25
I n Z a m b i a A m e r i c a n C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e AmCham News 2015 Q2 Newsletter

AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia's quarterly newsletter covering April - June 2015 events.

Citation preview

Page 1: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

In Zambia

Am

erica

n Chamber of Commerce

AmCham News 2015

Q2 Newsletter

Page 2: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

ACTI

ON A

UTO

LTD

– HO

ME

OF C

HEVR

OLET

IN Z

AMBI

A

WHE

RE W

ILL C

HEVR

OLET

TAKE

YOU

?

ACTIO

N AU

TO T

EL: +

260 2

11 22

6 205

/221 0

76w

ww

.act

iona

uto.

co.zm

| sa

lesa

dmin

@ac

tiona

uto.

co.zm

Term

s an

d Co

nditi

ons

App

ly. M

odel

/s s

how

n m

ay d

iffer

. Err

ors

& O

mis

sion

s Ex

cept

ed.

WHE

RE W

ILL C

HEVR

OLET

TAK

E YOU

?

GET

TO A

CTIO

N AU

TO N

OW

AND

TAKE

ADV

ANTA

GE O

F TH

ESE

AWES

OME

CHEV

ROLE

T DE

ALS.

80513 ADMAKERS.COM

Page 3: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

what’s insidepresident’s message04ed’s message

AmCham Zambia | 3

05csr corner06advocacy corner08

lusaka - city of opportunity

111617

adam ross farewell2019

featured stories

april - june events

meet the secretariat22

action auto award

upcoming events

23 membership list

Page 4: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

message from

presidentthe

4 | AmCham Zambia

Dear Members of the Chamber:

Throughout this newsletter, you will see the tremendous momentum the Chamber has maintained during the second quarter of the year. I will begin by expressing my excitement to announce the appointment of Mark Zaner as the new Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia, effective 23 June 2015. Mark actually started familiarizing himself with the Chamber’s operations in May 2015, when the relevant documentation started being processed.

Mark joins us from the private sector, where he worked in sales and marketing in Ohio. In his immediate antecedent role, he managed a portfolio of over 100 accounts, increasing revenues by USD 500K in a period of eighteen months. We are happy to welcome him to the Chamber team and we look forward to working with him in the coming years, helping us lead the Chamber to even greater success. I encourage all members to take time to meet Mark as he conducts site visits and works to support your businesses.

I would also like to introduce Nate Crossley, a fellow from Harvard University, who has joined the Chamber for three months to work closely with the Advocacy Committee, and Joseph Banda, an American of Zambian origin, who will be with the Chamber for one year and will provide support to the Chamber as the Business Development Specialist.

Let me also take this opportunity to bid farewell to Adam Ross, the ex-officio member of the AmCham board who represented the U.S. Embassy Lusaka. His has been a true pillar and friend of the Chamber. We are sorry to see him leave as his tour of duty in Zambia ends.

With this expansion in our team, I encourage you to continue to keep your doors open to the Secretariat so they can continue working to make your membership more beneficial. As we look forward to an active third quarter, I hope you will take time to attend our Chamber events and, as always, we appreciate your participation and feedback.

I wish you all a successful quarter.

Yours sincerely,

Jason Kazilimani, Jr. President

Page 5: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

ED xecutiveirector

WelcomeAmCham’s New

My name is Mark Zaner and I am the new Executive Director for AmCham. I have been living in Lusaka since November 2014 and am enjoying all of the new experiences and cultural differences Zambia has to offer.

I attended Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and earned my Bachelor of Science in Business Management. My goal as the incoming Executive Director is to attract more direct U.S. business investment in Zambia. I firmly believe in the mission of the AmCham and am committed to seeing it through by working with each of our members to determine what your biggest challenges are and helping you overcome them.

Over the last 8 weeks, I have been immersing myself in the Chamber’s membership, committees, and operations activities. I want to build upon AmCham’s success by (i) increasing awareness of the Chamber through direct networking, (ii) strengthening existing relationships with both members and non-members that advance the Chamber’s interests, and most importantly, (iii) holding regular discussions regarding policies affecting your business so we can create and sustain a favorable business climate in coordination with the government.

I look forward to meeting you at one of our many upcoming events this quarter. If you would like to schedule a meeting with me to discuss what you would like to gain from your membership or have an idea how to make the Chamber better, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mark ZanerExecutive Director

AmCham Zambia | 5

arkM anerZ

Page 6: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

RCSR

CO

RN

ER

Social esponsibility

Corporate

6 | AmCham Zambia

Focus

AmCham Zambia member NECOR Zambia Limited is committed to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and is dedicated to giving back to the community. NECOR, through its subsidiary Lamya Medics Limited, has implemented Teledoctor, a profit-making venture incorporating a social impact. Teledoctor is a partnership between NECOR and Zambian doctors. This partnership has created a niche in the Zambian health service provision sector by providing medical and health solutions via remote access on a mobile or fixed telephone.

