nkwazimagazine.com
ISSUE 49 | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021
48 MWAKA MUGALA CHASING DESTINY
40 CONSERVE: COMACO 42 ART: HANNAH UZOR 51 FEATURE: COOK OFF
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COVER IMAGE: From being a news reader and presenter on TV and radio, with a sti nt in theatre, to now gracing our screens in the ti tle role on Zuba and as a YouTuber, Mwaka Mugala is well on her way to achieving her dreams of being a media maven.
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Welcome on board Profl ight
Dear Customer,
Many years ago I had the privilege of fl ying for the country’s nati onal airline, Zambia Airways. I was also one of the founding members of the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) in 1965 and qualifi ed as a squadron pilot in 1967 at ZAF Livingstone. I have been with Profl ight for over a decade and in that ti me worked closely with the founder and CEO, Tony Irwin.
Tony and I fl ew together in the glory days of the nati onal airline operati ng to a wide network of domesti c desti nati ons including Ngoma, Mongu, Balovale (now Zambezi), Lukulu, Kalabo and Kasaba Bay and an impressive internati onal network with desti nati ons such as Larnaca, Rome, Dublin, London and New York.
The nati onal airline, Zambia Airways had a very comprehensive Training Program and during its operati on it had close working relati onships with Al’Italia and Aer Lingus. These training programmes resulted in a signifi cant populati on of aviati on professionals in all airline disciplines in Zambia. Most of these professionals who worked for Zambia Airways, aff ecti onately referred to as QZ, are now all reti red or very close to reti rement.
However, the industry has not stood sti ll in the last 25 years since the liquidati on of Zambia Airways, the then fl ag carrier of the Republic of Zambia. Things have moved on.
Let me give the example, of Profl ight- our EXCO Committ ee is 100 percent Zambian, is 30 percent female, and has a mean age of 44.3, a median age of 39.5 and a mode age of 38.
Our maintenance director and his deputy are both Zambian citi zens trained at ZASTI, the Zambia Air Services Insti tute. Our fl ight operati ons director and chief pilot are both young Zambians below the age of 40. Our chief training pilot is Zambian and also a graduate of ZASTI.
Before COVID, Profl ight had a strength of 204 employees. This has been reduced to 143 aft er the ravages of COVID-19. Of the current employees only one employee is a holder of a work permit and is in the specialised fi eld of avionics.
Profl ight carries out nearly all its maintenance in-house at our technical base at Kenneth Kaunda Internati onal Airport, this resulted in the employment of 50 Zambians at this base. Some may think that it would be cost eff ecti ve to outsource maintenance to other countries, which it would be, but this would not help local employment and the development of local skills.
It is Profl ight’s aim to work with ZASTI to assist build capacity in the aviati on industry and to support Zambia’s aviati on industry in the nati on. Every industry needs to work towards strengthening the Zambian economy especially following on from the impact of COVID, at Profl ight we are conti nually fi nding ways to capacity build and train to avoid the requirement to import, outsource and employ from outside the country. We hope these decisions go a long way towards making Profl ight sustainable while strengthening the countries economy.
On that note, thank you for choosing Profl ight once again and we wish you and your families a safe, happy and healthy 2021. Stay safe.graduate of ZASTI.
Yours sincerely, Captain Philip Lemba
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Terms and conditions apply. Absa Bank Zambia PLC (registered number 119710006444) is regulated by the Bank of Zambia. CONTENT
REGULARS 16 42 10
10. BUSINESS 20. TABLE TALK 38. MUSIC 12. BUSINESS 24. FASHION 40. CONSERVE 14. BUSINESS 26. IN FRAME 42. ART 16. EXPLORE 32. VISIT 44. HUMOUR
FEATURES 48 48. MWAKA MUGALA 51 51. COOK OFF 54. NAVIGATING JOZI DURING COVID-19 57. KALEMBA SHORT STORY PRIZE 59. REPLAY GAMING 57
INSIDE PROFLIGHT 69 67
64. ROUTE MAP 66. FLIGHT SCHEDULE 67. PROFLIGHT NEWS 70. FLEET & CUSTOMS
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Page 20.
From CFO to CEO of FNB Zambia, Bydon Longwe took the reins at a time most don’t anticipate, in the grips of a pandemic. Learn how he has adapted and progressed in these new times and in his new role.
10 12 14 16 20 24 26 32 38 40 42 44
BUSINESS TABLE TALK MUSIC BUSINESS
THE SLOW RISE OF THE FEMALE CEO
Words by Musonda Kambikambi
was borderline giddy with excitement A former leader in the women’s school they start to drop off at higher when I set out to write this arti cle. As movement in Zambia and current deputy rates,” shares Dr Kambikambi. “By the a young woman in leadership, I am vice-chancellor of the University of ti me they are getti ng out of secondary fortunate enough to have seen the Zambia, Dr Tamala Kambikambi cites school, factors such as teenage marriage meteoric rise of Mizinga Melu, CEO numerous fundamental social and and pregnancy come into play and those Iof Absa Bank Zambia Plc and Monica insti tuti onal fl aws as major contributors 90 girls who started school are now Musonda, CEO of Java Foods. Thus, to such dispariti es. “You need to think 40, and the higher you go the fewer while I assumed the rise to CEO would about it holisti cally. Let’s say 100 girls females they are. Fewer girls are given an be fraught with challenges for anyone are born, by age fi ve, perhaps ten of opportunity to get into terti ary educati on who would venture such an endeavour, them won’t have an opportunity to go to and consequently assume leadership I did not anti cipate that it is such rare air school and that makes sense owing to roles,” remarks Dr Kambikambi. Her for women. According to the Wall Street the enrolment rates within the country. expert opinion is corroborated by UNICEF Journal only fi ve percent of Fortune 500 However, as those remaining 90 girls fi ndings of signifi cantly lower gender companies are led by women. go through primary and secondary parity between males and females as they
10 nkwazimagazine.com BUSINESS
advance through the Zambian educati on can manage - the idea is to just start.” not contribute to the mission and vision system. of the company. This is why we should Similarly, Dr Mercy Mumba an all set SMART goals for ourselves and Nevertheless, the tale of the female assistant professor at the University of have the discipline to follow through with executi ve is not all bleak. The last three Alabama says females ought to prioriti se what we commit to achieving. Many of us years in Zambia have seen a rise in the having a personal strategic plan. “The have dreams and goals, but we lack the number of female executi ves. In 2018, problem is that most of us only think necessary discipline to follow through.” the Zambia Insti tute of Banking Financial about strategic plans in associati on with Services Appointed Victoria Mumba corporati ons or organisati ons. What we Bordering on both personal and insti tuti onal changes, females in the as their CEO and Chileshe Mpundu forget is that those organisati ons are workplace ought to be appreciated as Kapwepwe was elected as the Secretary- made up of people. Unfortunately, if General of COMESA. In 2019, Susan they are. Organisati ons benefi t from people are not reaching their full potenti al M’kandawire Mulikita was appointed as having a diverse leadership portf olio, within their work environments, they will CEO of Liquid Telecom Zambia, though especially those that serve diverse she is no longer in the role. Similarly, clients. Leadership teams that have a representati on of both sexes are 2020 has seen Dorothy Tembo appointed Executive leadership roles are bett er able to capitalise on the full as the acti ng Executi ve Director of still overwhelmingly occupied the Internati onal Trade Centre, and by men but the number of range of knowledge and experience Mukwandi Chibesakunda as the CEO of women CEOs and other of men and women. For instance, ZANACO. C-level executives is on the Mukwandi Chibesakunda (ZANACO) rise in Zambia, albeit at a leveraged her emoti onal and social slow pace. We look at some of How does one get to such rare air? intelligence to rise in the cutt hroat the causes of the low numbers fi nancial sector. She rose not despite While this rhetoric has been expressed of female CEOs and how the being female, but because she is female. numerous ti mes, we cannot escape the situation could be rectifi ed. fact that we need more females pursuing While the current situati on sti ll leaves a studies in STEM (science, technology, lot to be desired for females in leadership engineering and mathemati cs). “Another roles, the path carved by these female thing that contributes to low female executi ves leaves a road map for those representati on in leadership is the coming behind. subjects females pursue at a terti ary level. I see it in my university as well. There is higher male and female parity in the faculti es of educati on, humaniti es, and social sciences compared to natural sciences, engineering and ICT,” Dr Kambikambi states.
Similarly, the Wall Street Journal observed that while there is greater parity in management roles between males and females, roles that eventually feed into CEO and other C-level executi ve jobs such as leadership in fi nance (CFO) and operati ons (COO) are dominated by men leaving female executi ves in people management and administrati on less room for advancement. Our own Zambian female CEO list showcase CVs with educati on in male-dominated fi elds, Monica Musonda (Java Foods) begun her career as a lawyer and Susan M’kandawire Mulikita (Liquid Telecom) has a masters in ICT.
Veering from insti tuti onal soluti ons to more personal ones, in a Lioness of Africa piece Monica Musonda advises young women to not be afraid to start, as she shares how her business has grown and evolved over the years. “The point is that you are not going to build a factory on day one, but you can start small with what you
nkwazimagazine.com 11 BUSINESS
SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES ZAMBIA’S LUCRATIVE TIMBER INDUSTRY Words and image by Kapijimpanga Mulemba
e are oft en told that The Zambian timber have a lasti ng impact on the communiti es Zambia is a country industry and the related and not only benefi t other players in the blessed with natural arts and crafts industry supply chain (such as middle men and have immense potential but resources that few certain challenges prevail. executi ves) that are far removed from the places in the world can These include ensuring that habitats where the hardwoods are found Wcompete with. Be it the Mosi-oa-Tunya local communities benefi t in the comfort of citi es within Zambia, (Victoria Falls), the Zambezi and Kafue economically and that the Africa and further afi eld. Promoti ng much River or the Luangwa Valley, the list of pursuit of profi ts doesn’t lead needed economic acti vity and preserving Zambia’s natural wonders appears to be to environmental destruction. our ecosystems is yet another challenge. endless. Avid nature lovers will agree – We must ensure pursuit of profi ts doesn’t Zambia is a country rich in natural beauty. lead to the destructi on of our forests or people’s way of life. Added to this abundant natural beauty is the indigenous hardwoods that are local Zambian businesses have not been There has been an increase in wood found throughout Zambia. Zambia is the major benefi ciaries of the trade. processing and sawmills within Zambia home to numerous exoti c ti mber tree What has become apparent to many is but it is largely driven by foreign species, most famously the mukula. The how valuable the woods that are found enti ti es. Government agencies such as most common hardwoods that grow Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries in our forests are – many of which are in the region are African rosewood, Corporati on (ZAFFICO) and other traditi onally held in the custody of mukwa and Rhodesian teak. They grow cooperati ng partners have tried aiding chieft ainships, oft en in remote parts of in sub-Saharan countries such as Angola, the sector with various interventi ons that the Democrati c Republic of the Congo, the country. aim to support its growth – that is not Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. to say that the slew of challenges that Developing the local ti mber industry are faced by the local sector have been The Zambian ti mber industry recently comes with challenges. One of these completely overcome. Local sawmills made internati onal headlines with stories challenges is engaging local communiti es and ti mber merchants face countless revolving around the lucrati ve trade and cooperati ng partners to work challenges; more could be done in and a recent report drew att enti on to together and ensuring all benefi t from the support of local small to medium scale the value of the industry. Unfortunately ti mber trade. Income generated should enterprises that in turn provide positi ve
12 nkwazimagazine.com www.hlb.global
BUSINESS
multi plicati on for the communiti es they serve and the economy as a whole.
The starti ng point in the chain is the forests that house the ti mber, then the saw mill operators, followed by the buyers of the material that in turn provide the arti sans and carpenters the material (the hard and soft woods) to do their work and fi nally, the furniture stores - that then sell to us - the consumers. When one looks at this chain, each link is vital in ensuring that there is value additi on in which costs are recovered and profi t made ideally without proving RELAX WITH FAMILY detrimental to any parti cipant in this chain.
Sawmill operators such Copperbelt Forestry Company, Lufwanyama Enterprises Limited We got you Covered. and Rainlands Timber are established names on the Copperbelt with a long history of working Enyoy your holiday while we take care of all traditi onally with the mining sector that have your tax needs. provided dunnage, pallets, shutt ering and other essenti al off cuts used in building.
Recently we have seen some growth in other areas of value additi on which are not only looking at the local market but also markets within the region and further afi eld that produce furniture, as well as arts and craft s. Some notable local manufacturers are Kubu Craft s, Kroupwood, Sikale Wood Manufacturers and Mupapa Wood. All of these local companies showcase the best of arts, craft s, and gift s and ti mber works within Zambia.
Companies such as Zambezi Hardwood off er handmade hardwood furniture and gift s, as well as rough-cut African lumber in its natural state. All of the wood is grown sustainably in Africa and imported, either in its raw form or as furniture manufactured in their own workshop in Lusaka and exported to the United States. Zambezi Hardwood pride themselves as woodworkers with decades of experience and are passionate about wood. All of their pieces are unique, and are thoughtf ully designed to show off the beauty and quality of the material. HLB Zambia is an independent member of HLB International, a global network of There has been a marked increase in local craft advisory and accounting firms. One of the carpentry stores throughout the Copperbelt and largest accounting consortia in the world. Lusaka. Vocati onal training and apprenti ceship courses have the ability to transform people’s lives as they learn a skill that they can use throughout their working life. One hopes that as local demand increases for quality goods more Zambians and visitors to Zambia will buy and support locally produced and aff ordable ti mber products. Zambia is rich in natural ZAMBIA resources – where we are lacking is in the area of value additi on and ensuring locals, including those living in the areas where the resources are extracted, benefi t from the ti mber trade.
E: [email protected] or [email protected] T: +260 955 336 060nkwazimagazine.com or +260 978 989 55813 TOGETHER WE MAKE IT HAPPEN BUSINESS
THE STATE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ZAMBIA Words by Kangwa Muyunda
he practi ce of entrepreneurship was a communitarian system that ensured owned by foreigners as Zambians lacked in Zambia is relati vely new that everyone’s basic needs such as food the skills and resources required to start given our historical and and shelter were catered for and there businesses. cultural context. Today we was litt le competi ti on while other parts of celebrate the rise of young the world were competi ng for resources Today the narrati ve has quickly changed Tvibrant entrepreneurs and the perti nent so as to have means of producti on. In as entrepreneurship has been identi fi ed contributi on that small and medium the early 1900s when colonial powers as an important way to deal with Zambia’s businesses bring to the economy but this took over, Zambians were educated up development challenges. Zambia like had not always been the case. to a parti cular level that was useful to most African countries is faced with low the colonial powers and therefore, only levels of employment, social exclusion, Entrepreneurship had its chance to grow had limited skills. In the post-colonial and rural poverty among other problems. in the early 1990s when the country era the government decided to use a Small and medium sized business are adopted liberalisati on policies in 1991. communist system which also did not now contributi ng signifi cantly to Zambia’s One reason entrepreneurship was not really encourage entrepreneurship economic growth and according to the thriving is because Zambians were not as everything was owned by the Internati onal Journal of Business, SMEs building entrepreneurial capacity in the government. Economic liberalisati on in Zambia employ 50 percent of the past both culturally and in our educati on policies allowed entrepreneurship but a working class. Business men and women system as well. Around the 1800s, there lot of businesses that were set up were are now using entrepreneurship as a
14 nkwazimagazine.com BUSINESS
way to earn a living and provide for their some of my goods.” This simply shows the environment as businesses suff er due to family. This has, however, led to most importance of a well performing economy economic instability. businesses being set up to provide income and government interventi on to support for households as opposed to bringing entrepreneurship. Zambia sti ll has a long way to go when out the aspect of innovati on which is it comes to entrepreneurship. On an essenti ally the aspect of applying new There are many strategies that can encouraging note, Zambians are willing ideas and techniques in order to create address the challenges entrepreneurs face to explore business opportuniti es and value. As entrepreneurship is sti ll in its in Zambia. Government support through build an entrepreneurship culture and tax incenti ves is important to encourage early stages in Zambia there is sti ll a lot given the right assistance the sector and sustain new business. Access to of unexplored potenti al. In the agriculture can contribute more to economic sector for example, there is potenti al to cheap fi nance is also of high importance development. The government needs to add more value to our raw products. For as most microfi nance insti tuti ons have acti vely support this entrepreneurship instance, Zambia culti vates cott on on high lending rates. More entrepreneurship boom through providing and eff ecti vely a large scale parti cularly in Central and training programs need to be made Eastern Province. Despite cott on being more accessible to help produce a crop implementi ng good policies that create such an important commercial crop there of innovati ve businessmen and women. an enabling environment for innovati on is litt le value added to our cott on to turn There are a number of training programs and business growth. The private sector it into a fi nal product such as clothing, being off ered in Zambia but some of them can also cooperate and collaborate cosmeti c and medical items such as require a price tag that some business towards this goal through supporti ng tampons, swabs and bandages. This then people cannot aff ord. The government various entrepreneurship initi ati ves in the raises the questi on of what is hindering can work with cooperati ng partners to country. entrepreneurship from advancing to ensure that training programs are made the next stage in Zambia and solving a more accessible to business people. Entrepreneurship in Zambia can be criti cal problem of value additi on which Furthermore, the government needs described as an infant child that needs a may be a challenge for the nati on at to work towards a stable economic lot of support from its parents because for large but a huge opportunity for Zambian the country to produce highly competi ti ve entrepreneurs. business men and women, a lot of deliberate policies need to be put in place There are a number of well documented A report by Global to ensure that the business environment factors that have brought about Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) is conducive. The government has taken showed that Zambia has challenges to business men and women the right steps to support business in Zambia. Some of the most important some of the highest rates of entrepreneurship in Africa and people, which is evident from the underlying causes of business failures are even globally, with about 40% of 2021 budget address. More deliberate lack of capital to support business growth, adults engaged in some form of acti on will be necessary to not only use managerial incompetence and even entrepreneurial activity. However, entrepreneurship as a tool for poverty government policies. much more needs to be done to create an enabling environment in reducti on but also drive change through innovati on and creati ng new products and Baron Mvula, a Lusaka based which businesses can thrive. businessman, says he enjoys doing services that are benefi cial to consumers. business in Lusaka but one of the main challenges is the tax system. “In Zambia there is a lot of unexplored potenti al when it comes to doing business but a big obstacle business people face is the high overhead costs and high taxes. It would be useful if government off ered tax exempti ons for businesses such as withholding tax exempti ons to make the business environment more att racti ve” Mr. Mvula said. Further to this, a businesswoman based in Chipata, Ms Mirriam Mkandawire, indicated that the performance of the economy and the depreciati on of the Zambian kwacha severely impacted her clothing retail business. “The poor performance of the kwacha as compared to other major world currencies greatly aff ects my business as the goods which I order from China tend to be expensive and force me to increase the prices of my goods. This has made my business diffi cult as I am struggling to sell
nkwazimagazine.com 15 EXPLORE
THE LONG WALK TO KANYANGALA GATEWAY TO LOWER ZAMBEZI
Words and images by Mwaba Mwila
n October 2020, a few friends and time, half the team had already started from the track. Upon arrival, you will be I hiked 42 kilometres on the Old off, and the other half were still on their received by members of the community Leopards Hill Road, from the Leopards way. We had failed our first teamwork who will offer to take you on a “tour” of Hill Bat Cave over the Zambezi challenge, to get everyone to rendezvous the caves. I had given my hiking team Escarpment to Kanyangala Primary and leave together! Around 7 we were all a heads up and asked everyone to give ISchool. We had two main objectives, the on the way to the cave. The Leopards Hill a "small token of appreciation" for the first one to raise awareness and much- Bat Cave is located about 50 kilometres tour that we gave to the headman of the needed funds for Kanyangala School. south-east of Lusaka. You head out along area. What I did forget to ask people to Our second objective was to encourage Leopards Hill Road all the way up to bring was a head torch! The bat cave is a spirit of adventure and exploration Katoba Basic School. At the school, there through domestic tourism. As with every is a junction with a sign that reads: left adventure we had our fair share of highs to Chongwe and, right to Chirundu. You The walk from the Leopards Hill and lows. However, in the end, it was a take the right to Chirundu and after 500 Cave to the bounds of the Lower worthwhile and enjoyable experience. metres you will see the “Kingdom Hall of Zambezi is a scenic one that we’d Jehovah's Witnesses”, take the dirt track recommend to anyone. However, we Our two-day journey began early on just before the church. At this point, it's wouldn’t recommend doing it at the Saturday 24 October, Independence about one kilometre to the cave. Ask for height of Zambian summer like our daredevil writer and his team. Read Day. I arrived at Crossroads Mall at 6:45 directions from the locals to avoid getting on to learn more about their trip. in the morning, 15 minutes late. By this lost as the cave entrance is not visible
16 nkwazimagazine.com nkwazimagazine.com 17 EXPLORE
a National Heritage Site (archaeological) have not already. It is a scary but exciting turned back at about 7 kilometres. (They under the National Heritage Commission. experience. After regrouping we began had planned beforehand to only walk a It’s an impressive site with thousands our long day of hiking. short distance). From about 25 we were of bats squeaking and screeching above now 10. The more we walked, the more your head as you slowly descend into The first ten kilometres of the Old scenic the walk was. It was beautiful! The the belly of the cave. The deeper you go, Leopards Hill Road is tarred* and generally simplicity of rural life always fascinates the darker it gets; without a torch, the downhill and we did it without any me. There were many villages perched on the top of a hill, some of them carefully tour would be almost impossible. After a difficulty. But after that its gravel all the painted with different coloured clay. There short walk through, we saw the literal and way to Lower Zambezi. We bid farewell was the occasional tiny shop made of figurative light at the end of the tunnel! to the first group of hikers who turned burnt bricks that had an insaka (thatched I strongly recommend you visit if you around at 5 km and the second group shelter) next to it. Under the shade of the insaka, the elders of the villages enjoyed some local alcoholic brews. Some waved us on almost as if to say “well-done keep going.” Some asked us where on earth we were going. We smiled back, we waved back, we pressed on. Before we knew it we had left civilisation behind, there were no more villages, just us. About 20 kilometres later we came to the base of the escarpment. We had earlier planned on hiking to the top and setting up camp for the night there. However, due to the heat and lack of water, we decided to set up camp at the base of the escarpment. By this time the last of the day hikers were taken back to Lusaka. We were now down to five explorers.
Our campsite a was simple but beautiful. We set up by a dry riverbed with the escarpment standing tall above us. That night we sat around a cozy campfire had our supper and told stories before our bodies reminded us to get an early night's rest to regain enough energy to climb up and over the escarpment and cross the finish line.
At sunrise on the next day, we broke camp and prepared for the dreadful climb. It was a bittersweet experience. We had spectacular views all around, however, we felt like our legs would give up under our bodies, but still, we kept pressing on! We made it to the top of the escarpment, rested a few minutes, and then began our descent into the Lower Zambezi Valley. Every now and then a vehicle passed us. We had to fight the temptation not to crack and ask for a ride to the school (or back to Lusaka). Along the way Jack, the headteacher of Kanyangala School, and a few of his students came up the road to meet us. This filled us with hope that we didn’t have long to go till we got to the school.
We finally reached Kanyangala School where we received a thunderous warm welcome from the community. Even
18 nkwazimagazine.com EXPLORE
though our time there was short we were Chiawa GMA sits adjacent to the Lower grateful to be there with the community. Zambezi National Park (LZNP). Both the We inspected the materials that had Chiawa GMA and the LZNP boast a wide been bought so far and witnessed the variety of wild animals, big and small. completion of the new goat kraal that Because of its proximity to Lusaka, Lower we had raised the funds for. We even Zambezi is a favorite destination for many had time to join in the dancing and domestic tourists. The area is serviced singing. Our time there reminded me by plenty of lodges, campsites, and tour not to take anything for granted and the operators that cater to a diverse clientele, importance of community and working and offer activities such as game drives, together. The fundraising, the walk and walking safaris, canoe safaris, boat cruises the refurbishment of the school was all a and fishing. team effort. I was privileged to work in Lower Zambezi Something that we spoke about on our for two years, and in that time I fell in love journey is how blessed we are in Zambia to be able to freely explore almost with the warm, kind and loving people of anywhere in our country. We enjoy peace the area, the magnificence of the Zambezi and security in all corners of Zambia. River and the diverse wildlife. Given the What was even more amazing was the chance to repeat this journey, I would. fact that standing where we were in Again and again and again. But this time, that little rural community school in the maybe not walking and not in the October Chiawa Game Management Area (GMA), heat! we were less than 20 kilometres from the mighty Zambezi, a massive expanse *At the time of time the Old Leopards Hill of water that starts off as a trickle in a Road was being worked on and will be dambo hundreds of kilometers away. The tarred all the way.
nkwazimagazine.com 19 TABLE TALK
Bydon Longwe has been CEO of FNB Zambia since July 2020.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: A BRIDGE FROM AUDITOR TO CEO WITH BYDON LONGWE Words by Musonda Kambikambi, Images by Kalichi Pictures
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ydon Longwe’s rise from shares how making the transition from phone or laptop. As FNB we’ve taken the CFO to CEO of FNB Zambia CFO to CEO in the middle of a global stance to go paperless because we want is not only a tale of strategic pandemic was initially challenging. “When to keep our impact on the environment to talent management, but you envision becoming CEO, you usually a minimum and maximise on efficiencies more fundamentally one of have cocktails and stakeholder meetings within our company.” Thus, in the face Bcommunity and a sincere proclivity for where you engage your clients and key of the pandemic, it was relatively easy service. Sitting in the breakroom of the stakeholders, but because of COVID-19 to transition the bulk of FNB staff into FNB Zambia head office in Acacia Park, that didn’t happen. Thus, we needed to be remote working. Additionally, Bydon Bydon shares how he was raised on innovative around creating rapport with shares that FNB has also leveraged the Copperbelt. Being the last born in a our clients” he recounts. As a testament technology to ensure the health and family of seven, he often found himself of FNB’s internal and external digital safety of their customers. He further entrusted with various responsibilities by migration, technology helped fill that gap. shared that FNB is already reaching his parents and siblings. Bydon recounts “Thankfully, our customers have been very milestones on its digital platform that that growing up, his community embodied accepting and supportive of our efforts to were initially targeted for 2025. This was the principals of ubuntu (I am because we engage them,” Bydon says. essentially to ensure that customers bank are) and people understood that a person with peace of mind and not risk further is a person because of other people). Bydon additionally shares that leading exposure by coming into FNB branches This sense of community allowed Bydon FNB during the pandemic has been when it can be avoided. to benefit from a scholarship awarded helped by the fact that digital technology by Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines is deeply entrenched in their culture. “This Bydon took on the position of FNB (ZCCM) scholarship that allowed him to is a bold statement but I’ll make it. If you Zambia CEO in July 2020 and he is study accounting in Chingola. walk around here,” Bydon says, gesturing the bank’s first Zambian CEO. Despite to the office space around us, “there is the aforementioned challenges, Bydon During his studies, Bydon was pursued by no paper. I make all my approvals on my describes being FNB’s first Zambian a large accounting firm that wanted him CEO, as a humbling experience. “It’s less to join them as an auditor, necessitating a about me and more about the vision our move from Chingola to Lusaka. As a newly shareholders had to positively disrupt the minted auditor, Bydon soon came to market by providing world-class services, realise that auditing and accounting is not while capitalising on local talent who just about number crunching but rather understand the opportunities within the “When you envision becoming customer service and client satisfaction. CEO, you usually have cocktails market,” he says. True to form Bydon “The profession is very customer-centric and stakeholder meetings where clarifies this point with an anecdote and service-oriented, as clients need to you engage your clients and on local innovation: “One great local feel valued if they are going to re-engage key stakeholders, but because of solution is the cash plus agency model you or make referrals for your services”. COVID-19 that didn’t happen. that has allowed us to bring our banking Thus, we needed to be innovative services right into your neighbourhood. around creating rapport with our Bydon’s move from Chingola to Lusaka clients” This has proven to be a significant value resulted in a career that has taken him all proposition in our communities, firstly for over Africa. With a laugh he shares how he and his wife of 20 years had each of their four children in a different country: Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia. After years of work in auditing, Bydon made the switch into the financial sector which eventually led him to the position of CFO of FNB Zambia.
“As CFO you are a minister without portfolio, you have to take a balanced approach and act as catalyst, strategist, steward and operator within the organisation” states Bydon. He believes this outlook allowed him to pivot into the role of CEO as a champion of the strategy formulation and implementation. “It’s nice to see how numerous individuals in the CFO sphere have advanced to the echelons of CEO. It’s a testament to the diversity and comprehensiveness of the profession,” Bydon said with a big smile.
As our conversation progresses Bydon
nkwazimagazine.com 21 TABLE TALK
our agents most of whom are burgeoning entrepreneurs and for our customers who have better ease of service.” Given his penchant for personal and economic development it is no surprise that, Bydon sees the most gratifying part of his role as helping the various members of his team. He wants to “make a positive change to my team and help actualise their potential.”
As we moved on to discuss the role of the banking sector in the local and continental economy, Bydon was truly in his element. “Eleven years ago we came into Zambia on a complete greenfield and we’ve since grown the franchise to a place where we have over 200,000 customers in all ten provinces,” states Bydon. He shares how the First Rand Group, of which FNB is a member, noticed the majority of the countries where they provided their services had intentions of diversifying their agriculture output, and are thus keen to provide funding to this sector. “In Zambia specifically, 30 percent of our balance sheet is anchored in agriculture and this is a source of pride as we are helping pivot economic growth towards agriculture.” FNB is also leading the Zambian banking sector’s digital transformation by creating platforms to ensure that even the ‘non-banked’ can enjoy banking services. FNB’s eWallet service plays a large part in this as anyone with a mobile phone can access bank services such as withdrawing money from an ATM or purchasing electricity units.
Bydon is enthusiastic about FNB’s future in Zambia, specifically around their digitisation journey. “We are constantly asking ourselves, what else can we transfer from our physical interactions onto our digital platforms? Thus, increasing our customer value proposition by reducing angst and increasing the services they access from the comfort of their homes.” Additionally, FNB Zambia has expanded their focus beyond retail, business and commercial banking, to more comprehensively include corporate and investment banking.
Bydon is also passionate about larger economic growth through local entrepreneurship. “One piece of advice I’d like to share with everyone reading this is to be more positive. Optimism allows you to exploit opportunities others can’t see. People spend so much time analysing the negative aspects of situations, but imagine if we looked at the positives. Basically, if we look for opportunities, they won’t pass us by.” In line with his company’s focus, Bydon encourages Zambians to look for opportunities in the agricultural sphere.
When he's not leading Zambia’s digital banking transformation, Bydon enjoys spending time with his family. “I cook and bake with my wife and children and it just reminds me of what’s important to me. I also enjoy working out.” With more demands on his time, he has adopted what he calls “lazy reading” since his appointment as CEO. As our conversation drew to a close he told me, “I read shorter pieces of writing such as articles from Harvard Business Review to keep me up to date. I also recently got Napoleon Hill’s Greatest Speeches so I’m looking forward to reading that.”
“Optimism allows you to exploit opportunities others can’t see… if we look for opportunities, they won’t pass us by.”
22 nkwazimagazine.com flyzambia.com 23 FASHION FASHION
INSIDER PERSPECTIVES ON FASHION BLOGGING Words by Bryan Manda, Images by The Odd Fray (Maingaila Muvundika), Mutumbi Lungu and Regular Hippies
ave you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a fashion blogger? Have you ever wondered how they create their content? Well, as you might already know, fashion bloggers from all over the world are expanding their repertoires and getting more Hpositive recognition. They are branching into digital marketing, entrepreneurship, brand management and so on. They are managing successful careers and shaping the fashion industry. Fellow bloggers like Marian Chileshe and Taonga Kaonga are perfect examples of the above. They have successfully managed MARIAN CHILESHE to stay relevant in the Zambian fashion blogging community while inspiring and paving the way for new creatives and this is Marian’s blogging journey began in 2016 at the time when she why it was important for me to highlight their journeys alongside was searching for purpose. Blogging for her became the place mine. where she did not feel confused, a place where she did not have to second guess herself. It was her ultimate get away. I started blogging in 2015. At that time, I was sharing my short stories and a lot of poetry. It was in 2017 during my freshman What started out as a platform where Marian shared her year at the University of Zambia that I decided to branch into blogging experience with her followers has now led to her fashion and lifestyle blogging. At that time it was difficult to find owning a thrift store called Finders Keepers. other bloggers or people who understood what blogging was. TAONGA KAONGA In the early stages of my career I paid a lot of attention to what “I wake up every day and make people look beautiful and feel foreign bloggers were doing. I was equally inspired by Marian Taonga began her blogging career in 2015, at that time she was a amazing, which is an absolute dream. Don’t get it twisted. It and Taonga because they both brought something unique to the third year student at the University of Zambia. comes with its fair share of challenges but I wouldn’t trade my small Zambian blogging community. journey for anything else,” Marian shares. “I have always had a strong interest in fashion and style and was From day-to-day my schedule is never the same. Each week and known as ‘the stylish girl’ back in my uni days! So much so, that When it comes to content creation Marian’s philosophy has day varies depending on whether I am shooting my own content, my peers would always ask for styling tips, fashion advice and all always been to use what she has and ‘DIY’ as much as possible working on a sponsored blog project or attending events or things to do with fashion,” Taonga shares. because this has helped her stay on brand and on budget. brand meetings, but I do try to maintain somewhat of a schedule Marian prefers to use natural light, her phone comes in handy to help me stay grounded and focused. With that said, my Despite her blogging career being rewarding, she has had many as well and she uses editing apps like light-room and VSCO to day usually starts at 7am, and I wouldn’t call myself a morning moments when she felt it was overly time-consuming and not spruce up her content. “The key is not to overthink, have lots person. To help me out the door quickly, I read a few pages of worth the effort. Nevertheless, she continued. Taonga describes of fun and repeat. That’s the recipe to great content,” Marian poetry and I’m usually out by 7:30 or 8. her content creation process as “natural as possible.” She goes explains. from thinking of random ideas to the execution. Once she has My creative process starts with a general idea which matures the idea, she then moves on to plan her outfits, location and Marian details that it was a challenge for her to figure out how to into a theme. This later moves on to me creating a mood board choose a photographer. which serves as a general reference of what I have to create. I’ll monetize blogging and this frustrated her. She did so many free quickly set up a photo shoot and this closes the creative process. “It is through blogging that I was handed many opportunities gigs before she was finally paid to blog. Fast forward to now, her If its brand related content the process is similar, the only such as speaking at events, to brand partnerships, to writing for challenge is centered on coming up with proposals that are good difference is that I follow prescribed deadlines. Nkwazi. The greatest enough to attract brands. Her parting words are, “When you meet a blogger, please be kind because our minds are always on My blogging career has helped me branch into digital brand achievement has been landing my current job as a digital account over drive thinking of the next great campaign.” marketing representing brands like Pizza Hut Zambia, Vida e manager,” Taonga explains. Caffe, Nando’s, Beefeater and many others. It has also landed me Taonga Kaonga | @taongakaonga | www.teeblogz.wordpress.com the opportunity to write a couple of fashion articles for Nkwazi Taonga’s advice to bloggers is to stay on track, keep doing what Marian Chileshe | @quirky_indeed | www.quirkyindeed. and other publications while maintaining a solid sense of style as you do, ask for help from people you look up to, collaborate and wordpress.com documented on my Instagram page. show brands how you can add value. Bryan Manda | @iambryo | www.bryanmanda.wordpress.com
24 nkwazimagazine.com nkwazimagazine.com 25 FASHION
MARIAN CHILESHE
Marian’s blogging journey began in 2016 at the time when she was searching for purpose. Blogging for her became the place where she did not feel confused, a place where she did not have to second guess herself. It was her ultimate get away.
What started out as a platform where Marian shared her blogging experience with her followers has now led to her owning a thrift store called Finders Keepers. TAONGA KAONGA “I wake up every day and make people look beautiful and feel Taonga began her blogging career in 2015, at that time she was a amazing, which is an absolute dream. Don’t get it twisted. It third year student at the University of Zambia. comes with its fair share of challenges but I wouldn’t trade my journey for anything else,” Marian shares. “I have always had a strong interest in fashion and style and was known as ‘the stylish girl’ back in my uni days! So much so, that When it comes to content creation Marian’s philosophy has my peers would always ask for styling tips, fashion advice and all always been to use what she has and ‘DIY’ as much as possible things to do with fashion,” Taonga shares. because this has helped her stay on brand and on budget. Marian prefers to use natural light, her phone comes in handy Despite her blogging career being rewarding, she has had many as well and she uses editing apps like light-room and VSCO to moments when she felt it was overly time-consuming and not spruce up her content. “The key is not to overthink, have lots worth the effort. Nevertheless, she continued. Taonga describes of fun and repeat. That’s the recipe to great content,” Marian her content creation process as “natural as possible.” She goes explains. from thinking of random ideas to the execution. Once she has the idea, she then moves on to plan her outfits, location and Marian details that it was a challenge for her to figure out how to choose a photographer. monetize blogging and this frustrated her. She did so many free “It is through blogging that I was handed many opportunities gigs before she was finally paid to blog. Fast forward to now, her such as speaking at events, to brand partnerships, to writing for challenge is centered on coming up with proposals that are good Nkwazi. The greatest enough to attract brands. Her parting words are, “When you meet a blogger, please be kind because our minds are always on achievement has been landing my current job as a digital account over drive thinking of the next great campaign.” manager,” Taonga explains. Taonga Kaonga | @taongakaonga | www.teeblogz.wordpress.com Taonga’s advice to bloggers is to stay on track, keep doing what Marian Chileshe | @quirky_indeed | www.quirkyindeed. you do, ask for help from people you look up to, collaborate and wordpress.com show brands how you can add value. Bryan Manda | @iambryo | www.bryanmanda.wordpress.com
nkwazimagazine.com 25 IN FRAME
THROUGH THE LENS OF LINDA MULENGA NSUNGE
ZAMBEZI RIVER
I love this view of a calm and soothing section of the mighty Zambezi River, complete with mini islands and greenery.
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Words and images by Linda Mulenga Nsunge
y name is Linda Mulenga Nsunge (UnikueModa). I am a Zambian photographer Mwith a passion for travel and fashion. I enjoy long drives and the feel of diff erent textures of fabric between my fi ngers. I enjoy capturing diff erent things, from the intricate designs and vibrant colors of the chitenge, to beauti ful architecture and notable occasions such as weddings and corporate events.
Travel and nature are an incredibly important part of my life, as they make me feel closer to God. From the ti niest insect to the orange- red sunrises and sunsets I get to experience when I'm on the road, I love to capture it all behind my lens.
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LUSAKA NATIONAL PARK
Lusaka National Park is ideal for a family outing like a Sunday picnic. This ladder leads to a high platform where one can have panoramic views of the national park.
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AERIAL VIEW OF LUSAKA
Life’s a climb, but the view is great! This is Lusaka city seen from above on a bright and sunny day.
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BATOKA GORGE
Victoria Falls is home to various activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting and scenic helicopter tours. The Batoka Gorge, also sometimes known as the Zambezi Gorge, was formed as a result of the Victoria Falls receding upstream for the last 100,000 years.
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SUNRISE AT FOREST 27
There's nothing more magical than taking a step back and enjoying the sunrise. The beautiful yellow-pink hue blends well with greenery in the forest and the blue summer sky. This is my favourite place for hiking.
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SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE Beaches, history and monolithic needles
Words by Bwanga ‘Benny Blow’ Kapumpa, Images by Paul Bloomfield, Roça Belo Monte and courtesy of Shutterstock
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ão Tomé and Príncipe is a delightful FUN FACTS two-island tropical getaway off the coast of West Africa. Its people are Dubbed ‘The Chocolate Islands,’ São Tomé and friendly, its history is both rich and dark, and its stunning sights are Príncipe was once the world’s largest producer of Spostcard worthy. Discovered by Portuguese cocoa. explorers in the late 1400s, the then uninhabited islands were an important outpost The Bay of Needles—one of the main attractions— for the Atlantic slave trade and later became has three mountains named The Father, The Son one of the largest producers of cocoa and and The Grandson. sugarcane on the globe.
Today the country is a peaceful, low-traffic São Tomé and Príncipe is the smallest Portuguese travel destination and offers an array of speaking country in the world. activities. For the seasoned adventurer there are plenty of hiking trails and mountains to scale, the golden sandy beaches are ideal for the This island nation is home to the world’s smallest lazy sloth in you, and its museums and cuisine are there to satisfy those with a yearning for Ibis and the world’s largest sunbird. cultural experiences. São Tomeans are happy to host tourists and give them a taste of home cooking in exchange for a small fee. This is a Barcadi Rum shot a TV commercial on the sands of testament to how welcoming the country’s people are, and why it is a great place to visit Praia Banana on Principe Island. for unforgettable cultural experiences, tropical adventure and beautiful beaches.
More populated than Príncipe and home to Choose Your Own Adventure the country’s capital, São Tomé Islandis where • Guided lush tropical hikes you’ll most likely touch down if you’re flying in. Portuguese is the official language spoken, and • Snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing you’ll also hear some Portuguese-based Creole • Canoeing through mangroves and caverns dialects like Forro and Angolar, with a little bit • Attend Auto de Floripes Festival of French and very small pockets of English spoken around both islands. From tranquil • Visit roças (old plantation houses, some of which beaches to an intriguing national park, the larger have been turned into boutique hotels and of the two archipelagos has great locations museums) that would make a memorable itinerary for its visitors but don’t ignore Príncipe.
Part of the appeal of Príncipe is its low population and you might even find that you have large swathes of a beach to yourself. Here you can snorkel, go whale watching, visit old plantation houses or even attend a festival.
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Beaches The high life
Sprawling golden sands and lazy coconut palms stooping over Praia Peaking at 370 metres above the tallest trees of the Jalé (praia is the Portuguese word for beach) provide the ideal rainforest Pico Cão Grande is a mysterious needle- setting to relax under the sun. That’s if you visit in the dry season shaped volcanic plug that is perpetually caressed between June and September! Staying on the island during the wet by a slow-churning mist. It is literally one of the top season does also have its advantages. If you make your trip between sights on São Tomé and might fill you with awe as you February and April, you’ll most likely catch the sea turtles making view it during your drive southwards. Its climb can be their very first foray into the turquoise waters off the beach. treacherous so only experienced hikers should scale this wonder. Praia Piscina is said to be the best beach on São Tomé, this portion of paradise can be found on the southern tip of the isle.Its hard, Baía das Agulhas (Bay of Needles) is only accessible volcanic rock shore presents a nice contrast to the clear blue by boat and offers some of the most jaw-dropping waters. It has some rock pools you can wade in while watching the views of the phonolite towers reaching for the sky. waves moonsault onto the black coast, as water rises in spectacular These prehistoric structures are affectionately called, splashes from a blowhole. The Father, The Son and The Grandson.
Praia Banana on the island of Principe has a peculiar curve and is If it tickles your fancy, snorkeling is usually an option somewhat shaped like a banana, hence its name. Said to be one of near the Bay if you organised your boat ride through the top beaches on the island, a popular Bacardi Rum commercial a hotel. The vibrant fish life in these waters can be a was shot here. It is best experienced as part of a boat tour, and pleasant thing to observe. that way you can also visit Praia Macaco and Praia Boi, which are beautiful slices of sand too. Both São Tomé and Príncipe were part of an extinct volcanic mountain range.
You didn’t think we’d discuss São Tomé and Príncipe without discussing the beaches did you? Visit for yourself to see why they’re irresistible.
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Auto de Floripes Roça Belo Monte
Traditi onal theatre of dance, music and drama locally known Roças are Portuguese colonial houses of as “tchiloli” was inspired by Portuguese and European plays yesteryear sitti ng on old plantati ons. While based on the exploits of Emperor Charlemagne. The slaves on some of these large structures are dilapidated the islands at the ti me copied these performances and added and the forest is slowly consuming them, a elements of local traditi onal rites. number have been restored and turned into hotels or museums. Roça Belo Monte is now a Today, the Auto de Floripes (or ‘Feast of St Laurence’) is one bouti que hotel and has a museum chronicling of the island’s most popular festi vals and involves nearly the both the natural and social history of Príncipe. enti re populati on of Príncipe. It is a re-enactment of the batt le It also has the best view of Praia Banana. between Christi ans and the Moors. This three-day festi val is characterised by colourful dress, drums and whistles and is Another roça worth menti oning is Roça an epic street theatre not to be missed. It happens annually in Sundy. It is the biggest on the island and is August. the only one to have produced coff ee. The architecture on this plantati on is fascinati ng and you can even stay in the restored governor’s house. Other plantati ons have The enti re populati on of Príncipe comes out to celebrate during fallen into total disrepair and have virtually Auto de Floripes, a colourful annual festi val. been abandoned but it is sti ll worth visiti ng them learning about what were once fl ourishing mainstays of São Tomean life.
The elegant Roça Belo Monte, situated on the site of an old plantati on, is the country’s best hotel.
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Remarkable biodiversity
For such a small nati on São Tomé and Príncipe holds an astounding amount of biodiversity with plenty of att racti ons for those seeking to get lost in nature. Sixty percent of Principe has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
The Obô Nati onal Park covers over sixty percent of São Tomé and is great for bird watching and even botany, with 143 bird species and over 700 plant species. You’ll defi nitely enjoy the hikes here and you can also witness the beauty of the lagoon located in the park. It’s roughly a four-hour trek to Lagoa Amelia, a luxuriant volcanic crater cradling the lagoon.
The highest point in the park is Pico de São Tomé, which at over 2,000 metres high is a breathtaking sight that can be seen from various parts of the archipelagos.
Consider taking the Malaza mangroves canoe tour. The mangroves are best seen during the dry season when the water levels recede and the intertwining roots of the dense trees are exposed, giving the forest aspookyatmosphere. The tours are carried out in traditi onal canoes and you’ll hear the call of monkeys and see various colourful species of birds.
Despite its immense natural beauty and diverse ecosystem, São Tomé and Príncipe remains one of the least visited countries in Africa and the world.
36 nkwazimagazine.com Turnkey Project Solutions
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Structural Manufacture & Plating Comprehensive Project Management Structural manufacture of tip structures, The ZinPro Zambia management team comprises of oveer shaft bunton sets, loading bins, conveyor 300 years of combined experience in the mining and structures, pipe stands and pipee fittings. construction industry. MUSIC
TAKURA THE SHONA PRINCE Words by Esnala Banda, Images courtesy of Takura
imbabwean musician Takura Shonhai, known simply as Takura, a.k.a. Mr. Okay Okay Okay, is making waves locally and internationally with his eclectic fusion of sound and relatable Zlyrics. While many might categorise him as a hip- hop artist, he prefers to not put himself in the proverbial box and creates multi-genre musical projects based on his frame of mind.
“When it comes to music I have no box or barriers. I do what I want, what I’m feeling. Sometimes I want to sing trap because I’m in that mood, sometimes I want to sing about love because that’s what I’m feeling, and it’s just music, spiritual music.”
Takura brings a type of sincerity to music that is mostly reserved for soul music and tells Nkwazi that it’s important for artists to talk about real experiences because of the influence they have.
“I struggled with so many things growing up such as depression and being broke so there’s always a lesson in each and every one of my songs. I just worked hard and I’d like people to know that it’s possible. Most artists don’t show the other side, I want to help people out there to show them that it’s real.”
Born in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, Takura became a household name with his debut solo single ‘Zino Irema.’ The song came following the disbandment of his group Soul Africa, a musical trio of which he was a founding member and lead vocalist.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be a hit. I like to be realistic. Most of the stuff that I make is
I think it’s important for artists to express themselves. Especially in Africa, most artists don’t express themselves because of the culture, but they need to learn to be free to be their authentic selves.”
38 nkwazimagazine.com MUSIC
something that I’m going through. I wasn’t planning on doing trap at first. I was planning on doing Afro-pop songs. Then ‘Zino Irema’ just went viral. After that I was really shocked because I wasn’t ready. I’m used to being in the background. It was a rollercoaster. I was shocked but at the same time happy,” he reveals.
Takura attributes his talent to his mum’s side of the family stating that they have beautiful voices, whilst his dad’s side of the family has geniuses.
“I used to hide my talent because growing up my mum didn’t want me to pursue music. She wanted me to be like a doctor or something. So my family only found out that this is what I do in 2012. When he listened to ‘It’s Okay Not To Be Okay’ (off the 2020 project, Star Signs) my brother said he never thought I’d be a singer. He was shocked. In 2013 when I did a song called ‘Handidi’ with Soul Africa I decided this is what I’m going to do.”
He explains that though his family wasn’t initially keen about his decision to pursue EP Relationship Goals he employs many music, they eventually came around after lessons that he has learnt growing up with he became a household name. his mum and five sisters.
