Zambia Issues 13 Investment Permits for Golden Baobab Economic Zone in Kafue

The Zambia Development Agency has issued 13 investment permits to companies preparing to establish operations at the Golden Baobab Multi-Facility Economic Zone in Kafue District, marking a significant milestone in the country's drive to attract productive capital and generate employment.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony in Kafue, ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa said the permits represent a combined investment of 195 million US dollars, with projections of more than 7,800 jobs for local people once operations are underway. Halwampa described the development as a meaningful contribution to Zambia's broader economic growth agenda and its commitment to translating investor interest into tangible opportunity for citizens.

ZDA Board Chairperson Biemba Maliti used the occasion to signal the government's ambitions beyond Kafue, announcing plans to construct Multi-Facility Economic Zones in every province. The expansion would extend the MFEZ model — designed to consolidate infrastructure, incentives and logistics into dedicated investment corridors — to all parts of the country, ensuring the benefits of industrialisation are not confined to a single region.

Golden Baobab Investment Director Tresford Kaunda highlighted the zone's potential to serve as a reliable off-take market for agricultural producers in the surrounding area, offering farmers a direct commercial relationship with the businesses establishing themselves within the facility.

Three Trees Timber Company representative Yuki Deng expressed appreciation for the government's commitment to public-private partnerships, arguing that collaborative frameworks between the state and the private sector remain the most effective vehicle for driving sustainable economic development.

The Golden Baobab zone forms part of a wider effort under President Hichilema's administration to position Zambia as a preferred destination for regional and international investment.