Honorable Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child, Mrs. Emerine Kabanshi, launched the product in May 2015 and the Zambian Government is in full support of the business venture through its regulatory department. The project is currently run through NECOR Zambia Limited’s Customer Support Call Center and the Teledoctor service is currently available exclusively to ZAMTEL subscribers.

NECOR Zambia Limited

eledoctor provides medical and health solutions via remote access on mobile or

fixed telephones

T

Page 7: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter
Page 8: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

advo

cac

y C

OR

NER

“Policy consistency and transparency in the mining sector will encourage further investment in mineral exploration and extraction, which will continue to help the Zambian economy grow. A tax regime should be stable, predictable, and the process through which policy changes are made should

be transparent and conducted with the input of the private sector. ”

Background

The debate over Zambia’s mineral taxation policies have taken central stage in discussions regarding the Zambian economy both in the domestic and international press. The main challenge is managing the balance between the mining companies and Government given the challenge of asymmetric information between the two competing interests.

Without full knowledge of production costs, the Zambian Government must speculate a taxation regime that compensates the country for its loss of natural capital and provides the country with an appropriate share of mineral resource rents. At the same time, the taxation regime should not reduce incentives for mining companies to where they decrease production or withhold investments in exploration and increased output.

The extraction of sub-soil natural resources must earn the country enough revenue that is invested in other productive sectors of the economy so that the value of the return on investments exceeds the future value of copper had it remained in the ground. In periods of high commodity prices, greater revenues should accrue to the country for further investment and growth.

Taxation policy must also provide a reasonable rate of return to the mining companies. Given the nature of the commodities industry, with long-term investment horizons, time-inconsistency in government policies, and volatile commodities prices, a taxation policy

should ensure continued growth of the sector while being sufficiently flexible to increase Zambia’s share of rents when commodity prices are high, and ensuring continued output when commodity prices are low. Zambia has been addressing this problem since independence, pursuing strategies of public or private ownership, as well as combinations of the two. The global increase in commodity prices experienced over the past decade has increased the political pressure on Government to ensure Zambia receives its share of the commodity boom; this has resulted in frequent policy changes since 2008.

Policy Changes in 2015

Minister of Finance, Honourable Alexander Chikwanda, announced in January that Government would change the mining tax code by replacing the dual profit-and-royalty based tax system with a simple mineral royalty regime. The goal of the policy was to curb practices the Government perceives the mines to be taking to reduce their taxable profits – in 2014, only two mines paid corporate income tax. Royalties are a regressive tax, consuming a larger portion of company revenues when commodity prices are low. The 20 per cent royalty rate in the 2015 budget was the highest in the world and occurred at a time of declining copper prices. The mines balked. Barrick Gold threatened to suspend production at its Lumwana Copper Mine and the Zambia Chamber of Mines reported there would be a loss of 12,000 jobs if the policy was left unchanged.

Political Economy of Minerals in Zambia

8 | AmCham Zambia

Page 9: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

.

AmCham Zambia | 9

advo

cac

y CO

RN

ERAs a result of the impasse, President Edgar Lungu issued a directive to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development to effect changes to the 2015 Mineral Royalty Tax. Following the directive, Cabinet announced a compromise to the mining tax law by 1) reducing royalties for open pit operations to 9 per cent from 20 per cent, 2) increasing royalties on underground operations from 8 per cent to 9 per cent, and 3) resuming of corporate income tax at a rate to 30 per cent. Cabinet then announced further cuts to underground mineral royalty rates to 6 per cent. The new rates are scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2015.

Additional measures approved by Cabinet include:

• Corporate income tax on income earned from mining operations will be at 30 per cent;• Corporate income tax on income earned from mineral processing will be at 35 per cent;• Variable profit tax on income earned from mining operations will be at 15 per cent when taxable income exceeds eight per cent of the gross sales - this is a form of variable profit tax supported by the IMF, which increases government revenue when copper prices increase and allows Government to capture a greater proportion of rents;• Deduction of tax losses carry-forward to be limited to 50 per cent of taxable profits, restricting companies from reducing their taxable income.

Cabinet believes the new tax regime will bring the desired stability, predictability, consistency, and transparency to the mining sector. The government

does, however, anticipate a loss of about K2.3 billion in revenue as a result of this decision. This will increase the fiscal deficit to above 6 per cent of GDP and likely influence Government’s recent request to increase the debt ceiling and pursue a third Eurobond issuance of $2 billion.

In spite of the changes, Lumwana, which announced it would maintain production, indicated it would withhold further investments to its operations until there was increased policy stability and the on-going disagreement over VAT refunds is resolved.

