Kafue Steel Company in Kafue District, is now exporting steel products to neighboring countries. This follows the start of partial production at the plant early this year.
The company’s products have since been certified by the Zambia and South African bureaus of standards, after meeting international export standards.
Universal Mining and Chemicals Limited Technical Director, Julius Kaoma told ZANIS in an interview today that, the $80 million dollar plant company was now established, with its products becoming more and more popular both on the local and regional markets.
Dr. Kaoma said, the company had already clinched markets in the Congo Democratic Republic, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa. He said the company at the moment was only manufacturing iron bars from locally sourced scrap metals.
Dr. Kaoma, who could not disclose the company’s expected annual turnover in terms of its projected sales said, the current production of steel was at 3000 metric tonnes per month, which would rise to 10,000 after the company started operating at full capacity.
He said the company was currently operating eight hours per day, with an initial workforce of 550, who would be as many as 1,500 in two year’s time, once the company would be come fully operational.
Dr. Kaoma expressed optimism that the steel industry in the country had great potential to grow and create a lot of jobs. He said plans were underway to revamp Sanje Iron Ore Mine in Nampundwe area.
Dr. Kaoma said the company had already embarked on the rehabilitation of the 50 kilometre road along which heavy duty vehicles would be haulaging iron ore and other products from Nampundwe to Kafue. He said the Ministry of Works and Supply, in conjunction with a named contractor had already started working on the road, which work was expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
He said, once the mine wass fully developed and operational, the steel plant in Kafue would start operating at full capacity, as the supply of raw materials for steel production would be readily available, and there would be no instead dependency on scrap metals alone as was the case currently.
Dr. Kaoma appealed to the residents of Kafue town to support the project, meant to add value to the national economy, adding that the company was ready to partner with the residents in the area in undertaking community projects, as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
ZANIS
this was just a bush but now houses the biggest employer in kafue thanks to deliberate policies of MMD. the export of steel will generate more forex and wealth for the nation. its good to note this company is wholly owned by zambians. weldone kafue steel
With a view to have break-even it is necessary to go in for larger volume. As such there is a need to encourage Indian steel companies who already have integrated steel plant.
It is great to know that the iron plant is now working. This is a sustainable undertaking because Zambia has a lot of iron ore. Mwanawasa had a vision for Zambia.
is pollution being monitored? steel industry has one of the worst pollution record,and they have to be monitored closely.
THANKS TO LPM’S PLAN FOR MOTHER ZAMBIA MHRIP .
THANKS TO LPM’S PLAN FOR MOTHER ZAMBIA MHRIP . BA LT WHATS YOUR PROBLEM THIS IS MY NEW COMMENT DAMN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Now how can you possibly spend $80 million on a steel plant and fail to pave and surface the premises with at least bituminous material? Please look at that shelter. I wouldnt value it and its contents for more than $30 million. Where is the the $50 million?
Thanks to PLMs vision and RBs delegence to carry out the vision flawlessly, with great tact and benifit for the country. Continuety with established good laid down trends aimed at development and leadership is what marks this GRZ lead by RB. Middle income zambia should not be far off if we win the next election with RB. The opposition have nothing on RB except insults, with completley no development on their agenda. Its like they think insults, accusations and non-constructive total opposition to every GRZ inicetive will bring jobs. Non Zambian PF kaponyas are not stupid. If it talks, walks like a duck, hell it is a duck. Only constructive critisim, not insults without development agendas that charecterises the opposition, is what Zambians want.
This plant doesn’t look impressive at all. Looking at it from the main road, I get worried about Kafue estates residential area directly to the west of it. I wonder how pollution is mitigated for such a site. Is it high tech in operation?
a right step in the right direction for our country. these are project I really get interested in. These are really ‘bloggable issues for a progressive zambia from progressive minds by the probressor
Well said but stop giving workers K10,000 daily on knocking off as pay. You have been avoiding employing them on fixed written contracts for fear of paying statutory dues. The Zed Govt., just watches. This company makes a lot of money to be paying peanuts to workers. The Ministry of labour abena Liato are aware and the labour commissioner if they do there Job apart from seating their butts in offices must be AWARE. This is a test case for the Politicians. Thats why we say they are BOUGHT.
An initial workforce of 550! Great, thanks to Levy Patrick Mwanawasa State Council. May his soul rest in peace.
# 6, this is an old picture, the structure in the picture doesn’t even have walls. The plant looks way much better and it is massive
This is a major milestone in the deveopment of the country. Plans to set up a steel plant were there as far back as during the first republic. It has taken over a generation to realise such plans.
#12 – Thanks for clarifying. In my eyes that structure looked shoddy. Maybe LT should have supplied a good pictures to depict whats on ground.
MAY OUR GREAT PRESIDENT LPM REST IN PEACE….BEST PRESIDENT ZAMBIA HAS EVER HAD. AM CURRENTLY CARRYING OUT A RESEARCH ON HOW WE CAN REDUCE CONSTRUCTION COST IN ZAMBIA…..AND SO FAR I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS IS TO START MANUFACURING STEEL AT A GREAT SCALE. I MUST SAY THIS PLANT IS REALLY WAT A ZAMBIAN BUILDER HAS BEEN YEANING FOR THOUGH WE NEED FOUR OF SIMILAR CAPACITY TO SATISFY OUR NATIONAL CONSUMPTION.
Great news. Many thanks to the late Dr. Mwanawasa for his visionary leadership and H.E.R.B for continuity of economic development.
this is another good thing happening in zambia. it also shows that private sector once given the means can to great things. i also want to know more about whats happening to the oil discovery in the western province and what about the uranium mine. anyone with some imfo on this kindly educate me
this CSO should also be releasing quartly report on the number of people employed in zambia, the number of new jobs created and/or lost. it will give us some sense of what these investments is doing to our great nation
I AM ZAMBIAN BORN AND DYING TO GET BACK TO ZAMBIA TO SET UP BUSINESS AND HELP WITH JOB CREATION AND TRAINING.AT THE MOMENT I AM LOOKING FOR 90 TONS OF STEEL,THIS WOULD GROW TO 200 TONS PER WEEK,FOR EXPORT AND LOCAL USE.PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU CAN ASSIST.
itz indeed a good investment in the country,but the govt has to ensure that the working conditions are fovourable..coz if they re not then it is worthless to huv in our country.