In his music, Takura tells his life story and “Growing up with women helped me learn experiences and expresses gratitude for how to treat them right. My mum was one everything that has happened in his life. of those strong women, the tough love “I’ve had to learn with age that I don’t kind. She taught me a lot. I learnt that I need to regret anything, because those need to respect women, how to talk to experiences made me who I am today. women, and about all the little things that When I first dropped ‘Zino Irema,’ within seem like they don’t matter. And with my a month I was already going to Cyprus, I music, it’s helped me because when I’m only had one song to perform but I went talking about love I know how women to the UK, and Australia. I had never been feel.” on a plane before and the one thing that put me on a plane was music and it might His latest offering, Star Signs, was birthed be nothing to someone who’s had that life in August 2020 and talks about the but I had never had that life. makings of a star, with each of the 12 tracks representing a different star sign. My dad died when I was young and my parents couldn’t do that for me because “All the tracks have different styles such of life but I was able to do that for myself. as trap, Afro-pop, and reggae. I think To think that people were willing to fly it’s important for artists to express me out to the UK to perform and the club themselves. Especially in Africa, most was fully packed with people who had artists don’t express themselves because come to see me. People don’t understand of the culture, but they need to learn to how deep that is.” be free to be their authentic selves.” He says that 2021 is a space for more He tells me that his first job was as a evolution and growth. gardener and that making music has been surreal as it’s led him to meet some of the “As long as I’m alive, every day I’m biggest and most important people. creating something. I like a challenge. I like to evolve. You can hear the maturity Takura’s musical concepts go beyond over time in my projects and I feel that I a typical rags to riches story and in his have so much to give.”
nkwazimagazine.com 39 CONSERVE
THE CONSERVATION STORY BEHIND COMACO Words by COMACO, Images courtesy of COMACO
OMACO works with Zambia’s harvested by community partners – conservationists for decades. It also rural communities to build which it sells to urban supermarkets and formed the basis of a pact we signed stable food systems and institutional buyers like school systems. In with handshakes that very morning. From incentivize ecosystem-scale doing so, COMACO has also created an that day onward, the pact has lived and conservation of forests and affordable, nutritional, resilient food chain grown to touch the lives of 188,000 Cwildlife. COMACO provides markets within Zambia. Annual turnover is now families across the entire 110,022 square in agriculture, forest conservation, $4,500,000. kilometre landscape of the Luangwa and carbon sequestration, along with Valley and its surrounding watershed. technical support and infrastructure. Started 17 years ago, COMACO now History We called it Community Markets for reaches over 188,000 households across Our company began 17 years ago in a Conservation (COMACO). We started 42,500 square miles in the Luangwa small town called Lundazi, near one of to help small-scale farmers grow surplus Valley. The results for local livelihoods and Africa’s great wildlife areas, the Luangwa and diverse food crops while staying biodiversity are substantial. Valley. It was a Saturday morning gathering of village leaders who promised COMACO has achieved this by building that their communities would abandon direct impact for people and the wildlife poaching if better markets for With a workforce of over 270, environment into a business model. other products could support the needs of COMACO brings healthy food COMACO has developed 17 food local families. products from small-scale farmers to stores across Zambia and a products under the brand It’s Wild!– such market-value for conservation as peanut butter and nutrient-fortified The proposition seemed simple enough that is swelling the ranks of farmers breakfast cereals produced exclusively to address a poaching and deforestation committed to conservation. with crops grown organically or wild problem that had confounded
40 nkwazimagazine.com CONSERVE
on the same plot of farmland, to reduce clear and convincing: the COMACO story best, if only we could hear land-clearing and loss of forests. This COMACO has taught us how to what they might say. It might be like this: required farmers to adopt new skills keep our soils healthy so we can for regenerati ng soils, which COMACO feed our families and make enough We can now live side-by-side with our village rewarded with premium prices for their money to send our children to neighbours and make our lives safer as we let crop surplus. Over ti me we’ve seen school. As our soils improve so too nature nourish and provide for us. We are crop yields increase twofold, household do our forests with less need to clear all part of the same family now, feeling more incomes increase threefold, and 1,783 land to farm. Wild animals have protected and living with less fear. former wildlife poachers surrender their a chance to return that we never fi rearms for a plough and bett er markets. wanted to lose anyway. Our chiefs fi nd it easier to lead as we become To keep these stories growing, COMACO COMACO started to become a self- smarter as a community, knowing will keep to its mission: making conservati on fi nancing model for treati ng ecosystem that markets will follow our eff orts profi table so communiti es do the conservati on. ills. Essenti ally, by recruiti ng a large to conserve. They are now talking With the help of our customers, who value the workforce of small-scale farmers among themselves to share these It’s Wild! brand and the quality of our products, moti vated by this approach, we saw that lessons and guide us with bett er we can all be telling the COMACO story. we could support rapid and collecti ve rules to live by. Poachers who once acti on. Such a calling inspired our staff lived by the gun have taken up the Learn more about COMACO and funding partners to help build our plough. They have even formed an Sign up for our bi-monthly newslett er team and capitalise core requirements associati on of reformed poachers to Follow us on social media to demonstrate COMACO’s potenti al contribute positi vely to the future Twitt er www.twtt er.com/COMACO_Zambia and as a business approach. Our brand has COMACO has helped us have. We www.twitt er.com/itswildfoods now won multi ple awards for quality, are all now working together to Facebook: htt ps://www.facebook.com/ safety and nutriti on. Investments do what’s right for the land and COMACOZambia and in staff capacity-building have also resources that we cannot lose. enabled COMACO to develop htt ps://www.facebook.com/itswildzambia Web: htt ps://itswild.org/about-us market opportuniti es arising from our Perhaps the wild animals we set out conservati on impact, including non-ti mber to protect in the fi rst place could tell Video: htt ps://vimeo.com/comaco forest products and carbon sales. The 81 community conservati on cooperati ves we’ve helped initi ate are essenti al in these gains.
We have also realised the high logisti c costs of supporti ng supply chains from remote rural locati ons to central manufacturing hubs, and its eff ect on product margins. It is a small wonder that so many small-scale farmers are marginalised and left to cope, to the detriment to their land and our global environment. Managing these costs has become a key challenge to COMACO’s growth, competi ti veness, and conservati on soluti ons across multi ple landscapes. Current prioriti es include maintaining product volumes to keep unit producti on costs low and improving effi ciencies with bett er automati on, ITC tools and transport logisti cs. Succeeding in these areas will be pivotal in helping us take on more debt and make conservati on succeed at a larger scale.
Who can tell the COMACO story best? COMACO touches the lives of many people in many diff erent ways. How we wish their voices could be part of this arti cle. Their common message would be
nkwazimagazine.com 41 ART
THE ART OF STORYTELLING Words by Chipo Muwowo, Images Christopher Ison (@crsison_photo)
amille Silvy was a French photographer who moved to London in 1859. He took over the renowned Caldesi C& Montecchi photography studio in the Bayswater area and over the subsequent decade, built up a loyal clientele amongst England’s high society — royalty, aristocrats and celebrities. By the time he returned to France in 1870, he had photographed some of the country’s most prominent individuals. His work is on display at the National Portrait Gallery in central London and that’s where Zambian artist Hannah Uzor (née Hasiciimbwe) first came across his portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a young black African woman.
Originally named Omoba Aina, Sarah was born in 1843 to a royal Yoruba family. Aged five, she was captured and enslaved by the king of a rival nation — Gezo of Dahomey, present-day Benin — after her father was killed at war. In 1850 the British naval captain Frederick Forbes arrived in Dahomey on a failed mission to
UK-based Zambian artist Hannah Uzor received widespread recognition and praise for her portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a Yoruba princess that was taken under the wing of Queen Victoria. The artwork reminds us there are many untold stories of Africans at home and abroad.
42 nkwazimagazine.com ART
persuade King Gezo to give up the slave trade (Britain had formally outlawed the trading of persons in its jurisdictions in 1807). But what happened next was both shocking and remarkable: Sarah was given to Forbes as a diplomatic gift and he travelled back to England with her aboard his ship, HMS Bonetta. Sarah was presented to Queen Victoria who liked her very much. She took the girl under her wing, thus becoming her godmother and generous benefactor.
Last October, Uzor received widespread global press coverage when her painting of Sarah (based on Silvy’s portrait) was unveiled at Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s summer home on the Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of England. The exhibition was organised by English Heritage, a national conservation charity. Its curatorial director Anna Eavis said at the time, “There are a number of black figures from the past who have played significant roles at some of the historic sites in our care but their stories are not very well known. Starting with Sarah, our portraits project is one way we’re bringing these stories to life.”
I visited Osborne House to see the painting for myself. Located in the Durbar Room, a large hall that was used for state receptions and other entertainment, Sarah looked composed, assured and regal. Her facial expression in the painting, as in the original portrait, is somewhat muted. She doesn’t give much away. We don’t kilometres east of Lusaka. “We’re the only stories is important for black peoples have many records of her speaking on art gallery that’s building a city through everywhere — whether in London or her own behalf — in fact, there are more art,” Mulwanda says. While art is, in part, Lusaka. Africa and its peoples have, records of Queen Victoria and Captain a representation of a culture at a point over many centuries, been caricatured Forbes speaking about her — but we in time, the Chena co-founders want and misrepresented. Nigerian novelist have a photograph which, for many black to push the boundaries. “Can we tell a Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, “Show Victorians, was a rarity. “I take my kids story with the life-size pieces that we’re to galleries and you hardly see any black a people as one thing, only one thing, putting up at Nkwashi? Can we even people painted in such grandeur,” Uzor over and over again, and that is what they begin to cultivate some kind of culture?” says. “Having this portrait is a big deal.” become.” The internet has been a boon Musokotwane opines. The painting raises numerous questions for African storytelling and it presents an about history, imperialism, slavery but opportunity for Africans to get better at A key part of Chena’s offering is its artists it also highlights the importance and telling their own stories. Musokotwane in residence programme which seeks preciousness of stories and the role of art and Mulwanda are taking Zambian art in storytelling. to put artists out of their comfort zone whilst creating artworks for Nkwashi’s to the world through online auctions and Uzor’s work was spotted by English In Lusaka, Hannah’s hometown, Sepo public spaces. They are taking a multi- Heritage on Instagram. Musokotwane and Zelipa Mulwanda are disciplinary approach by involving taking this idea to a whole new level with painters, photographers, videographers their art gallery called Chena. It functions and sculptors. Nkwashi sets the vision of But why does good, accurate, self- as a traditional art house with a strong the community that it’s trying to build and expressed storytelling matter? Adichie e-commerce element. They are also the artists, with Chena operating in the continues, “When we reject the single responsible for delivering public artworks middle, seek to re-create that artistically. story, when we realise that there is never at Nkwashi, an upcoming privately- a single story about any place, [the world] owned and privately-built city located 36 Getting better at telling a multiplicity of regains a kind of paradise.”
nkwazimagazine.com 43 HUMOUR
DOODERONOMY Words by Karthik 'Dooderman' Jayaprakash I have had a car drive over my foot, to get advice on how to fix a situation. twice. I have gotten my fingers into a I usually rummage through his store to food processor once. Being a vegetarian, find what would work and what wouldn’t. I was impressed by the meat mincing He has a large store and recently I was capabilities of the machine. I have broken looking to build my own frame for a two fingers once in the central glove mosquito net. I was interested to see if I box of my friend’s car. These were not can Lego my way through with pipes and the same fingers which got stuck in the angle joints and then bracket the whole hinges of a door, that was on my other frame to the bed. This would provide hand. I tried to catch a friend once who me with a lot of satisfaction. Hence, I jumped off a tree and the impact of his was busy rummaging through his heavily bare foot on my chest broke my ribs. He stocked store. He wasn’t sold on the idea was not on a path of self-harm, I coerced but was still entertaining me. At one stage him into doing this. Do not ask me why. I I had to climb a small collapsible ladder have tried to catch a ball once in a game to check something kept at a height. I put of cricket at the boundary and ran straight the ladder right next to the things in the into the floodlight pole. Needless to say, I photo and started to climb. didn’t catch the ball but I did shave part of the skin on my shin, with the bone being While on top, another customer asked fully visible. have been accident prone all my life. me for something which was in my reach. I always end up hurting myself in As I tried to hand over the item to him I I can sit here and write a series of books mysterious ways. To quickly give you fell squarely off the ladder into the pile named Dooderman and His Amazing an idea of the extent of damage – I of things. For some reason my illogical Dooderbody. However, recently something have broken both my ankles twice, brain told me to not use my hand but my happened which I would like to share. both my wrists twice, both my hands generous bottom to cushion the fall. I I The the pain from the incident still exists twice, dislocated shoulder bones, cracked landed with a thud and brought everyone three months later. If you look closely, my skull (the effects of which are still in the store to a halt. My friend looked for the first time instead of a photo of predominant), broken my ribs, damaged charming me, I have a photo of some at me in disbelief before bursting out my shins, had countless cuts and stitches, hardware in the column. Now I would laughing and saying, “The pipe bending had numerous incidents of bruises and request everyone to look closely at the machine has turned into an ass bending burns, have had a couple of electrical photo. What you see is a mixture of things machine”. shock escapades, slipped discs and including a marble cutter, chain blocks, many times have found myself under an extension hose, hand grinding mill, I was bruised a bit in my hands but mainly anesthesia before an operation and have welding machine, pipe bending machine, was ok, though embarrassed. I used some downed plenty of painkillers. I did forget barbed wire (thankfully partially covered), sanitizer on the bruises and proceeded to mention being attacked by insects and expandable tool boxes, metal chains and out of the store due while simultaneously larger animals – dogs, cats, a horse (was a bucket. the store staff were trying to find out if kicked), spiders, tsetse flies, snakes, etc. the hardware was ok. I then proceeded I am heavily addicted to DIY, heavily. I home and the next morning found it It is not that I live an overly adventurous have a plethora of tools and hardware at difficult to even get out of bed. It was life. It is just that somehow I am a magnet home and am in a constant endeavor to the day I found out that my ass isn’t just for all sorts of accidents. It is in the most try and do everything myself. My family fat but a muscle, which I had managed to mundane of acts where I manage to hurt is quite tired of this expedition of mine, tear. Yes, I have a ripped ass. All my life my myself. While waiting at traffic lights on a but I have found a compromise. I regularly ass has cheated me into thinking it is like bike (in India) I have had a tree fall on me, make something for my wife and son or a pillow. Nobody today in Zambia knows a not just me, but I would like to think that I break something they have and then fix ‘pain in the ass’ better than me. was at the worst possible position. I have it. This has somehow reduced the friction jumped off a bridge (all of you can guess and my family allows me to indulge. My The doctor was also enjoying himself which one) and broke a rib. I never try and wife also now regularly accompanies when he said, “Look, I would have tried blame anyone for all this, it just happens me to hardware stores to pick colors, to pressure bandage it in some way to with me. I have had a food delivery material, etc., of her liking. provide relief, provided the surface area biker ride through my legs after opening was a lot smaller”. the gate for him, you can only imagine A close friend of mine owns a hardware the pain and suffering I went through store. I have the weirdest ideas for builds Dooderonomy will resume later. Until afterwards. or fixes and hence visit him regularly then, goodbye.