After experiencing a slow-down in growth in 2014, Zambia is projected to have growth rates between 6 to 7 per cent to 2020, due to the investments made ten years ago in the mining sector coming to maturation. Increased production should offset the reduction in the price of copper on the world market, but it is evident that continued investment in the country is critical for sustained economic growth and as a vehicle through which to meet other Government goals, including economic diversification.

Moving Forward

Policy consistency and transparency in the mining sector will encourage further investment in mineral exploration and extraction, which will continue to help the Zambian economy grow. A tax regime should be stable, predictable, and the process through which policy changes are made should be transparent and conducted with the input of the private sector.

Corporate Income Tax

Variable Profit Tax

Windfall Tax

Royalty Rate (open/closed)

DA

25%

No

No

0.6%

2008

30%

Yes

Yes

3%

2009

30%

Yes

No

3%

2012

30%

Yes

No

6%

2015 (Jan)

0%

Yes

No

20% / 9%

2015 (Jul)

30%

Yes

No

9% / 6%

Minerals Tax Rate Changes in Zambia Since Privatization

Page 10: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

Kukula Capital Plc !Suite 101, Foxdale Court!

609 Zambezi Road!Roma Lusaka!

Zambia!

E: [email protected] !!P: +260 211 295 792 !!W: www.kukulacapital.com !!

Infrastructure Advisory!

Corporate Finance Advisory !

Venture Capital!

Contact us:

First Floor, Elunda TwoAddis Ababa Roundabout

Rhodes ParkLusaka

Unit 14 Lyness HouseFreedom Avenue

Kitwe.Telephone: +260 211 372 900

Email: [email protected].

With 60 years of operating in Zambia, we provide Audit, Tax and Advisoryservices, delivering a globally consistent set of multidisciplinary finance andaccounting skills and capabilities based on deep industry knowledge. Ourindustry specialisation helps KPMG people to develop a rich understandingof clients’ businesses, acquire insight, skills and resources required toaddress industry-specific issues and opportunities.

Audit servicesOur Audit services include:■ Financial statement audit■ Financial statement reviews■ Agreed upon procedures

Tax servicesOur Tax services include:■ Corporate Tax■ International Executive Services■ Indirect Tax■ Company Statutory Services

Advisory servicesOur Advisory services include amongstothers:■ Transactions and Restructuring■ Risk and Compliance■ Internal Audit Co-sourcing■ Performance and Technology■ Forensic■ IT Advisory

“Taking The Load Off Your Shoulders”

Aircraft ground

handling

CorporateAviationServices

Imports& Exports

Cargo Clearing & Forwarding

Warehousing& Cold Room

Storage

NAC2000 Corporation LimitedFreight Village Kenneth Kaunda International AirportP.O Box 33650, Lusaka - ZambiaTel: +260 211 271012, 0211 271046Cell: +260 955 296761, 0976 296761, Fax: +260 211 271357

OUR SERVICES

www.nac2000.com.zm

[email protected]

Page 11: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

AprilM

ember

ship ev

ents

Mashawu Musona | Fortuna Enterprises There have been many benefits I have had as an AmCham Zambia member, but so far, chief among them would be the opportunity to attend the Export Import Bank Conference in Washington D.C. this year. The conference was held April 23rd and 24th at the Omni Shoreham Hotel - a spectacular landmark D.C. hotel. From the outset, our Zambian delegation was witness to a grand affair. After an inspiring opening speech by EXIM Bank head Fred Hochberg, I have to admit I was left in awe seeing prominent figures one usually only sees on TV, right there in the flesh, most notably IMF Chief Christine Lagarde and United Nations Security Advisor Susan Rice. However, my main priority was to find American companies that my business, Fortuna Enterprises, could do business with. Under the guidance of Business Linkages Committee Chair, Mr. Benjamin Katubiya, a frequent traveller to this event, I can boldly claim the trip was a success and Fortuna is already in talks with several companies about partnerships. Another benefit of the conference was, of course, the city itself. Washington D.C. is a tourist haven, steeped in history. For night life, I recommend 18th Street Lounge. For history, as an Abraham Lincoln admirer, I recommend the Lincoln Memorial. For scenery lovers, I recommend the National Mall and to food lovers, the Old Ebbit. In short, D.C. caters to everyone’s tastes. The conference was a success and the main theme throughout was for U.S. firms to expand business operations in Africa. It felt good from an African perspective to hear the continent spoken off in glowing terms, as a business partner, and not as a donor recipient. The Export-Import Bank Conference is an annual event and I highly recommended it.

AmCham Zambia | 11

Two perspectives of EXIM Bank Annual Conference in Washington D.C.

Benjamin Katubiya | BUK Truck Parts Ltd.

