entrepreneurship – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Sugar Plantation & Bio-Ethanol Plant for Southern Zambia

Here’s some great news for this part of Zambia:

A South African company will this month start work on a 2- hundred and 51 million US dollar project involving a sugar plantation and bio-ethanol plant in Kazungula District. This came to light during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AGZAM project developers Limited and the Zambia development Agency- ZDA in Livingstone yesterday.

ZNBC‘s Kennedy Bwalya reports from Livingstone that President Rupiah Bands witnessed the signing of the MOU for the project which will create 4000 for the local people. AGZAM Project Business Development Manager Anthony Alexander (above) said the new company will be producing 200,000 metric tonnes of sugar and 28 million litres of bio-ethanol per annum.

And ZDA Director for Investment promotion Muhabi Lungu said the project is one of the biggest investments the country has achieved this year. And President Banda said he is excited that government has managed to facilitate a huge investment that would create new job opportunities for Zambians.

Mr Banda said he is happy that the new project which is expected to kick off in the next 21 days, will create wealth for the nation.

How come I got the photo? Guess!!

2
APR

Africa, agriculture, development, Economy, entrepreneurship, zambezi, Zambia

Haines Nawa Munene

Meet Haines (pronounced Heinz) Nawa Munene (above), 23, Lozi by tribe, and the most recent guest on our Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild – airing from 20.30 – 21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s popular local radio station. Haines is a sports presenter on the station as well as running a business with his sister importing and selling clothes. A live wire if ever there was one, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things soccer and a keen interest in rugby too. In this regard it was unfortunate that Haines appeared on our show on the same day it was announced that Owen Busange, famous Zambian rugby player and coach had been killed, together with two other people, in a traffic accident – we expressed our sincere sympathies on air.

Haines told listeners that he was educated at Linda Secondary School, that he’s a Chelsea supporter (editor sighs heavily) and that he had been involved with Zambezi fm since 2007 when he was picked by the station’s ‘Man On Sport’ Patrick Kasoka to help him present international and local sports news and current affairs twice per week on air.

Haines has 9 siblings and although his father has passed away, his mum still helps with the family business in Livingstone. “Almost a football team on its own” I commented drily. “And there are two sets of twins” was Haines’ retort! I asked him how he’d got his interest in soccer and he replied (quote) “at school we were some of those who enjoyed talking sport and not eating fritters during the breaks” (unquote). We laughed. What kind of music did he like? Reggae, R&B and Kalindula. Which local soccer team did he support? Power Dynamos in Kitwe.

The music on the show was great. We opened with the UK number one (as we do) Nicole Scherzinger’s ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ coupled with Ciara’s ‘If Only’. George chose Zonefam’s ‘Shaka Zulu’ and Exile’s ‘In Love With You’ for our standard two local tracks. Milli Jam chose Ne-Yo’s ‘Don’t Wanna Be In Love’ and Big Sean’s ‘My Last’. Bit obsessed with Ne-Yo is our Milli Jam, but we love it! Taio Cruz and ‘Telling The World’ then Pitbull featuring Kacy with ‘Castles Made of Sand’ closed the programme.

We gave away the usual dinner for two to the first person to text us telling us what job Haines did at 107.7 fm and we had an excellent response. The winner was Mapalo but the guys in the studio couldn’t tell me if this was a boy or a girl’s name. As soon as we announced the name of the winner we received another text message from Mapalo telling us that she was all girl and that she was coming to the lodge on Tuesday for dinner! More laughter. We sometimes wonder if the weekly prize is the only reason people listen to the show! Surely not…

We asked Haines about his ambitions for the future. He told listeners that he wanted the football team he’s involved with in Livingstone – Eastlands FC – to make a lot of progress in Zambian football and that in 10 years’ time he’d like to be a presenter on SkySports in UK. By 2020 he wanted to be married.

“Go for it”! We said.

29
MAR

Africa, Chanters, development, entrepreneurship, food, football, livingstone, menu, radioshow, Zambia

Ras Mbisi, Mafia Island

I’ve never visited Mafia Island in the Indian Ocean (more’s the pity) but there’s only one place I’d stay of I did and that’s Ras Mbisi – just check their terrible location in the photo above…Yesterday I checked Michelle’s (the owner) blog and found this:

“Friends and links and things

Long overdue this post, I/we have had so much support from friends ‘in the biz’ or with links to it I think it’s about time I tell everyone about them

Richard Chanter of Chanters Lodge, Livingstone, Zambia – @livilodge was one of my first followers on Twitter and a staunch supporter of the Ras Mbisi ethos, we love him and can’t wait to visit – also he used to run one of my fav places in Malawi, Nkopola Lodge, I have yet to dare ask him if he remembers a 6 year old and her 3 year old brother attempting to head out onto the lake on one of the pedalo’s!

Rachel Hamada of Mambo Magazine – Mambo is an online mag for coastal Tanzania in general and the islands in particular and it’s FAB, she is also a travel journo a former political journo and has an involvement with Mustaphas Place in Bwejuu, Zanzibar – we have met a couple of times in real life and she is a fun person to spend time with as well as being quick and well informed on her specialist subjects (not to mention vocal on any subject you care to mention).

