SA companies take on Agritech Expo in Zambia

The Agritech Expo, which takes place on 27 to 29 April in Zambia, has seen a strong South African interest in Zambia’s agricultural sector. The expo is owned by the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) and returns to Chisamba for the fourth time this year.

“Zambia is an exciting market to explore, not just for South African suppliers to the agriculture sector, but also for South African farmers,” said the commercial director for the Agritech Expo, Liam Beckett in a press release to Ventureburn.

The SA companies which are involved in the expo in an exhibition or a sponsorship role include AGRICO, Gallagher, Power Fence, Hyrdraform, Kempston Agri-Claas, Lindsay Africa, Neptun Boot, Organico, Senter 360, Teejet and ROFF. Many other suppliers have their headquarters in SA but are participating as their Zambian branches.

The Agritech Expo in Zambia sees many SA farmers and agripreneurs flocking in to explore new possibilities

“In certain sectors, the South African market has become saturated and many South African companies are looking to branch out across the border, in order to continue their business growth in Africa. In Zambia, there are approximately 400 registered commercial farming professionals, which represents a very lucrative potential market,” added Beckett.

Beckett also commented on the similarities in farming technicalities between SA and Zambia. “The Zambian farming sector is also far more advanced than other neighbouring countries and farming methods are also similar to South Africa. Therefore, South African brands and products, such as implements and agrochemicals, are all applicable in Zambia.”

What’s more, according to Beckett, SA farmers can also explore the possibilities of renting land on a 99-year lease to expand their existing operations.

“Just judging from the big increase in international pavilions at Agritech Expo this year, the global interest in Zambia as an agri market is obvious. Already there is major international investment in the country at present as well as projects being planned and if a South African company wants to establish a footprint in Zambia, they need to make sure they grab this business development opportunity now before they miss out,” Beckett concluded.