The British Chamber of Commerce, in association with and support from the Private Enterprise Programme in Zambia (PEPZ), held an evening event in May 2016 on The State of SMEs and Entrepreneurship in Zambia. One hundred members and guests attended, which led to a lively discussion following the formal presentations.
These were made by:
- Bayo Akindeinde, Programme Manager of PEPZ;
- Sonny Zulu, Standard Chartered Bank Head of Retail for Zambia and Southern Africa
- Renata Zeravica, Procurement Manager, SPAR
A common denominator in most presentations were the need for up-to-date and relevant documentation on company products, services and finances (including a legally incorporated company); an ability to supply consistently in terms of quality, packaging and delivery and the need to have barcodes on product packaging. It was also noted that start-up finance for new companies can be hard to obtain from traditional sources which is why programmes such PEPZ, with its Nyamuka Business Plan competition, and the associated Accelerator Fund provided by Kukula Capital play an important catalytic and support role.
The presentations by PEPZ and SPAR can be downloaded below: