THE Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) is losing millions of Kwacha in revenue from counterfeit Zambia National soccer team replica jerseys flooding the market since the Africa Cup of Nations started on January 21.
Some Lusaka-based businessmen both local and foreign, are making the counterfeit jerseys in sweatshops around the city.
A survey conducted by the Daily Mail around parts of Lusaka revealed that some street vendors sell the replica jerseys in the range of K65,000 and K85,000.
The official FAZ approved replica jersey costs K300, 000.
In the central business district, the replica jerseys sold by the vendors range from K85, 000 to K100,000.
FAZ vice-president Boniface Mwamelo said the association has reported the matter to the Zambia Police and are waiting for their response.
Mr Mwamelo said the association contracted Nike to print 10,000 replica jerseys which have been distributed to authorised dealers and are going for K300,000 each.
He said this in an interview in Lusaka recently; “FAZ is losing a lot of revenue from counterfeit Zambian national soccer team replica jerseys which are being sold at a cheap price.”
He said the association has already identified some people who are making these counterfeit jerseys and will soon move in.
Mr Mwamelo called on the public to get genuine replica jerseys from authorised dealers, which are of high quality.
The authorised dealers are selling the originals in the ranges of K250, 000 and K300, 000.
Zambia Consumers Association (ZACA) says counterfeit products, which have flooded the market, are a threat to the consumers and the economy at large.
ZACA executive director Muyunda Ililonga said the importing of counterfeit products imposes unfair advantage to the genuine product because counterfeit products are cheap.
“Counterfeit products are a threat to the consumers and the economy and most of these products are imported which are sold cheaply compared to the original products,” he said.
Mr Ililonga urged Government to give Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) a go-ahead and implement the Pre-Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme.
He said once PVoC is implemented it will help curb the importation of fake products which have recently flooded the local market.
ZABS public relations officer Dingase Makumba said the work of the organisation is to ensure that manufacturers and traders comply to the standards.
She said to curb illegal products ZABS needs commitment from both the traders and the manufacturers.
The ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals has seen a boom in the demand for replica jerseys following the good performance by the Zambia national soccer team.
On Wednesday, Zambia beat Ghana 1-0 to storm the Africa Cup of Nations final and will face Ivory Coast on Sunday in Libreville, Gabon.
The sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
FAZ must just shut up, you have no strategy for selling jerseys, how can a Jersey cost 300 pin when the minimum wage in Zambia 480pin……. go sale those things in Kabulonga or new kasama, better still find many way to make your money…. we are buying these Jerseys as 20pin in kamwala and by now my whole family has a copy, we are proud supporters….
FAZ always useless. I wonder if they have made plans on what will happen the day Zambia will return. It just be confusion and deaths. I want official jersey but were can I get one?
Yes this is Very true. But if we cant find the Original Replica, what should we do?. Who are those official dealers publish there names so that we can buy from the right source.
its too expensive anyway
Am wondering what an original would cost, if a replica is 300 pin, which is equivalent to USD 60
Coming to think of it, does FAZ even have legal backing that they should be the only ones making and selling these Jerseys? No wonder the Police are not taking any action. Maybe FAZ does not even have the trademark ownership.
300 pin for a jersey? FAZ are u mad? Check the weekly pictures captured by LT, the majority of us the supporters are in the compounds and cant afford to buy a jersey @ 300 pin. Take them to Chalala, kalundu and the other mayadis. We will buy the cheaper ones. Go zambia go.
what is this FAZ talk about counterfeit replica jerseys for the Zambia National soccer team. while i agree that there are a lot of such products on the Zambian market, FAZ has however not marketed there product to the Zambian people. Things dont just happen, you make them happen. Talk and do nothing and you will continue loosing revenue. There is little business sense in our sport. Look at how south africa has commercialised their sports.
