The Zambia Development Agency has appealed to the Lusaka Telecom Solutions (LTS) to consider investing in Electronic (E) – Commerce platforms to facilitate export of goods and services to the region and the international markets.

ZDA Acting Director General Albert Halwampa said there are vast opportunities for E- Commerce in Zambia especially in the wake of Covid 19 pandemic which has condonably disrupted supply chains worldwide.

Mr. Halwampa said all that is needed is a reliable online platform to connect the buyers and sellers.

“The Agency is looking for an investor that can invest in E-commerce infrastructure to make sure that exporters keep interacting with importers in other countries to clinch as well as seal export Deals,” he said.

The Acting Director General was speaking when he led a team of ZDA senior management on a tour of the LTS recently in Lusaka to appreciate their operations, challenges as well as available opportunities for our Zambian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). During the tour, LTS disclosed that a total of K14million has been spent to date on providing forward and backward linkages to Micro Small Medium Enterprises.

Mr. Halwampa also expressed gratitude upon learning that LTS had started reaping fruits from the Congo Trade Mission in Lubumbashi and the Intra-Africa Trade Fair in Durban South Africa in which ZDA facilitated participation for the company and other private sector players.  The LTS has commenced exports into the DRC as a result of participating in the ZDA Trade Mission to DRC in October 2021.

Meanwhile, LTS Business Development Manager Mohamed Abd El-razek expressed gratitude at the support and visit by the Agency.

Mr. El-razek said the company has three business lines namely fiber optic solutions, microwave, ICT and wireless solutions and infrastructure and power solutions.

He stated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, telecommunication services have become important for people to continue transacting and running their day to business.

“Currently, we have over 200 employees and plan to increase to 900 by March and by close of this year we expect to have over 1,000 employees, ”he said.

Mr. El-razek also disclosed that the company is at the moment working with about 30 local sub-contractors among them MSMEs on their various projects across the country.

He added that the company has invested over US$12 million in fiber optic and information communication technology (ICT) services in the last seven years.

Mr. El-razek explained that currently, the company has operations in Botswana, Malawi, Uganda, Mauritius, Namibia, Tunisia, Egypt, Mozambique, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia is the headquarters.