In April, I helped lead the Zambian delegation to EXIM Annual Conference in Washington D.C. Our delegation comprised of Mr. Peter Lukama of Lukama Investments (AmCham Zambia member), Mr. Mashawu Musona of Fortuna Enterprises (AmCham Zambia member), Mr. Mathias Yoram Mutupa of Chesterfields Group, Mr. Fred Musonda of BridgeTech , Mrs. Inonge Mwape, the First Secretary Trade at the Zambian Mission in Washington D.C. and myself (AmCham Business Linkages Committee Chairperson).

In Zambia, I have witnessed a number of visitors wanting to know more about Zambia and how to get their businesses here. Additionally, a lot of people in the U.S. are interested in doing business in Zambia. However, a large barrier has been the ongoing issue of little information about Zambia filtering in the United States. To help alleviate this, I carried ZDA brochures, AmCham Zambia overviews, and other Zambian literature to the conference and found these resources to be very much welcomed by EXIM participants. My goal is to help increase awareness and interest in Zambia while traveling abroad.

I had introduced our delegation to the following: Mr. Ben Todd of EXIM Bank, Mr. Raj Nandkumar of Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO), Mr. Charles Baker of Atrifin and Mr. Eric Miller of Equipex. Following the conference, all the four Zambian delegates are busy talking to Atrifin and other funding and suppliers institutions in the U.S. about partnering with their companies.

On the last day of the conference, I had a very fruitful discussion with Mrs. Inonge Mwape on how AmCham Zambia and the Zambian Mission in Washington can cooperate in promoting business between the two countries. She is already working on bringing business visitors to Zambia and we will be coordinating a U.S./Zambia Business Expo with the AmCham Zambia Business Linkages Committee soon.

Page 12: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

MayM

embe

rsh

ip e

ven

ts

12 | AmCham Zambia

On Thursday, 14 May, AmCham Zambia partnered with the U.S. Embassy Lusaka’s Consular Office on a workshop discussing the process of obtaining a nonimmigrant U.S. visa. The U.S. Embassy’s Consular Chief, Otto H. Westhassel, led the presentation and stated the consular team of five typically process more 70 applications each day and approve more than 7,500 applications each year. The presentation focused on the B-1/B-2 visas, which allow an individual to enter the U.S. for business or tourism. Business visas are obtained when one is conducting business, described as anything not directly involved with being paid from a U.S. source and can include meetings with third-party businesses to learn about their practices. For instance, an attorney based in Lusaka may attend conferences or professional trainings at a U.S. based law firm on how to gather legal information more efficiently. An example of what it does not cover would be consulting for a U.S. based firm during your stay and being paid to do so.

The process of obtaining a B-1/B-2 visa is straightforward:

The first step is to fully and accurately fill out the form DS-160. Westhassel stated this was the most important step in the process. An application that is 100 percent complete and accurate is crucial. The application can be found on the U.S. Embassy Lusaka’s website, which includes all necessary information: http://zambia.usembassy.gov/nivinfo.html.

The next step is to schedule a visa interview appointment with a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy. Typically appointments are scheduled 7-10 calendar days out, but can sometimes be as few as two days. Nonimmigrant visa interviews are not usually conducted on Thursdays or Fridays. However, in emergency situations, where it is

necessary to expedite the process, it is advised to schedule the appointment as normal and contact the consular with the details of your specific situation.

Westhassel emphasized the importance of showing up on the day and time of the scheduled appointment. Many times individuals will show up a day earlier thinking they may be seen sooner, but this is not the case. He recommended showing up 20 minutes early, stating this is enough time to go through the controlled access area and be screened by the local security.

When you get to the consular section of the U.S. Embassy, you will pay a non-refundable visa application fee, which is $160 or the equivalent in Zambian Kwacha. Only cash is accepted.You will be directed to a window to be interviewed. Only the person applying for a visa will be interviewed, so do not bring additional people to the window. The interview typically lasts 5 minutes and Westhassel stated, “Full disclosure is the best policy.”

It is important to know an AmCham member’s visa applications are not guaranteed approval. In case a visa is denied, it cannot be appealed. One will need to re-apply and start the entire process again. There is a list of frequently asked questions is on the website and if you have additional questions, feel free to contact the AmCham Secretariat or email [email protected].

14

Page 13: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

15

21

26

AmCham Zambia members were invited to attend the second meeting of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) in 2015 on May 15 at the U.S. Embassy Lusaka. Regional Security Officer (RSO) Mr. Kory Hammond, and Assistant RSOs, Mr. Werner Tsin and Mr. Maurice Brungardt led the meeting. The main topic of the meeting was personal security. OSAC discussed the issues of monitoring crime rates, documentation of financial fraud, inventory and warehouse theft, and computer security. The OSAC meeting reminded participants that emergencies are unplanned events that need to be consistently prepared for and reevaluated to be best prepared to handle these types of events. Mr. Hammond also noted Zambia’s rating by the U.S. Government for terrorism dropped from medium to low in recent years.