The police and ZRA and other relevant investigative wings should swing into action and confiscate those fake jerseys. The laissez-faire approach of attending to issues by authorities should be stopped. For now Zambia is home to fake goods such as CDs, DVDs, jerseys, etc. Apparently pertinent Zambian laws and their enforcers are fast asleep.
They are not sleeping dear, they too are purchasing them.
This scandalous FAZ should concentrate on chasing pastor Makembo from the team’z camp (that’s how petty they can be). They should have been the first to ensure “every” Zambian gets the replica jerzy with ease.
Iwe Mwamelo shut up you want to drink up all the profits from the sell of these jerseys , we now know you. Go and sell them to your fellow drunkards abena Mbesuma, Goerge Kolala.Don’t exploit us for nothing we are tired of your ill administration.How can you sign a deal ati the league leaders will be given 50million.
# 1 vanda walasa,how many people in zambia can afford a jersey that costs that much? Am told La liga and EPL jerseys costs about $30 which is half the price.Most of these elites have just jumped on board and started supporting Zed soccer for business purposes.
Ba FAZ u print 10,000 jerseys for a country of 15million plus pipo. It just goes to show how disorganized you are. You should have produced at least 5million jerseys in the run up to the AFCON
I got 1 for K75,000 from TZ a quality one for that matter, why should I spend 300pin?? infact faz should know the poor quality ones are as chep as 25pin check the choncholi’s shops
what are “sweatshops”? – I tried to google but nothing close to this animal could be found.
$60 for a replica shirt in Zambia!! That is like 500 rands. You can get a decent T-shirt in Edgars or Woolworth for 150 rands here in SA.
I think this is disgusting!! FAZ are being lazy, irresponsible and just to failing to sit down study , understand the Zambian context. If the so called pirates could produce a cheap replica for 20 pin, why can’t FAZ do the same. Couldn’t they have just lowered the quality of a jersey and sold it for 20 pin and still kept high quality jersey for $60 dollars, sort of produce T-shirt versions. Not all Zambians want to buy a jersey that will last a life time to auction it in 2075.
FAZ need to read the situation, context and mood. Maybe we need brains in running soccer after all.
FAZ has become a personal emotional house where people are venting un necessary anger on others whom they feel have divergent views from theirs. Let FAZ always focus on developing the game of Soccer. Period.
hahahahaha… agree with you 100%
Bless Counterfiet without it where would I be Dre Beat Headset ati 1.5 MILLION KWACHA ORIGINAL PA TOWN CENTER 85 Pin hahahahahahaha but the counterfiet jerseys look really authentic I think I will buy one milo!!!
I say this with a heavy heart. VIVA to the pirates houses in Zambian for rising to the occasion, reading the situation correctly, in a correct context and being entrepreneurial in meeting a need that is so obvious and clear , and it beat my mind why the people that we pay to administer soccer can’t see this.
As someone pointed out , replicas don’t even cost that in Europe and what makes these people think Zambians have more disposable income than Europeans.
This is being utterly myopic and and just cutting and pasting ideas from the worst into Zambia and thinking they will work.
May the pirates teach you hard lessons. You need to serve Zambians and not grab even the little money they have. Shame
From politics now you are into football kwena… you surprise me! what is your specialization. You are the people causing confusion please stick to what you know best or you will become irrelevant. I don’t comment on football because I don’t know it well but I watch it and i am keen follower but i have no expertise to make any comment. i comment on politics because i understand politics very well and it is my specialization and my career is around politics both in Zambia and international. Please try always to be relevant like you have been.
Thank
i have one but i didn’t get at 300,000 that is to much,if you go to city market you will get the same quality jersey at 65000 so FAZ should find a solution to that one, its business cause if they were selling the same jersey at 65000 they could have made more money than they can make selling at 300,000
FAZ is composed of little men with little brains. 10,000 jerseys for 15 million Zambians. Why did’nt they print 2million jersys and sell them at K100,000.00 which would have easily produced K200 Billion in Sales Revenue. This was a perfect opportunity for FAZ to make some easy money but has gone begging.
Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Got to laugh at our friend Boot Fimo Fimo who now only appears when he thinks it suits him.
Boot Fimo Fimo, this problem is all over the world. China Man is the one to blame and yes give him credit for doing it. Top European clubs make their shirts in the far east now because it is cheap to do it over there. And yes what did MMD do about it?
All those blaming FAZ for this are haters and twisted people who are hurting because they lost an election. Unfortunately, there is nothing FAZ can do or they get taken to HR court!
man u replica is 100 pin why should i buy 300 pin be serious.
iwe an original man u jersey z 85pounds its equivalent to 650pin,cn u compare dat to 300?moreover its our country we talking bout….get a life!!!!!!
Italian bubnga bunga be an objective person. Stop the cadre mentality. it wont take you anywhere. Dont always attach emotion to reality. The truth is FAZ has erred Period. No hatred for anyone. Be objective to criticism. We love our football we love our football administrators.
Batata ba Boot Fimo Fimo, this is reality. Even in the western world, replicas will always be there. No need to shout you tool!
I recently traveled to Lusaka and the only place i could buy the Chipolopolo replica jersey was at kamwala market in a ching chi shop.Where was FAZ all this time.Do they even have a marketing dept.A Jersey for k300,000,which is about P500! That’s not a wise of spending money.
Good luck to the Copper bullets.The Elephants are too big to miss.
If I was in Zambia I wouldn’t pay £40! That’s the price I would expect to pay in the UK. I don’t blame the unscrupulous dealers fair play to them. No red card would be shown in this instance…
Okay its okay to buy an original Man U jersey for this cost, but, its too expensive to buy our own Chipolopolo jersey, c’mon Zambians!
Faz are not serious. I live in Kitwe and I have been looking for a proper replica for a long time, we don’t know where to get them. Very poor marketing strategy and they should have started selling them in 2010 when the jersey was unveiled. Secondly 300000 is way too expensive for the ordinary Zambian who want to support their team with a passion. Power Dynamos Jersey’s sell for only 150pin so they really need to revisit their strategy.
I bought mine at K20 pin at the market and I bought more than 5 for my spouse and friends why should I waste money in the name of original? Besides I am helping put more money in the under privilleged pockets! FAZ get lost, how much does an average Zambian get per month?
Abena Mwamelo always reacting and fire fighting ,it goes to show these guys did not have faith in their team to go this far ,if they just printed 10,000 jerseys obviously for die hard chipolopolo funs who stick with the team even when they lose.If they had anticipated this level of performance based on adequate preparation they would have been harvesting the sweat of the hard work instead of letting the chocholi and indians in Kamwala cashing in on the sweat of already starving Zambians.The Jerseys from FAZ obviously cheaper counterfeit ones would have been all over kamwala by the 21 of January and by now FAZ would have been smiling all the way to the bank instead of waiting for donations from well wishers,lack of business sense ba FAZ.
Zambian pricing is amazing, no wonder the replicas are making hefty profits. I am heading for the market to get myself a cheap one right away and “put more money in a marketeer’s pocket”. FAZ you are disorganised, dreamers, fake and thieves.
while I want to support my team and country, I also think that FAZ has much more work to make sure that people can identify, buy and support Zambia. like giving retailers a certificate of authenticity, or selling the jerseys themselves.
I thought Illilonga had run for MP how can he come back as ED? Anyway I might be mistaken
I can buy an original 2012 Man United t-shirt (£30.00) here in the UK and still remain with some change to go to the pub and get a few drinks while watching the Barclays Premier League match. Why cant I do the same for my own beloved Zambia. SHAME. If FAZ cannot do their market analysis then let the bootlegers beat them at it and teach them a lesson.
where can i get the said jersey 4 300pin?i want four,two for adults and two,one for an eighty year old and one for 2years…urgently!!!!
Love the advice about writing about what happens ??behind the scenes?? and personal experience; these help to humanize the story and keep readers coming back.