Zambia's basket of produce, and making international markets more accessible for local producers.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles R. Banda, Minister, Tourism and Arts
TBY talks to Hon. Charles R. Banda, Minister of Tourism and Arts, on the wealth of tourism destinations within Zambia, efforts to bring more visitors to the country, and what the Tourism Development Fund will contribute to developments.
read article