Exhibition at previous expo (Pic By Facebook)
The CEO of the Zambian Association of Manufacturers, Maybin Nsupila says there is clearly a huge opportunity for local industry as Zambia’s mining companies buy up to 1.7-billion dollars worth of manufactured imports annually.
Nsupila said ahead of the workshop for suppliers and mining purchasing managers that he will be hosting at the Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo & Conference (CBM-TEC) in Kitwe from 5-6 May.
“We are exploring to integrate the local manufacturing industry more into the mining supply chain,” Nsupila pledged.
“So we will be trying to show, first of all, some developing success stories. Secondly, we will also show what interventions we are putting in place in the medium and long term to try and increase the volumes of locally manufactured goods that are going into the mining supply chain.”
“We do have companies that are producing very good products and we can arrange certification, but they don’t have access. And we are working towards bridging the information gap between the local manufacturers and the supply chain of the mining companies. There is also the category of companies whose products are not quite there yet and we need to do a little more to help them get there. For example, a company that is producing good products but doesn’t have the requisite quality certification from a recognised authority,” he added.
According to the ZAM CEO research by the Chamber of Mines and the International Council of Mining and Metals last year, showed that a sample of six of mining companies were buying up to 1.7-billion dollars’ worth of manufactured imports annually.
“…..and this is not including capital expenditure. So that is recurrent expenditure of 1.7-billion dollars. 600-million dollars’ worth was being imported directly by the mining companies and about 1-billion sourced locally but imported. And only a 100-million dollars is coming from here.”
“So it is a huge opportunity for the local producers and I think we are increasing the potential for the mining companies to contribute to much more sustainable employment creation through backward linkages. We are also thinking that obviously those backward linkages are able to help us move on with commodity based industrialisation,” he stated.
Once again the event enjoys strong industry support and is also endorsed by the Zambia Chamber of Mines. The Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies (AZMEC) and the Lusaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also supporters.
Sandvik Mining is returning as platinum sponsor for the event, Barloworld Equipment and ZCCM-IH have confirmed as gold sponsors with Schlumberger Airlift signing up as a silver sponsor. Other big names on the expo floor include: Murray & Roberts, Manitou Group, Atlas Copco and Tri- Pump Engineering Ltd.
In association with the Electra Mining Africa exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa, CBM-TEC is organised jointly by Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery and Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.