On 21 May, the AmCham Zambia Board and members (KPMG, PwC, Jewel of Africa, Pioneer DuPont, Monsanto, NWK, and E&Y) met with representatives from USAID and U.S. Office of Trade for a round-table discussion regarding trade barriers and challenges of doing business in Zambia. The U.S. Trade Director for Sub-Saharan African was compiling a report for submission to the White House regarding policy concerns within Zambia, which will influence upcoming bilateral trade agreements between the United States and the Zambian Government. The U.S. Trade Director requested specific areas of concern for AmCham Zambia members doing business in Zambia. The responses were to be forwarded to the U.S. Trade Africa delegation, who will use the feedback to identify actions the governments of the United States and Zambia can take to improve Zambia’s business climate.

Tuesday, May 26, the U.S. Embassy Lusaka and AmCham Zambia co-hosted hosted a delegation of representatives from American business schools and historically black colleges at Taj Padmodzi Hotel. The purpose of the delegation’s visit was to provide faculty members and professionals, including chairs and heads of 13 American business schools, the opportunity to better understand the political, economic, and investment environment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The evening featured two guests, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, Mr. Eric Shultz, and Honourabe Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Industry, Mrs. Margaret Mwanakatwe. AmCham Zambia extends a large thank you to Chamber members Zamefa, KPMG, Microsoft and Kukula Ciptal for their generous sponsorships of the evening and the U.S. Embassy Lusaka for their support coordinating the event.

Mem

bersh

ip even

ts

AmCham Zambia | 13

26

Chamber members gave presentations to members and non-members about their corporate social responsibility (CSR) iniatives in the community. Southern Sun Ridgeway Hotel discussed their three areas of CSR work: education, health and the environment and their partnerships with the International Women’s Club, Diplomatic Spouses Association and the Salvation Army. Tyre King discussed their donations to local orphanages, support of disability advocacy programs, road safety, LAWS, youth skills trainings, and employee wellness and education. Airtel presented about their education, health, environmental protection and youth empowerment programs. Kukula Capital discussed the Kukula Cup, a competition promoting entrepreneurship in Zambia and their support of IWISA football team. After the presentations, participants enjoyed drinks and treats graciously sponsored by Southern Sun.

On 5 May, board member Will Pearson represented AmCham Zambia on a Direct Line Call directed by Ambassador Eric Shultz on Millennium Challenge Corporation’s tenders. The meeting was organized by the U.S. Embassy to provide an opportunity for American firms to speak directly with embassy leaders, management at the Millennium Challenge Account Zambia, and AmCham Zambia, about the potential to participate in the $355 million Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation, and Drainage Project. The project must be completed before November 2018 and couldn’t be timelier, as Zambia experiences a water shortage this year. The Embassy requested AmCham participation to provide callers an overview of AmCham’s presence in Zambia and role in working with U.S. firms.

5

Page 14: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter
Page 15: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

June

Mem

bersh

ip even

ts

AmCham Zambia | 15

12

On 3 June, members of AmCham met with a visiting delegation of the Corporate Council on Africa’s (CCA) Trade Mission to Zambia and Zimbabwe. The CCA trade mission visited Zambia to explore business opportunities in a number of sectors, including agribusiness, energy, manufacturing, and technology. The meeting, held at InterContinental Hotel Lusaka, followed several other discussions the delegation had with government ministries. AmCham Zambia Vice President Mike Musonda led the meeting and members were asked to give their perspectives on the risks and opportunities associated with doing business in Zambia. CCA attendees appreciated the chance to hear the private sector perspective of the business landscape in Zambia and we hope the dialog will continue.

3

On Friday, June 12, AmCham Zambia hosted its first Jazz and Blues Night at Misty Jazz Restaurant and Café. Members enjoyed an evening of jazz and blues by Victor Kasoma and Jaggari Chanda. The evening included a 3-course meal, wine from The Wine Shop, and concluded with cocktails and dancing. AmCham Zambia would like to extend a large thank you to Dani Beaini of New Horizon Printing Press for helping organize this event and we hope to make this an annual affair.

On 25 June, the U.S. Embassy commerical section team, Adam Ross and Vedruna Santana, gave a presentation to members at Protea Hotel Lusaka Tower. As one of AmCham Zambia’s key partners in promoting U.S. trade and investment, Ross and Santana discussed how the U.S. Embassy assists potential American investors by organizing meetings with Zambian officals and local business owners. The Embassy also discussed the International Buyers Program (IBP), which is an opportunity for Zambian businesses to attend and to bring American goods and services back to Zambia from the largest trade shows in the U.S. The presentation also covered EXIM, OPIC, TDA and the Embassy’s paid commericial services. The presentation was followed by a farewell reception for Adam at Protea’s Cloud 9.