44 nkwazimagazine.com TIME OUT
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ISSUE 48 SOLUTIONS ACROSS: DOWN: 8: GMA stands for 1: Structure with thatched roofing 9: Local publishing house 2: Former Zambian vice-president 11: Self-publishing writing, photography, etc online 3: Lusaka thrift shop 12: Winner of the third annual Kalemba Short Story 4: Zambian artist whose music was featured on FIFA 20 Prize 5: Also known as lumber 15: Popular gin brand 6: Birthplace of “the Shona prince” 16: First Zimbabwean film to stream on Netflix 7: Stage name used by Tendai Nguni 17: Photo and video sharing social network 10: Shallow wetland area in Central, Southern and East 21: Plantation hotel Africa 22: He reminded us that It’s OKAY Not To Be OKAY 13: Animal enclosure 23: Unifying African philosophy 14: Steep, sloping geographic feature 18: Former name of Benin 18: Former name of Benin 19: West African language, ethnic group 20: Group of living organisms in a particular area
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Page 51.
A positive Zimbabwean story and a symbol of hope, Cook Off is the fi rst Zimbabwean fi lm to feature on Netfl ix. Lead actors Tendai Ryan Nguni and Tendaiishe Chitima share a light moment here.
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MWAKA MUGALA REPLAY GAMING FEATURE
MWAKA MUGALA CHASING DESTINY
Words by Jolezya Adeyemo, Images courtesy of Mwaka Mugala
It’s been an amazing and eventful journey for Zuba star Mwaka Mugala so far. She reflects on lessons learned while chasing after her dreams, many of which have already come true.
waka Mugala is on the set of Zuba and taking a short break in between scenes. She tells me we only have ten minutes, which sounds Mlike not nearly enough but we decide to go ahead and discuss as much as we can. At that point the fourth season of Zuba was airing on Zambezi Magic but Mwaka who plays the title role initially didn’t expect the show to continue beyond the first season.
She clinched the role in an organic way. Back in 2017 when Mwaka was a news anchor and presenter for Diamond TV she contacted Becky Ngoma to request an interview with her for a segment she was producing on women in film. Becky was unable to do the interview at the time but let Mwaka know that auditions were taking place for what was being dubbed as “Zambia’s first telenovela” and encouraged her to audition. Mwaka had some reservations but decided to try it out and see.
Becky had trained Mwaka in acting and writing but she hadn’t yet put this training to use yet. Mwaka didn’t want to disappoint Becky but having auditioned for another popular Zambian show, Fever, and not getting the role she wasn’t feeling optimistic. To Mwaka’s surprise she was offered the role of Zuba after two rigorous auditions. She credits Becky for pushing her when she didn’t believe in herself. “Becky really believed in me and I appreciate that. I didn’t think I could do it but she told me I just had to go for it,” says Mwaka.
Seeing negative comments on social
48 nkwazimagazine.com FEATURE
media when Zuba started airing, Mwaka was doubtful While Mwaka looked up to deemed as more stable careers the show would continue its run. Some of the comments veteran broadcasters, she also that offered greater financial were regarding Mwaka’s Tonga diction. Many people grew up with one, Alec Mugala. security. Even as Mwaka ventured falsely assumed Mwaka’s tribe was Tonga and criticised She tells me, “It may be cliché but into acting her mother was proud her for not being able to speak what they thought was my father was and is one of my of her achievements but still her language. During the audition phase she was asked inspirations.” Mwaka says that her maintained some understandable if she would be willing to play a role that required her father noticed early on that she concerns about whether her to speak Tonga. “I said as long as the person training and her brother were creative and daughter would be able to me is really good I could do it. Sometimes I literally had he did his best to nurture their maintain a comfortable life. to learn the Tonga lines right there on set. And I really talents. Though she adds that he was sceptical because I knew it didn’t sound authentic. would’ve supported whatever Growing up with a father known Sometimes it sounded good, sometimes it didn’t. I career path they chose. On the for his work in television has been received some backlash on social media from people other hand, Mwaka’s mother took a mixed blessing. Mwaka was who said I was Tonga and couldn’t speak my language. a more pragmatic approach. At always compared to her father Friends and family encouraged me to keep practicing the time she was worried that and faced pressure to live up to and I got better with time and learned to turn a deaf ear the media space in Zambia wasn’t his legacy. Encouraging as ever, to the hurtful comments.” highly developed and encouraged her father told her not to aim to her children to pursue what she be like him but to aim to be better. Despite Mwaka’s worries, not only was Zuba picked It was with Zuba that she finally up for more seasons, it blew up beyond anything she felt she was getting out from imagined and has consistently been Zambezi Magic’s under her father’s shadow. Mwaka most watched show. adds, “It used to bother me, being In this career we’re acting 24/7 both off and on set, until compared to him. But after a while If negative comments on social media were a challenge the moment all is done and I I realised it was an honour because so too is being a public figure as Mwaka is introverted go back into my shell.” he did many great things. To be and loves her alone time. Being an introvert she has to able to do what he did or to do it get in character to get the job done not only for working on set but also when she attends the many events and interviews that come with her work. “Whenever I’m in front of a camera or on stage or in front of a microphone on radio I have to be able to switch characters. I’m working and I need to do what I have to do in order to do it right. In this career we’re acting 24/7 both off and on set, until the moment all is done and I go back into my shell.”
For all the sacrifices and challenges that come with her career, Mwaka has always dreamed of working in media. She looked up to the likes of veteran broadcasters such as Doreen Mukanzo, Francis Ndovi, Franklin Tembo and Frank Mutubila. “Growing up I’d watch them on TV and say I wanted to do what they were doing. I want to interview big people. I want to read the news. The fact that I did get to read news on radio and then on TV was a dream come true.”
nkwazimagazine.com 49 FEATURE
I still had a lot of grooming to go through and that was one of the things that motivated me to prove that I could do it without any favours or shortcuts or connections.”
better is one of the most satisfying parts of what I do.”
On top of the constant comparisons to her father, at all stages of her career Mwaka had to deal with people who questioned her credibility, assuming that she had gotten to where she was through connections and not hard work. Sounding a little amused, Mwaka noted again that she had to “audition not once, but twice for Zuba.” She goes on to say, “Sure, I was given opportunities but most times I was turned down because I was not good enough. They would hear my surname and automatically assume I’ll be good because of who my father was but I still had a lot of learning to do. I still had a lot of grooming to go through and that was one of the things that motivated me to prove that I could do it without any favours or shortcuts or connections.”
Mwaka remains adamant that she is where she should be but isn’t complacent and has bigger aspirations in media and beyond. She adds however that, “These are things that I want to keep to myself because if I make it known and then it doesn’t happen the disappointment would be much greater for me.” She continues, “I always think that this is just the beginning. I don’t like to be stagnant. I do get bored quite easily. And I want to feel like I’m always doing something big.” Nothing is being left to chance though. Mwaka tells me matter-of-factly that, “I have a five- year plan, obviously.” However, she admits it wasn’t always so obvious to her. It was filmmaker David Kazadi that encouraged Mwaka to put her goals down on paper and plan well ahead of time. Now her five-year plan is a yardstick for which to measure her progress in life.
It is at this point in the conversation that a crew member tells Mwaka it’s time to shoot her next scene. She had said she could only spare ten minutes but I was lucky to have gotten some extra time. Thirty minutes and one costume change later she was back behind the camera, ready to shoot another scene which would no doubt stir up debate among Zuba’s fans and critics alike.
50 nkwazimagazine.com FEATURE
COOK OFF A LOVE LETTER TO ZIMBABWE
Words by By Leelee Ngwenya, Images by Bongani Kumbula and Anel Wessels
or many Zimbabweans in the childhood. He shares, “I spent a lot of diaspora and at home Cook Off is time in the kitchen growing up - both my a symbol of hope. The romantic grandmothers were keen chefs, so a film comedy tells the story of Anesu with food as a central theme felt very a down on her luck single mother natural to me. I also really liked the idea of Fwhose son enters her into a reality TV having a female protagonist because I feel cooking competition that turns her life like we don’t have enough stories where upside down. Beyond the comedy and the main character is a woman.” romance is the story of faith, chasing your dreams, and the audacity of hope, it’s a The decision to make the film a romantic universal story of the power of believing comedy was very intentional. Tomas and in yourself. It has a welcome narrative as his producing partner Joe Njagu felt that it represents the spirit of Zimbabwe in an they wanted to shift away from negative authentic way. narratives around Africa. They wanted a film that portrayed something closer to Tomas Lutuli Brickhill, the writer and their real experiences of growing up and director of Cook Off, was inspired by his living in Zimbabwe to show the world that
nkwazimagazine.com 51 FEATURE
while there are struggles, that is not what local music in the film, from pop to soul odds resonated with me. The fact that it defines Zimbabwe or its people. Brickhill to rock. was a rom com and something light was explains, “We are just normal people living different from what we normally see in our lives and what could be more normal Tomas explains, “Thankfully the artists terms of African content.” than a classic love story?” were kind enough to let us license the music to use in the film for free. As Actor Tendai “Tehn Diamond” Nguni who With a cast made up of experienced for the cameos, many of those such as plays the romantic lead, Prince, in the film actors, veteran actors and some first-time poet Chirikure Chirikure and rock star has seamlessly transitioned from music actors, Joe played a large role in getting Shingai Shoniwa from the Noisettes were to acting. He shares, “I love to learn and I the more established cast on board, also connections I had from my days at love to challenge myself. So coming into which was a challenge due to budget Book Cafe, but producer Joe Ngaju also acting didn’t feel so much like a transition, constraints. However, once the actors brought in a load of stars including Jesesi but a learning experience. They say read the script and saw how serious the Mungoshi of Neria fame.” every creative has at least two mediums production team was about making the film despite the low budget, they were Discussing why she took part in the film, excited to get involved. actress Tendaiishe Chitima says, “What attracted me to paying Anesu was the The film features cameos from well- story. The story was well written and the known performers thanks to the director’s narrative was different from the roles I “Anesu is resilient and her determination and her previous experience as the manager of had been playing. I had played some not personality and her going for the Book Cafe in Harare, which was the so positive portrayals of foreign women in her dreams against all odds premier arts and culture venue in the South Africa, from an immigrant that gets resonated with me. The fact city at the time. His good relationships trafficked to a prostitute. I was looking that it was a rom com and with a number of musicians as well as his for a positive story about my people something light was different from what we normally see in own knowledge of the local music scene because they exist. Anesu is resilient and terms of African content.” in Zimbabwe meant that he was able to her determination and her personality Tendaiishe Chitima showcase a fantastically diverse range of and her going for her dreams against all
52 nkwazimagazine.com FEATURE
in them, so really it felt natural. A little incredibly positive and diverse, garnering focused on continuing to market the uncomfortable at times, because I was attention from fans in Brazil all the way release of this film.” surrounded by so many professionals and to Australia and of course Zimbabweans yet here I was, some rapper on set with in the diaspora are happy to see a story Cook Off is available for streaming on the chance to show up and hopefully hold from home. The film won its first two Netflix now. his own. It didn’t hurt that I’d spent a lot international awards at the Cambria Film of time on stage throughout school. More Festival in California, confirming that the than anything, it felt good to be living out film does indeed have universal appeal. another childhood dream.” “A lot of times our stories are told by people from the With such a great response to the film outside who have their own The film was shot in 2017 but only audiences are asking if there will be a perspective and agenda. If released in June on Netflix in 2020 and sequel. Both Joe and Tomas laugh, “We we can be given the chance prior to that the film did go around the have no immediate plans for a sequel, but to tell our own stories and festival circuit throughout 2018 and it’s not the first time it’s been mentioned introduce ourselves to the 2019 whilst the team were working on and if there was interest from investors, world then that is key to authenticity in storytelling and the final edit of the film. Tomas shares, we do already have some ideas about filmmaking.” “We were keen to try and get a cinema what storyline a potential sequel might Joe Njagu release and had interest from some follow. For now, we’re still very much independent cinemas in Kenya and Zambia before COVID-19 hit – at which point we decided to just focus on the digital release. We really owe a lot of the success of our actual release to Zoe Flood, our co-producer, who really understood how to pitch the ‘story’ of how we made the film to journalists, which in return got us a lot of press interest. A lot of hard work was put in to publicise the film because normally Hollywood films have big budgets for marketing so that people know their films exist, but in our case, we had to work harder to make a lot of noise without having lots of money to spend on marketing.”