Sally Mckenna from Africa-beat.com a great resource for TZ residents and tourists alike, Sal-gal has bigged us up, given us exposure, put us up and generally been an all round good egg.

Matt Bell from receptionbook.com we luurve Matt (and Adam) they maintain our website, explain complicated internet stuff (well ok not complicated just make it simple for idiots) and run our reservations system.

Ulric Charteris and his team from Roots Marketing, Dar es Salaam, the AV, the brochure all their work, we don’t just love them we want their babies.

Elizabeth Cook Tell ‘em PR in Nairobi another Twitter mate and the first to visit Ras Mbisi – we first met over (many) a glass of wine in the Level 8 bar at the Kempinski in Dar – btw I still have your mates swimming costume lovely.

Jane Alexander @exmoorjane on Twitter, follow her and read her blog, her pieces in the Telegraph, The Lady et al, she has done so much to raise awareness of us and has earned a special place in our hearts – I am still trying to combine a tour of the specialist beer producers plus ‘alternative’ health destinations in TZ so we can get her and hubby here to visit in a ‘work’ scenario.

Stay tuned – we are waiting for the photos of last Saturday’s wedding here at Ras Mbisi – an amazing and beautiful day such a treat to be involved (although I did have a few sleepless nights!!) “

Thanks Michelle for the great promo, you rock!

4
MAR

accommodation, Africa, entrepreneurship, hotels, Malawi, Tanzania, tourism, victoriafalls, Zambia

Slap Dee

George Mukwita aka Kaufela contributes regularly to the blog.

Meet Slap Dee from XYZ fame – Zambia’s number one vernacular rapper! Born Mwila Musonda on the 27th of April, Slap Dee, first got into the game of music during his high school years. Battling with school mates and winning recognition, he soon realised that he could make hip-hop a viable career.

His career began to get moving in 4 years when he worked on a song called ‘Asembe Isebenza’ and was identified by promoter Sync as a rising star. His debut album bearing the same name was a commercial disappointment but earned Slap decent radio spins and generated a buzz in the hip-hop underground. His follow-up effort entitled ‘So-Che’ catapulted the young rhymesmith to national stardom. Featuring hits like ‘Solola’ and ‘Takwaba’… So-Che confirmed what well-informed critics had suspected: the next big thing had arrived!

In between 2007/8 Slap Dee was embroiled in a bitter feud with crooner Mampi. As the beef raged, the listening public was spoiled with legendary tracks from the Makeni based MC like ‘Nizee’ and ‘Sunshila’. He also enjoyed a great working relationship with songbird Sutu, belting out duets ‘Kamba Che’ and ‘Disposable’.

Moving from strength-to-strength in 2009, Slap Dee released his third studio project entitled Black Na White to an overwhelming response from fans. Radio favourites included “Goldigger”, “Fo’Shizy” and “Chishinka”. Slap is currently in the studio recording his fourth album, his second under his very own record label “X.Y.Z Entertainment”. This project will be uniquely different as Slap will use it to showcase his own beat-making skills.

Slap Dee’s strengths lie in a unique ear for music, an intuitive understanding of the listening public’s tastes and his strong song writing skills. With the ability to compose a song hook, a strong 16 bar rap verse or a melodic bridge, this triple threat of beat making, song writing and rapping certainly make Slapdee a star for many years to come on African music. Slap Dee radio’s favourites include “Goldigger”, “Fo’Shizy” and “Chishinka”.and Chipanga’no featuring P-Jay which won him best Zambian hip hop video at the Born n Bred Awards last year in December.

This year be on the look out for this artist – you might wanna remember his name -Slap Dee!

Thanks George, we’ll remember you said…!

27
FEB

2010, 2011, Africa, entertainment, entrepreneurship, music, People, radioshow, Zambia

Oil In Zambia

Is there oil in Zambia – for one I hope not, it seems to bring nothing but trouble to the African countries that have it. Anyway I guess we’ll soon find out, according to OilVoice

Frontier Resources International, Plc has been awarded Petroleum Exploration Block 34 by the Zambian Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development. The Block, covering 6400 square kilometers, is located in the Kafue Trough approximately 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Lusaka. This area has had no previous hydrocarbon exploration and may form a part of the southwestern extension of the productive East African rift system.

The Company plans to immediately proceed with the completion of the licence application process which will include the opening of a local office in Lusaka. This is Frontier’s first exploration acreage in the southern African region where it plans to pursue additional opportunities. The Company’s existing oil and gas producing properties are onshore Texas.

7
FEB

Africa, energy, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, Kafue, Zambia

Lusaka Lab In A Container

Don’t you just love creative innovation? I do! Check this from PlusNews

A tiny laboratory capable of doing big things is what Barry Kosloff, working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has created – a new type of high-tech, low-cost, tuberculosis (TB) lab in a shipping container. He walked IRIN/PlusNews through what it takes to build one.

“I don’t know if this is normal but it’s almost like I had a photograph of it in my head,” said Kosloff, who designed such a lab for the national reference laboratory in the capital, Lusaka. It is part of efforts by the Zambia AIDS-Related TB Project, a local NGO, to expand the country’s diagnostic capacity.

The facility is the first in Zambia to be equipped with infection controls that make it safe for staff to grow the TB cultures needed to diagnose HIV-positive patients, and to determine whether TB patients have successfully completed treatment.

London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine? Now that stirs some memories in my foot!

6
FEB

entrepreneurship, infrastructure, innovation, London, Lusaka, medical

Stuck!

Check these pictures supplied by our Guests Des and Ant – intrepid 4×4 explorers with a vehicle supplied by Hemingways, Livingstone. They got stuck in the mud, in the bush, 90 kms west of Zimba, which is 75kms north of Livingstone. They had to walk almost 40 kms out of the bush to get mobile phone contact for a rescue.

Don’t be deceived by the pictures – that mud was apparently knee deep the moment you stepped in it. Hemingways managed to eventually haul them out of there!

Why were they there in the first place? They were looking for an access route into an area designated for their company to plant sugar cane.

Looks like they didn’t find it!!

4
FEB

Africa, Chanters, development, entrepreneurship, guests, infrastructure, transport, travel, weather, Zambia

Zambezi Airlines

Zambezi Airlines, the Zambian outfit, is looking to expand, according to this piece from LusakaTimes

“Zambezi Airlines is negotiating with some countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and beyond for possible opening up of new routes next year. Commercial director Sidney Siabamundi said in an interview in Lusaka that the airline had made applications to fly to other routes and was awaiting approval from respective governments. “We are coming up with exciting programmes for our clients in the coming year. We intend to open up new routes within SADC and beyond, but we can only name the countries once the respective governments approve our applications’’.

The airline currently offers flights to Lubumbashi in Democratic Republic of Congo, Blantyre in Malawi, Harare in Zimbabwe, South Africa’s Johannesburg and Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania.

Mr Siabamundi said the airline had recorded overwhelming bookings following the promotional same-day-return fare on Lusaka-Johannesburg route running from December 13 to 31. Mr Siabamundi said business executives had taken advantage of the US$99 fare to Johannesburg to conduct business and return the same day. “We have a flight going to Johannesburg leaving at 07:00 hours to arrive at 09:00 hours and return at 18:00 hours in Lusaka the same day,’’ he said. The purpose of the promotion is to encourage the business people and corporate partners to conduct business on the same day without losing out on time for other engagements.

Zambezi Airlines hopes to utilise its flights as a hub for connection and transit for those travelling in the SADC countries. The airline was founded in 2008 and has grown to be one of Africa’s leading low-cost airlines. Zambezi has a business model that allows it to offer cheap fares without compromising on service.

31
DEC

2011, Africa, airlines, entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism, travel, Zambia

Moringa Trees

This is interesting from Imagine Zambia

“Imagine Zambia hopes to plant 20,000 trees for Ngabwe and 20,000 for Ministry of Education of Zambia (with 5 trees for every school at about 4,000 schools across Zambia.) We will plant a variety of trees including Moringa and fruit trees at locations across Zambia so that communities and students will learn about nutrition.

Moringa, which can be made into a powder, tea, or oil, provides significant quantities of potassium, calcium, protein, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Moringa truly is the miracle plant: by using the dried seeds you can even purify drinking water overnight and kill 90-95% of bacteria in the water. Across Zambia, we can also use these trees to provide nutrition for orphans, vulnerable children, expectant and breastfeeding mothers, and other people in the community who need immune boosters and access to clean drinking water.

These nurseries will also provide local farmers with seedlings for their own needs and propagation of diverse species of trees, herbs, and vegetables. They will be able to process the seeds and leaves and seedlings and sell them all over Zambia. The nurseries will also restore vegetation in areas that have previously been cleared. This will increase overall production of food in the area, increasing food security. This will also exemplify good agricultural practices like composting and companion planting.”

27
DEC

Africa, agriculture, entrepreneurship, Zambia

Ideas

I loved this from Seth Godin – he didn’t mention Twitter or Facebook though…

Where do ideas come from?

1. Ideas don’t come from watching television
2. Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture
3. Ideas often come while reading a book
4. Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them
5. Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom
6. Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide
7. Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do
8. Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginner’s mind. A little awareness is a good thing
9. Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week
10. Ideas come from trouble
11. Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they’re generous and selfless
12. Ideas come from nature
13. Sometimes ideas come from fear (usually in movies) but often they come from confidence
14. Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice
15. Though sometimes ideas sneak in when we’re asleep and too numb to be afraid
16. Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we’re not trying
17. Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute
18. Bigger ideas leapfrog the mediocre ones
19. Ideas don’t need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity
20. An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn’t join us here, it’s hidden. And hidden ideas don’t ship, have no influence, no intersection with the market. They die, alone.

28
NOV

blog, development, entrepreneurship, innovation, management, People

Page 6 of 9 «...4 567 8...»