25

Zambia hosted a follow-up meeting to the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing countries (UNLLDC) in Livingstone from June 2nd to June 4th. An important element of the conference was holding a private sector session and AmCham Zambia was honoured to participate in the coordination of the business and investment forum for the conference.

4

Page 16: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

16 | AmCham Zambia

A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the big four professional services firms and a member of AmCham Zambia, notably placed Lusaka on their list of African cities. This report considers Lusaka an important city of opportunity, ranking it #2 on the list of 20 main African cities.

The report was written to facilitate the decisions and actions of both investors and policy makers. It revolves around issues deemed critical for the business community’s and the public authorities responsible for improving the cities success. The report discusses elements of infrastructure, human capital, economy, and society and demographics that concern the 97 million people who live in the 20 cities addressed in the report.

From investors’ perspectives, doing business in Africa requires and in-depth understanding of economic variables and how they affect investors’ needs and strategies. The report defines five criteria that should be met before a decision is made where to invest, with the main objective is answering the question is what criteria makes a city suitable to exploit an opportunity. The criteria included current developments and future potential, location, nature of the opportunity, must have factors, and the timing of the opportunity. Based on these factors, the report considered Lusaka an important city of opportunity, placing is #2 on the list.

After a city is qualified as a city of opportunity, it is further analyzed on its infrastructure, human capital, economy, and society and demographics. Finally, an overall score is given to each city based on the above analysis.

The report finds that there is a strong positive correlation between infrastructure, human capital and economics, but that current investment in infrastructure across Africa is not sufficient. A suggested doubling of investment infrastructure in any city could lead to equal gains in human capital as smart, ambitious and creative people have become increasingly mobile and will move to amenable cities. It is worth noting that Lusaka is placed in top 13 for infrastructure where there may be need for further investment but Lusaka is way ahead many of other counterparts.

In the list of cities, Lusaka placed 13 overall, just ahead of Dar-es-Salaam. In individual rankings, Lusaka obtained the following encouraging scores:

Society & Demographics – top 8 city in AfricaEconomics – top 10 city in AfricaHuman Capital – top 12 city in AfricaInfrastructure – top 13 city in Africa

The report further analyses each of the cities through various other factors and is an interesting read to understand what further need to be done to improve Lusaka and various other African cities to bring them to international standards.

LUSAKA Nasir Ali – Senior Partner at PwC Zambia

city of opportunities

16 | AmCham Zambia

Page 17: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

Action Auto, Management and staff in Zambia recently scooped the coveted Performance Management Review (PMR) Golden Arrow Award for excellence in industry.

The team walked off with the Golden Arrow Award in the Leaders and Achievers in Motor Vehicle Dealerships category.

The coveted Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards is the culmination of a research process whereby companies and institutions are rated based on the respondents perceptions, with a strong focus on evaluating and measuring customer service and customer satisfaction.

The awards are also an indicator of a company and institutions competencies. The purpose of the awards is to create a global and unique marketing tool for the company, enhance excellence and to set a benchmark in industry.

Action Auto Dealer Principal, Michael Bentley said winning the award will serve as a motivator to continue to strive towards service excellence.

“The Action Auto Team is committed to exceed customer expectations, paving the way for customer enthusiasm and loyalty. The award acknowledges and recognizes that we are doing something right.” Bentley said this is the first time they have won this award and aim on working hard to achieve the Diamond Arrow Award in future.

Brian Olson, Vice President of Vehicle Sales Service and Marketing, GM Sub-Saharan Africa said “one of our values at General Motors is to earn customers for life by providing customers with an outstanding customer and ownership experience.”

“We are proud to know that the Action Auto team is putting the customer at the centre of everything they do and in that are also being recognized for it” added Olson.

Action Auto, General Motors sole authorized dealer in Zambia, comprises of a team of 58 and 15 staff members in Lusaka and Kitwe, a fully equipped modern workshop together with a team of qualified technicians that guarantee efficient and professional services.

Since 1997, the company has been providing quality vehicles and genuine spare parts for Chevrolet, Opel and Isuzu.

Action Auto Scoops Coveted Award

Action Auto team (from left to right) Gurinder Singh (Finance), Jimmy Dons (Workshop), Joseph Felemenga (Parts), and Lilia

Samui (Vehicles Sales)

AmCham Zambia | 17

LUSAKA

Page 18: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

Car Rental

Whether you’re looking for the most affordable airline, or less travel connections and flight specials, we haveyou covered.

Send us mail or give us a call - F; Let us know your preferred destinations, activities, budget and will give you asuitable holiday plan. Remember, planning early is always best so CONTACT US NOW!

+260 222 169 | [email protected] | www.alendotravel.com

Air Ticketing Holidays Car Rental AccommodationBookings

ConferenceBookings

Corporate TravelManagement

Note: We also help with Visa Arrangements.