Producer Joe Njagu expresses, “Netflix came onto the scene in a very big way and changed the game by allowing fair play for filmmakers everywhere around the world. Every time I put on Netflix and I see Cook Off next to big Hollywood films on the same platform it’s amazing! Netflix has really evened the playing field and it offers filmmakers an opportunity to take advantage of. Chartering into this new territory is exciting and to be the ones to put our foot in the door on an international level was exciting.”
Joe also explains, “It is important for Zimbabweans to add their own voice and tell their own stories because who best to tell your story than yourself? A lot of times our stories are told by people from the outside who have their own perspective and agenda. If we can be given the chance to tell our own stories and introduce ourselves to the world then that is key to authenticity in storytelling and filmmaking.”
The overall reception of the film has been
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NAVIGATING JOZI DURING COVID-19 Words by Noxolo Kapela (Black Case Girl), Images by Noxolo Kapela and courtesy of Shutterstock
he way we travel has • All travelers will be expected to produce changed significantly and a PCR-based COVID-19 test that is drastically in the past not older than 72 hours. This test must eight months due to the be conducted by a certified medical pandemic we find ourselves practitioner and should have the name Tgrappling with. This has then forced and signature of the practitioner who the South African government to put conducted it. new travel regulations in place. A lot • Upon arrival in the port of entry, the Joburg (and the rest of South has changed and all travellers need traveller will be screened for any Africa) is open for business to familiarise themselves with ‘the COVID-19 symptoms or for contact with and leisure but things aren't new travel normal’ to ensure their people who have been infected with entirely back to normal, some safety and that of others. Of utmost COVID-19. restrictions remain. Read on for more on the different ways importance is to note that, all travelers • Travellers will also need to provide proof to get around sprawling Jozi intending to visit the country will be of address should they need to self- and some other helpful tips. expected to adhere to the following quarantine at the time of arrival in the travel rules country.
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• If the traveller displays any COVID-19 symptoms or has been in contact with an infected person(s), they will be expected to take a mandatory COVID-19 test. This test will be at the traveller’s cost. If the COVID-19 test comes back positive, the traveller will be subjected to a 10 day quarantine at a designated site. The accommodation at a quarantine site will be at the traveller’s cost. • Any person from a country listed as having a high COVID-19 infection and transmission rate, who wish to travel into South Africa for business, may with effect from 1st October 2020, in writing, apply to the Minister of Home Affairs and demonstrate reasons for their request to enter the Republic for business purposes during the period.
Such applications must be directed by email to COVID-19BusinessTravel@ dha.gov.za and must be supported by:
a. (a copy of passport and/or temporary residence visa; b. proof of business activities to be undertaken in the Republic; c. proof of travel itinerary; and d. proof of address or accommodation in the Republic.
Please note that only leisure travelers from high risk countries are not allowed.
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, before you make a decision to use public transport around the city, always be mindful of the fact that according to the level 1 regulations; all vehicles may carry 100 percent of the licensed capacity for any trip not regarded as long distance travel (within 200 km). This then means that moving around Johannesburg safely becomes mainly your responsibility as a commuter. Where possible, choose transportation that does not carry a lot of passengers. In this case, I recommend that ride hailing services and cycling should become your preferred mode of transport in Johannesburg.
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driver, if not, make sure that you do not sit directly behind them.
Bus lines For the longest time buses have been the transport of choice for many because of their reliability and accessibility. Bus stops can be found in almost all suburbs and locations at cheaper rates. Face masks are mandatory on all buses. You can also play your part in ensuring that all those involved adhere to the rules while you are on board such transport.
Minibuses, better known as taxis This is the quickest option compared to the buses and it's found in all parts of Johannesburg. In some areas they are found in designated places, while they can also be found randomly on the streets. The trick is knowing the sign used to signal your destination. During the COVID-19 pandemic all passengers including the driver are to wear masks at all times. It is the responsibility of every driver and owner to ensure passengers sanitize before boarding. If these are not adhered to, as a passenger you have a right to refuse to be transported in that vehicle. Over the years, moving around it for that day, therefore you will not need Johannesburg has been simplified and to worry about ensuring that it has been safety has been made a priority. However, thoroughly sanitized in between users Trains the reality of this virus is that you have through out the day. This then puts you at no way of knowing who has it and who a lower risk of contracting the virus. The new breed of trains have changed the doesn't, so always be vigilant and practise way people get around. They are super social distancing at all times, as difficult fast and efficient. They cut your time as it may be sometimes. Learn how to Ride hailing apps by hours in some routes. Unfortunately use them safely while navigating living they are only found in selected areas for Technology has introduced us to ride during the COVID-19 pandemic. Take a now and are a bit pricey. Again when look at these suggestions to go around hailing services through apps like Uber, entering the stations all commuters are Johannesburg: Bolt and Hailer, which have since taken over many corners of Johannesburg. They advised to adhere to the COVID-19 safety are deemed to be safe, though there has regulations. Apart from sanitizing at the Biking been some reported cases of criminality. designated stations, all commuters need In a highly congested city like Therefore, when requesting rides always to also sanitize before entering the trains. Johannesburg, a lot of people have opted be vigilant and ensure that the details of Inside the trains people should always to use bicycles and motorbikes to move the vehicle and driver on site correspond observe social distancing by ensuring that around. These will cut your travelling time with the ones on the app. If for some there is an empty chair between them and significantly, as you can easily manoeuver reason that is not the case, please cancel the next person. your way out of the traffic. During these and request a new trip, just to be on the trying times, this mode of transport has safe side. In addition to that one needs proven to be one of the safest ways to to ensure that the vehicle has a sanitizer *Please note that information was accurate move around. If you book one for a day - that you can use before entry. Also ensure at time of writing and rules and regulations this means you will be the only one using that there is a shield between you and the can change at any time.
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UNEARTHING ZAMBIAN LITERATURE WITH KALEMBA Words by Leelee Ngwenya, Images courtesy of Sampa Kangwa-Wilkie
he art of storytelling has always youth in the 70s or 80s they’ll speak fondly and Kalemba 20 winner Rhodasi played a big part in our culture, reminisce about local fiction works by Stephen A. Mwale (If It Ain’t Broke) receives her $1,000 prize in beginning with oral storytelling, Mpashi, author of books such as Pio na Vera and Lusaka. Presenting her with the which is how history has been passed Pano Calo. award is Sampa Kangwa- down from generation to generation. Wilkie, co-founder of Ukusefya TIt’s a part of our identity. Over the years we Sampa Kangwa-Wilkie, one of the founders of Words, which sponsors the have seen Zambian authors across many Ukusefya Words - the sponsor of the Kalemba Kalemba Short Story Prize. literary genres publish their works. However, Prize enthuses, “We even had a president and young fiction writers have found it difficult to vice-president who were avid readers and garner attention on the literary scene. That published writers in Kenneth Kaunda and Simon is where local literary competitions like the Kapwepwe. In short, Kalemba was established Kalemba Short Story Prize come in. primarily to tell stories about and of ourselves.”
The Kalemba Prize was established in 2018 as Ukusefya Words is a Zambian publishing house an attempt to revive Zambian literary culture. that was set up in 2013. It is the publisher of the Once upon a time, Zambia had a thriving book Insoselo na Mapinda, a collection of more literary and publishing industry filled with than 600 Bemba proverbs. The team explains, promise, especially right after independence “Ukusefya funds the Kalemba Prize because they and throughout the First Republic. Not believe in the simple idea of telling stories about only were we writing in English, we were ourselves. We are a country of storytellers. We also writing and publishing fiction in local have since lost that over the years and Ukusefya languages. If you ask anyone who was a is seeking to rekindle that love. We have more
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Namwali Serpell leads a Kalemba Prize workshop during one of her most recent trips to Zambia.
stories than we have copper.” It Ain’t Broke was a clear winner. In this quirky writt en story, the narrator The 2020 Kalemba Short Story draws the reader in from the start Prize or Kalemba 20 was judged with a fresh, honest voice about by acclaimed Zambian author Ellen the state of their mind and life. The Banda-Aaku; award-winning South mentally depressed protagonist is African writer Masande Ntshanga in a situati on we have all been in (Triangulum, The Reacti ve) – winner at some point – the state of being of the 2013 PEN Internati onal New discontented with our lives. The Voices Award and a fi nalist for the moral of the story is one most of 2015 Caine Prize; Rwandan-Namibian us are aware of but perhaps need author Remey Nagmidje, (The Eternal a reminder.” Rhodasi’s short story Voice of One) and Mali Kambandu, caught the att enti on of the judges winner of the inaugural 2018 Kalemba beati ng out 231 stories, because of Prize. The Kalemba Prize judges her fl air for writi ng, fresh voice, an are mostly award-winning writers, unusual plot twist, and a protagonist editors and leaders of industry from who is fl awed and relatable. around the conti nent. New judges are selected each year. Past ones include The team at Ukusefya truly believe Namwali Serpell, Mukoma wa Ngugi, that to be a great writer one must Ainehi Edoro, Mulenga Kapwepwe write, read and read widely across and Austi n Kaluba. a variety of genres. An observati on made over the last three years is that Judges look at fi ve elements – most writers do not read enough. characters, setti ng, plot, confl ict and Sampa Kangwa-Wilkie shares, “You theme. They are looking for that can’t write if you can’t read. If you compelling, beauti ful storytelling. look at all three winners and fi nalists Once upon a time, There is no precise scienti fi c formula, over the last three years, one thing Zambia had a thriving but a good story oft en jumps out. It that sets them apart from the rest, is literary and publishing has the X factor. The purpose of the that they are avid readers. It shows industry fi lled with promise, literary competi ti on is to encourage from their writi ng. If you can’t read, especially immediately and foster the Zambian literature you can’t write, it’s that simple.” after independence and scene. The goals are; to be the home throughout the First Republic. of Zambia’s top fi cti on, to give young The hope over the next ten years is to new writers a stepping stone in their expand the prize in size and scope to journey as writers and ulti mately, include full fi cti on and other literary Kalemba wants to build up to the forms, in parti cular, Kalemba Poetry levels of the Caine Prize, Booker Prize Prize and Kalemba Prize for Literature. and Nobel Prize for Literature. The goal is to fi nd and share Zambian literary talent with the world and Rhodasi Mwale won the Kalemba 20 become the single most coveted prize for If It Ain’t Broke, a story that literature Prize in Zambia, as well as sees a protagonist struggling with one of the top infl uenti al platf orms on depression. The judges explain, “If the conti nent.
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REPLAY CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF GAMING
Words by Leelee Ngwenya, Images courtesy of Saviour 'Bishop' Kalebwe
eplay Gaming Lounge is a recreational it as a business venture that would work.” After “I’ve always loved gaming facility for teens and young adults, that conversation he went and bought three TVs, and pride myself as a a place where gamers can hang out generation one gamer. I was added his own Xbox 360 which he was barely playing games before I was with like-minded people, sharpen playing at the time, and bought two PlayStation a teenager. My late friend their skills and build a gaming 3s to start the console collection for the lounge. Rodney Mweemba actually Rcommunity. Replay started with a small amount got me into games…We of seed money and an idea. Founder Saviour At first Bishop thought he needed to buy more would leave school at 10am just to go play. Replay is ‘Bishop’ Kalebwe explains, “One of my friends equipment before opening but then he found a really a tribute to him and our Hikamata lives in Kafue and he mentioned a location at Avondale Shopping Complex in Lusaka. love of gaming.” small video gaming place that he knew of that His friends teased him, saying he was taking too Saviour ‘Bishop’ Kalebwe was making money from young people coming long to open the lounge and gave him the push in and playing a few games. I already had the he needed. Bishop decided to pay for the space passion for gaming but had never thought of and set a date to open the gaming lounge with
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just three TVs and three consoles and two weeks later on August 28th in 2019 the doors to Replay Gaming Lounge opened.
When sharing his journey with gaming Bishop muses, “I’ve always loved gaming and pride myself as a generation one gamer. I was playing games before I was a teenager. My late friend Rodney Mweemba actually got me into games. We played games every day and his house suffered the most because his mother was in the States. We would leave school at 10am just to go play. Replay is really a tribute to him and our love of gaming.”
The first game Bishop remembers playing was a Game Boy and from there he was hooked. He shares, “Gaming is something I am really good at. I was one of the few people I knew who actually finished Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega.”
The prices at Replay are fair, starting at K5 for ten minutes depending on what game you are playing; the lounge sells time on the console and not matches played in a game like FIFA or Mortal Kombat. Their biggest catalogue is PlayStation 4 with about thirty to forty games in that catalogue.
