ECIAfrica

Projects

Increasing agricultural and natural resource-based non-traditional exports and tourism for profitable economic growth

The Zambian economy is heavily dependent on its traditional base metal exports. After more than a decade of decline in copper and cobalt prices, there have been recent increases in copper and other base metal prices. Zambia has an opportunity to capitalize on this base metals windfall by stimulating investment in a broad set of sectors (bulk and processed agricultural commodities, timber, tourism, gemstones, cotton, textiles, and a variety of manufacturing). This will promote a more diversified economy through profits accruing to producers, processors, marketers, and suppliers of goods and services along the non-traditional exports and tourism value chains. Growth in these sectors can be supported through increased trade to Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, northern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and extra-regional markets.

Under MATEP, ECIAfrica is a part of a DAI-led consortium that is working with companies, representative organisations, and civil society to support their efforts to advance a prioritized, well-researched trade and policy agenda that will enable broad growth of a diversified economy. The MATEP team promotes exports from Zambia's agriculture and natural resources sectors, with a focus on smallholder farmers, processors, and producers. In addition to the agricultural sector, this project bolsters the high-potential tourism sector by working with small and medium-sized enterprises. The project works to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on business operations.

Specifically, the MATEP team has achieved the following since the project began:

Improved internal national policies that constrain eight strategic industries: horticulture, coffee, maize, cassava, livestock, cotton, honey, and paprika;
Improved business contacts, dispute resolution procedures, and land ownership issues for smallholders; and
Assisted in consolidating Zambia's 13 national tourism associations to create a strategic plan that delivers the service quality and consistency promised by the "Visit Zambia" campaign.

Zambia

May 2005 - April 2010

Client:

U.S. Agency for International Development

Contact:

Mandisa Mashologu

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