In 2012 Monica Musonda left her 15-year career as a
successful commercial lawyer to return to her home
country Zambia and set up a food processing company,
Java Foods. The company supplies the market with the
eeZee instant noodles brand.
According to Musonda one of the motives behind her
decision to venture into food processing was based on how
unexploited the sector is in the country.
However, she has learnt that the opportunity does not come
without challenges.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Africa last week,
she explained while there is food processing potential in
Zambia, it is difficult for local producers to compete with
cheap imports. “This is because as producers we are faced
with a number of high costs.”
According to how we made it in Africa Ms. Musonda said cost of labour, distribution and power remain high, while
the need to import certain materials adds to expenses.
Although Zambia is a strong producer of wheat – which is
the main raw material for the manufacturing of noodles –
other materials have to be imported into the landlocked
country.
“I will give you a simple example of packaging. We grow the
food, grow the raw material, actually create the food, and
then have to import the packaging,” she highlighted.
“So for me to compete with a product from Turkey, a
product even from South Africa, is very difficult.”
She hopes with time others will start to recognise the
opportunity within the Zambian packaging sector as food
processing grows.
“Because if we have a strong processing
industry the packaging industry should surely then come
up.”
Although the opportunity and demand for local food
processing exists across the continent, it remains vastly
unexploited. For example, while Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s
largest producer of cocoa, it only opened its first chocolate
factory less than a month ago.
Ms. Musonda said food processors should look to engage
government around implementing the right polices to
support a more enabling environment for production to
cater for both local and regional markets.
“And government again plays a very strong role in making
sure we have access to regional markets as well,” she
emphasised.
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