Page 19: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

upcoming eventsjulyzambia int’l trade fairboard meeting

augustbusiness linkages cocktail

septemberamcham golf daypack expo, las vegas

octoberzambia/usa celebrationboard meeting

november amcham thanksgiving

1-716

20

1028-30

315

20

Results from the Advocacy Committee membership survey, sent out during the first quarter, are in! Thank you to all of the members who completed the survey. Top concerns of members include: (1) volatility in the exchange rate; (2) employment policies (strict laws for engaging employees and difficulties in receiving work permits for foreign workers); (3) mineral taxation policy inconsistency; and (4) both tariff and non-tariff trade barriers.

The Advocacy Committee will be working in the coming months to create policy briefs bringing Government’s attention to these issues and all briefs will be made available to members. The Chamber is always available to speak with members about policy areas of concern. Please feel free to reach out to the Secretariat to set up an appointment.

membership survey

AmCham Zambia | 19

Page 20: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

On behalf of the American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia, we thank Adam Ross for his service during his tenure as the Deputy Chief of Section for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy Lusaka. Adam has been a critical force behind our progress over the past several years and we wish him the best in Washington D.C. We hope to see him back in Zambia soon!

20 | AmCham Zambia

Page 21: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

20| AmCham Zambia

Consider sponsorsing an AmCham event for an opportunity to engage with top executives and businesses in Zambia. Sponsorship levels vary by event and will be customized to best add value to your business and fit your needs.

Do you feel AmCham events do not fit your target market? Consider working with the AmCham Secretariat to host an informational forum about the products and services your business offers. AmCham will help you market your event, send invitiation to membership and help connect you with the participants afterwards.

sponsor an amcham event

Elevate Reach

Your

promotional speechescomplimentary business access to ticketed eventsbanner displayspromotional materials distributioncompany logo on presentationsnewsletter, website and social media advertisingcomplimentary newsletter advertisement

Sponsorship Benefits

Contact the Secretariat to discuss which event sponsorship is best for your [email protected] | 0975.028.026

Page 22: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

amcham

Dailesi Njobvu is the Programs Manager at the American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia. Dailesi joined the Chamber as the first full-time staff member in August 2011, after being a part of the Civil Society Organizations’ committee working on the planning of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum in June 2011. Dailesi is responsible for coordinating the fellowship, professional development and advocacy committees at the Chamber. She also assumes the role of accountant, event organizer, membership recruiter, and communications officer assisting with the Chamber’s quarterly newsletter and social media.

Dailesi graduated from the International Management Institute in Brussels, Belgium, with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Communications and Public Relations. She previously held an internship with the office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism in Austin, Texas under Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis’s Texas Legislative Internship Program and is a part of the Zambia-USA Exchange Alumni.

Courtney Tuxbury is a 3rd year Peace Corps extension volunteer with the AmCham, serving as the SME Development Specialist. Previous to joining the Chamber, Courtney worked for 2-years in Lundazi developing the capacity of rural Zambians in preventative health of HIV, malaria, safe motherhood, child nutrition and WASHE. She also volunteered at the local schools, organized income-generating projects and taught women’s adult literacy classes.

Courtney is originally from Missoula, Montana. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Economics, B.A. in Business Administration and a minor in music.

Mark Zaner is the Executive Director at the American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia. He joined the Chamber in May and manages the day-to-day operations at the company headquarters office. Main responsibilities include: reporting regularly to the Board of Directors on the progress and achievement of assigned directives such as membership development, advocacy and membership committee oversight, and budget planning.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Wright State University, located in Dayton, Ohio. Upon graduation, he accepted a sales development role at LexisNexis, a leading global provider of information for businesses in the government, corporate, and legal sectors. After LexisNexis, Mark accepted a role as an Account Manager at ProSource, which is a total office technology provider including everything from hardware to custom built IT solutions.

secretariat

Dailesi Njovbuprograms manager

Mark Zanerexecutive director

Courtney Tuxburysme development specialist

22 | AmCham Zambia

Page 23: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

AmCham Zambia | 23

INTERNSAmCham

Nate

Joseph

Chanda

Inota

Chisomo

Nate earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from New York University and is currently a Master in Public Policy candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to attending university, Nate worked in Zambia for five years as the director of a non-profit organisation focused on vocational skills training and SME development in Zambia (Kafue), Tanzania, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. Nate is currently working with the AmCham Zambia Advocacy Committee to write policy reviews on Zambia’s fiscal and money policy, upcoming proposed budgets, and mining tax regime.

Joseph served as a Civil Engineering Specialist with the U.S. Air Force before attending Georgia State University for International Relations and Political Science. During his military career, Joseph traveled through Europe and the Middle East executing NATO combined joint exercise and operations for 5 years. In 2013, he graduated with a masters degree from Oklahoma University – Norman in International Relations and is currently pursuing an MBA in Supply Chain and Operation Management from Colorado Technical University. Joseph is the Business Development Specialist at AmCham and looks forward to making Zambia his permanent home.

