“Chalo Zambia. Chalo is a Hindi word literally translated as ‘Let’s Go’ hence Let’s Go Zambia. With 54 countries in the African continent, it makes sense for an investor to select a host country for investment especially that which is targeting regions and the whole continent. Having changed Presidents six times democratically without any upheaval, Zambia boasts of being a haven of peace harboring refugees from many parts of the world. One of the reasons why India’s investment in Africa and Zambia in particular witnessed a slump in the past is that some traditional investors looked at the continent with less degree of seriousness. The other challenge was lack of high level exchange visits that left a bad taste among African leaders many of whom held India in high esteem especially that some were trained in India.

Special thanks to Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi ji who has added impetus to the Indo-Zambia relations in particular and Africa in general. During the last five years, more than 26 outbound visits by the Indian President, Prime Minister and Ministers have been held with the first ever visit to Zambia in 2018 by an Indian President in 30 years. Remember that the continent signed an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will provide great opportunities for Indian investors to tap into a larger, unified, simplified and more robust African market. It is critical for India to view Africa and Zambia in particular not just as a destination for short-term returns but as a partner for medium and long-term economic growth. The AfCFTA agreement represents a historic development in Africa’s journey towards a single, common and integrated market for the continent. The free trade area aims to deepen the African integration process and will allow free movement of people and trade across and continent. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) forecasts that simplification of border controls and the reduction in duties to the AfCFTA will boost intra-regional trade by 52 percent in five years. Once you invest in Zambia, it will be easy to transport your goods across the continent. The other benefit is that you can trade back with India through the Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) which India offers. With this background, we once again say Chalo Zambia!”