Replay held their first tournament in November 2019 and it was a FIFA 20 tournament as Zambia is big on football culture and the game itself is a big seller at the store. They have multiple copies of FIFA 20 because of the demand and gamers not wanting to wait their turn to play. In 2020 they hosted two FIFA tournaments, one Mortal Kombat, one NBA 2K and one Call of Duty tournament. The best part of the tournaments is seeing the people; the atmosphere is electric and fully charged on a tournament day. Buy in for the tournaments is usually K100 which is a registration fee and the grand prize is K1,000. It is highly competitive as there is no second or third prize. The tournaments are structured with 16 competitors and there are three stages to reach the finals.
The tournaments are a brand exercise for Replay and about building a sense of community. With the Mortal Kombat tournament that took place in August 2020, Replay attracted the top five best Mortal Kombat players in Zambia which was quite the feat as the gaming community in Zambia is known for being a bit reclusive and sticking to their own. The lounge has drawn some of these people out from playing with the same group of friends or playing online, they now know that they can come somewhere to play with strangers or even people they know. A huge benefit of that is that there’s an Achilles heel to always playing your friends in that you will be good but you are always playing the same people and only get challenged more when you step outside of that.
The recent NBA2K tournament was a new
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tournament added to Replay Gaming Lounge and featured two of the youngest gamers to ever compete at a Replay tournament, 11-year-old Bubu and 7-year-old CJ. Although they didn’t win it was incredible to see children that young who love gaming participate and play older gamers on that level. It’s also worth noting that since its inception Replay has had Ai Gaming, Nerd Otaku Community and Combo Breakers, some of the biggest names in the gaming community, come through to their space.
Replay Gaming Lounge is one of the biggest gaming lounges in Lusaka. They are actively participating in and promoting gaming culture. They take the time to invest in the right equipment and listen to the demands of gamers.
Online is where Replay’s target market basically lives, so social media is vital to their operations. They also have a WhatsApp group which they encourage people who come to the lounge to join because that’s where they advertise specials and tournaments. It is a direct line of communication between Replay and its clients that also helps foster friendships. People can organise gaming sessions with each other and clients can react in real-time to what the gaming lounge is doing.
Gaming is a complex art form in Bishop’s eyes. He explains, “I always like to think about video games in three parts. Having an IT background and being an artist myself, I love to draw and I have a passion for African music. Those three things in video games actually come into play especially recently with FIFA adding music from Sampa The Great. Storytelling is a huge part of gaming, meaning if you don’t actively participate in playing the game it will not progress. In that way it is similar to reading a book, the story won’t progress unless you read and follow through. Programming and IT are other elements of the game. Someone has to build all the assets and the environment. Building the hardware or the software or even just designing the console itself. The second part is the actual art or the assets that you see in a video game like the characters. Digital artists have to sit and create the environment and the characters and go through several drafts and variations. The third part is the sound effects and the music. The music is constantly changing and it’s emotionally charged, telling the story of what is happening in the game. Video games are an amalgamation of these three art forms which just come together in a seamless and beautiful way.”
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reservations@pro ight-zambia.com +260 977 335 563 +260 956 374 743 www. yzambia.com INSIDE PROFLIGHT.
Your place for all things Proflight. From news updates to fleet and customs information.
66 67 69 70 71
FLIGHT SCHEDULE PROFLIGHT FLEET INSIDE PROFLIGHT
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
LUSAKA - SOLWEZI LUSAKA - LIVINGSTONE LUSAKA - MFUWE # DEP ARR M T W T F S S # DEP ARR M T W T F S S # DEP ARR M T W T F S S 912 15:15 16:25 704 10:45 11:55 800 07:20 08:30 914 07:25 08:35 706 15:00 16:10 804 10:40 11:50 706 11:30 12:40 806 15:00 16:10 SOLWEZI - LUSAKA # DEP ARR M T W T F S S LIVINGSTONE - LUSAKA MFUWE - LUSAKA 913 16:50 18:00 # DEP ARR M T W T F S S # DEP ARR M T W T F S S 915 09:00 10:10 705 12:20 13:30 805 09:00 10:10 707 16:35 17:45 801 12:20 13:30 807 16:40 17:50
LUSAKA - JOHANNESBURG LUSAKA - NDOLA # DEP ARR M T W T F S S # DEP ARR M T W T F S S 020 08:00 10:00 300 07:45 08:30 024 12:00 14:00 308 15:45 16:30 302 08:15 09:00 JOHANNESBURG - LUSAKA NDOLA- LUSAKA # DEP ARR M T W T F S S 021 12:00 14:00 # DEP ARR M T W T F S S 025 15:00 17:00 301 09:00 09:45 309 17:00 17:45 302 09:30 10:15
Profl ight Zambia reserves the right to change, suspend or amend this published schedule without prior noti fi cati on. Every eff ort will be made to operate as per the planned schedule. Please check our website www.fl yzambia.com for actual departure days and ti me.
66 fl yzambia.com JAN | FEB 2021
PROFLIGHT PREPARES FOR 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS HIGH-FLYING AIRLINE HOPES TO REACH FOR THE SKY AND GIVE THE COUNTRY A LIFT
ambians are proud to see normal in 2021, the airline is looking to wealth of ideas and ventures in diverse a home-grown successful sustainable forms of economic acti vity, industries. enterprise that soars above any helping industries and businesses to feed turbulence – just like leading air off one another and grow as the economy To create an enabling environment for service Profl ight Zambia. expands and picks up from COVID-19 a populati on of more than 18 million Z economic eff ect. people in Zambia, the country over In 2021 the company marks its 30th the last ten years has embarked on a anniversary. No other private Zambian COVID-19 has crimped many of the massive exercise to build an renew its airline has fl ourished for so long in the world’s economies and has not spared infrastructure in the aviati on sector, country’s aviati on history. Zambia as a whole. The air transport which will help boost more traffi c. industry has been hard hit and faces Its role in the economic growth of the various challenges, including insuffi cient Profl ight chairman Captain Phillip Lemba nati on is a key factor in its success, and airport infrastructure across the country, tells how the airline will look to take it is a positi on it hopes will come to the and a shortage of physical and human advantage by infl uencing investors and fore again as the world comes out of the resources as well as limited connecti vity. tourists to explore Zambia using the COVID-19 bubble and starts to revitalise airlines’ reliable service. its economies. But Zambia’s successful entrepreneurs and business owners have diff erent He said: “We can’t wait for the new As life and travel conti nues in the new passions and they translate them into a terminal at KKIA (Kenneth Kaunda
fl yzambia.com 67 INSIDE PROFLIGHT
International Airport) to be completed. holiday destinations in the country. The form of transport and the best way to do We want to use the new facility to airline will remain an affordable means business. showcase our services in a bid to attract to visit distant friends and relatives,” said more investors. Captain Lemba. Doing this could boost intra-African business, trade, foreign exchange, tourism “We want the airline to improve the Airport taxes also add to the expense as well as cultural exchange. quality of life by broadening people’s of air travel and ticket fares fluctuate leisure and cultural experiences.” due to tax hikes, the exchange rate and other factors. These taxes are needed to Proud of its outstanding reputation, Expanding the travel market invest in the infrastructure required at the Proflight Zambia, the country’s leading internationally helps boost productivity airports but are prohibitive to the cost of scheduled airline, from its base in Lusaka, across the local economy, and improved domestic air tickets. flies domestic routes to Livingstone, transport links expand the market in Mfuwe, Lower Zambezi, Ndola, which companies operate. In order to boost domestic travel, there is and Solwezi, and regional routes to an immense need to reduce airport taxes Johannesburg in South Africa. As a result, companies are better able in a bid to stabilise and enable domestic to exploit economies of scale, thereby airlines to reduce fares, encouraging a In this vein, Proflight, a Zambian-owned reducing costs, and able to specialise in greater number of local travellers to fly areas of comparative advantage. domestically. airline, has continuously played the role of catalyst for diversification by providing “Furthermore, we want to help boost This will in turn prompt Zambians to business owners and their clients a safe, the tourism sector and enhance value travel by air more frequently as air travel reliable and efficient service with the addition by providing a wide choice of is the most convenient and quickest variety of planes in its fleet.
68 flyzambia.com JAN | FEB 2021
PROFLIGHT EMBRACES AFFECTION FOR WILDLIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT AIRLINE BOOSTS WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN COMMUNITIES AROUND NATIONAL PARKS
USAKA, ZAMBIA – Over the around national parks, by giving them an and the children of today as they are the last decade Proflight Zambia has opportunity to learn about environmental key to having a greener future world. shown huge affection towards conservation, climate and wild animals Proflight has always been there to support wildlife and the environment. through practical actions to creating a the school children’s programme.” greener and healthy world through better LOn various occasions, Zambia’s leading ways of living. airline has mobilised flights to fly children By partnering with conservation groups, and adults to environmental conservation “We know the importance of such species Proflight also helps fly young animals by workshops, as well as ferrying sizable and the need to protect them. Tourists plane to the nursery where they are taken orphaned animals, including’ monkeys, travel from afar to come and see them. care of and join other animal orphans until young elephants and hippos in need of This alone helps to boost tourism in they are ready to go back in the wild. urgent help and medical attention. Zambia, so ensuring that they are safe and protected is important for tourism as Protecting wildlife is a key component of Affection for the environment and well as the country’s development,” says wildlife has also led Proflight to champion Proflight chairman Captain Phillip Lemba. Proflight’s social responsibility programme education in wildlife and environmental as the airline recognises the importance of conservation to communities living “Proflight cares about the environment wildlife in attracting tourists to Zambia.
flyzambia.com 69 INSIDE PROFLIGHT
PROFLIGHT FLEET
BOMBARDIER CRJ100
FLEET LENGTH WING SPAN HEIGHT FUEL CAPACITY MAX ALTITUDE SPEED MAX PASSENGERS
1 26.51m 21.03m 20ft 2159kg 41000ft 682km/h 50
JETSTREAM 4100
FLEET LENGTH WING SPAN HEIGHT FUEL CAPACITY MAX ALTITUDE SPEED MAX PASSENGERS
3 19.25m 18.29m 5.75m 2600kg 25000ft 550km/h 29
TRAVEL TIPS FLYING COMFORTABLE • Before you fly, get a good night’s sleep. Rest and some light exercise will help you cope on your journey. • Wear loose, comfortable clothing and shoes that are not too restrictive. • Eat a light, well-balanced meal before you travel and opt for a smaller helping than normal on the plane.
SAFETY A Preflight safety demonstration is always made before take off. A safety pamphlet is also provided at your seat. Please familiarize yourself with its important information and note the nearest emergency exit. SMOKING Smoking on board is strictly prohibited. This includes any artificial device or e-cigarettes. ELECTRONIC DEVICES Please ensure that all electronic devices are turned off before taxiing and take off as they may interfere with the safe operation of the aircraft. These include cellphones, laptops, remote controlled games, BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE In addition to the carry on luggage allowance provided herein, each passenger may carry without additional charge, the following carry on items the weight of which shall not exceed 5kg.The carry on items are permitted for use during the flight and when retained in the passengers’ custody as listed here below: • A lady handbag, pocket book or purse, which is appropriate to normal traveling dress and is not being used as a container for the transportation of articles, which would otherwise be regarded as baggage. • Laptop • An overcoat, wrap or blanket • A small camera and/or a pair of binoculars • Reading material • Infant’s food for consumption in flight. • Infant’s carrying basket
70 flyzambia.com JAN | FEB 2021
ROHIBITED OODS
Banned, restricted and dangerous goods are articles or substances that are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment.
If you wish to travel with any such goods or material, please be aware of the restrictions or steps you may have to take if wishing to travel on a Proflight Zambia service.
To ensure the safety of the aircraft and those on board, checked in or hand baggage must not contain articles or substances that could pose a danger during flights these include: Prohibited Items
CORROSIVES COM RESSED ASES such as acids, alkali wet cell deeply refrigerated flammable batteries and apparatus non-flammable) such as butane, containing mercury oxygen propane and aqualung cylinders FLAMMABLE LI IDS SOLIDS such as lighter and heater fuels, paint. All safety matches and fire lighters
E LOSIVES BRIEFCASES such as fireworks, flares ATTACHE CASES munitions, Ammunitions and installed with alarm devices pistol caps
O IDISIN OISONS MATERIALS such as insecticides,weed killers, OR ANIC ERO IDES arsenic & cyanides such as bleaches and fibre glass repair kits
TO IC S BSTANCES RADIO ACTIVE such as bleaching powder and MATERIALS peroxide
INFECTIO S S BSTANCES such as bacteria and live virus materials
IF O ARE CARR IN AN OF THESE ITEMS O M ST INFORM THE AIRLINE
Medical and toilet articles may be carried in small quantities. Safety matches may be carried on the person
fl yzambia.com 71 LUS-JOZ-A4-New.pdf 1 03 Dec 2020 13:38:03
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