Chanda Daka received a Bachelors of Arts in Economics with Honours, with dissertation entitled ‘Purchasing Power Parity; Case study of Zambia and USA’, from the University of Namibia. She lives in Zambia and is an aspiring economic data analyst. Chanda has worked with Nedbank and Wimpy and helped with voluntary projects of promoting solar stoves, working at cancer wards, and project management. Outside of work, Chanda enjoys helping out at church, travelling with her family and having a good time with her friends.

Inota is completing her B.A. in Economics and Statistics at the University of Zambia this July. She is actively involved with the UNZA Business and Economics Association and serves as an executive member of the Women’s League under UNZA’s entrepreneurship association. During her time at UNZA, she was one of the pioneers of an open market named “The Let’s Sell and Advertise”, which provides a platform for student entrepreneurs to trade side-by-side with large stores under one roof. As an AmCham intern, Inota assists with the CSR and professional development committee.

Chisomo is a 3rd year student at the University of Zambia currently pursuing a degree in Development Studies and Political Science. Chisomo has previously worked for Mr. Price Zambia and AED Advocates. He has also volunteered at the Kabwata Orphanage, helping tutor children with their schoolwork, and was the coach of his secondary school football team. At AmCham, Chisomo helps with Advocacy Committee to research policies, take meeting minutes and compiling the membership survey.

Page 24: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

In Zambia

Am

erica

n Chamber of Commerce

AmCham Zambia Members

23rd Century SystemsAction AutoAdvantage Insurance LtdAFGRIAGCOAlendo Travel and ToursAONAstro HoldingsAuto WorldBDOBerone LimitedBetter Now FinanceBUK Truck Parts LtdCargillCatholic Relief Services (CRS)Catwalk Boutique and Beauty SalonChetak Zambia LimitedCiti BankCoca-ColaComplete Enterprise Solutions (CES)Conveyer Engineering & EquipmentCopperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC)Corpus Globe Corporate Solutions LimitedCorpus Legal PractitionersCP EngineeringCutting Edge PRDana HoldingsDeloitte & ToucheDigiPrintEnviroBoard ZambiaExodus Worldwide Van LinesEY ZambiaFedExFHI 360First National Bank Zambia Ltd (FNB)Focus Financial ServicesFortuna Enterprises LtdFoxdale CourtFresh Springs Investment LtdGeneral Electric International (GE)Genuine CollectionsGracom Investment LtdGrant Thornton

Hollard InsuranceIBM ZambiaInfoTech Business SolutionsIntercontinental Hotel (Z) LtdInvestrust BankJewel of AfricaJhpiegoKPMGKukula CapitalLafarge ZambiaLukama EnterprisesLuwaka Enterprises LtdMarsh ZambiaMicmar InvestmentsMicrosoft East and South AfricaMonsantoMwacho Exclusive BoutiqueNAC 2000NECORNew Horizon PrintingNWK Agri-ServicesPioneer DuPontPricewaterhouseCoopersPrintechProtea HotelsR6 VenturesRadisson BluRiverbed OnlineSouthern Sun Ridgeway HotelStabo AirStreet WiseSyran Business SystemsTaj Pamodzi HotelTransunion Zambia Triblems EnterprisesTriskel Africa ConsultingTyre King EnterprisesUniversal Tobacco (Zambia Leaf Tobacco)Ursa Security InternationalVISAYash Pharmaceuticals Ltd. ZAMEFA

24 | AmCham Zambia

Page 25: AmCham Zambia 2015 Q2 Newsletter

MISSIONThe American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia aims to serve American citizens and American controlled companies doing business in Zambia, as well as Zambian businesses already or seeking to become involved in trade with the United States. AmCham will continue to achieve this by establishing a network of forums for sharing information, exchanging ideas and interacting with relevant American and Zambian policy makers. It is the ultimate goal of the Chamber to increase commerce and trade between the United States and Zambia.

OBJECTIVES• Further the development of commerce between the U.S. & Zambia• Promote the interest of its members in trade and investment• Gather and disseminate information on trade and investment

MEMBER SERVICES• Access to membership directory, includes key business contacts• Receive business-to-business matching• Information on trade shows and expos in the U.S. and Zambia• Invites to monthly business networking and social events• Invites to presentations with business leaders & high-level officials• Invites to meet with trade missions visiting to and from the U.S.• Access consulting on export-import market and foreign investment• Receive quarterly newsletter, regular e-bulletins and publications• Access business visa application services

In Zambia

Am

erica

n Chamber of Commerce American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia

Interested in joining AmCham? Contact [email protected] | 0975.028.026

AmCham Zambia | 25