Nc’wala attracts 10% discount for tourists

Proflight Zambia is offering a 10 per cent discount on fares for travelers flying to Eastern Province to enjoy the Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony.

The airline is offering a fare reduction on return flights scheduled on its Lusaka-Mfuwe route for travellers heading to the ceremony between February 22 and March 1, 2023.

“In the spirit of unity with our Ngoni cousins, and in recognition of the important role of traditional ceremonies, we are pleased to announce a special 10 per cent discount for travellers flying to the upcoming Nc’wala Traditional Ceremony in Chipata, connecting via our Lusaka-Mfuwe route,” said Proflight Zambia Director Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita.

“Proflight is excited to play a part to support and promote Zambian tourism and culture through providing a safe and reliable means of transport that is fast and convenient to travellers attending and participating in the activities at the ceremony,” he added.

The Nc’wala Traditional ceremony is a thanksgiving ceremony held by the Ngoni people every year at Mtenguleni village in Chipata District, Eastern Province of Zambia. This ceremony gives thanks for the first harvests of the season. Ngoni ancestors, who originated from old Zulu culture, have passed this ritual to current generations.

The ceremony this year is unique as the Paramount Chief Mpezeni celebrates the ritual having reigned for 40 years. People from all backgrounds will participate and attend the ceremony held on February 25, 2023, which is the last Saturday of the month.

The discount offer is valid on return flights only and travelers can book their flights through the airline’s website www.flyzambia.com.

Regional airline opts for additional jet offering comfort, reliable and efficient flights

Proflight Zambia has announced the arrival of its third CRJ Regional Jet that will allow the nation’s regional airline to increase capacity on its international and domestic routes.
With demand for travel expected to grow at a robust pace in the coming year, Proflight Zambia is investing in its jet fleet so as to offer more comfort and speed for its customers.

The Bombardier CRJ jets have so far proved to be an excellent aircraft for the airline, being able to operate profitably and efficiently in both the domestic and international markets. Proflight Zambia plans to increase its capacity in 2023 once the aircraft is put on the Zambian register.
The jet is the second 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-200 that Proflight has leased from Avmax Leasing, a prominent Canadian leasing company that specialises in leasing Canadian-manufactured aircraft.

“Proflight Zambia is excited to add another jet aircraft to its fleet thanks to Avmax our ideal leasing partner. We have been very pleased with Avmax’s ability to work with us and understand our needs as an airline. It’s a great comfort knowing that we can count on Avmax to consistently deliver a quality product from their North American MRO facilities,” said Tony Irwin, Proflight Zambia CEO.

Scott Greig, Avmax Senior VP and Head of Avmax Aircraft Leasing Inc stated: “Avmax is excited to deliver its second CRJ200 to our customer Proflight Zambia. Proflight has demonstrated great performance and measured growth over the past year, and as such, they have been a leading contributor to the increase in the country’s international arrivals in 2022.
“The CRJ200 is perfectly built to serve Proflight Zambia’s customers in southern Africa as it allows them to offer additional flights and destinations from its base in Lusaka,” added Greig.Mr Irwin thanked Move Aircraft Solutions Ltd for delivering on another challenging ferry that involves multiple parties, specialised routes, and following very high standards of safety and efficiency. The routing is from Calgary Canada and routing via Great Falls, Montana- Goose Bay, Canada- Keflavik, Iceland – Southampton, UK – Algiers, Algeria- N’Djamena, Chad- Lusaka.

“Following a very strong cooperation and relationship formed from our first delivery, the professional and experienced management at Proflight Zambia turned to Move Aircraft Flight Solutions to deliver their 3rd CRJ 200 from America to Lusaka,” highlighted Nabeel Ahmed CEO and Accountable Manager of Move Aircraft Solutions Ltd.

Proflight Zambia’s Maintenance Director, Oliver Ndlovu, also accompanied a team from the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority ZCAA in October to inspect the aircraft at its base in Montana United States of America and thanked the ZCAA for their assistance in this approval process.
With the addition of the new aircraft, Proflight Zambia’s total fleet increases to 7 aircraft.

MSC has taken the next step in developing its Air Cargo solution with the delivery of the first MSC-branded aircraft, built by Boeing and operated by Atlas Air. The B777-200 Freighter will fly on routes between China, the US, Mexico and Europe.

Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President Air Cargo at MSC, said: “Our customers need the option of air solutions, which is why we’re integrating this transportation mode to complement our extensive maritime and land cargo operations. The delivery of this first aircraft marks the start of our long-term investment in air cargo.”

Jannie Davel brings extensive air cargo experience, having worked in the sector for many years, most recently heading Delta’s commercial cargo operations, before joining MSC in 2022.

He said: “Since I started at MSC, I have spoken to numerous partners and customers right across the market and it is very clear that air cargo can enable a range of companies to meet their logistics needs. Flying adds options, speed, flexibility and reliability to supply chain management, and there are particular benefits for moving perishables, such as fruit and vegetables, pharmaceutical and other healthcare products and high-value goods.

We are delighted to see the first of our MSC-branded aircraft take to the skies and we believe that MSC Air Cargo is developing from a solid foundation thanks to the reliable, ongoing support from our operating partner Atlas Air.”

Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW), is supporting MSC on an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) basis. This aircraft is the first of four B777-200Fs in the pipeline, which are being placed on a long-term basis with MSC, providing dedicated capacity to support the ongoing development of the business.

The B777-200F twin-engine aircraft has been commended for its advanced fuel efficiency measures. It also has low maintenance and operating costs, and, with a range of 4,880 nautical miles (9,038 kilometres), it can fly further than any other aircraft in its class. It also meets quota count standards for maximum accessibility to noise sensitive airports around the globe.

Imperial, owned by DP World, a leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe, has announced its Market Access business successfully completed a transaction to increase its stake in PST Sales & Distribution (PST) in Botswana, from 38% to 72%. The transaction came into effect on 1 July 2022.

PST is a home-grown Botswana enterprise with over 30 years of experience and rich in local industry knowledge and expertise. It also represents some of the world’s premier multinationals in the food and non-food Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector and has longstanding relationships with principals and customers. As part of seamless route-to-market solutions, PST’s services include supply chain management, sales & branding, as well as financial and administrative management.

“PST’s sound knowledge of the consumer landscape in Botswana, coupled with its comprehensive distribution and sales solutions, aligns well with DP World’s strategic objective of leveraging assets and logistics to create an integrated global supply chain – from factory floor to customer door”, said Mohammed Akoojee, Chief Operating Officer of DP World Logistics and Group CEO at Imperial. “PST further entrenches Imperial as the leading distributor of consumer goods in Southern Africa, providing brand owners with informed and unparalleled access to their end consumers by leveraging our in-market networks and in-country infrastructure”.

In addition to its in-depth knowledge of the Botswana consumer market, PST has the infrastructure to provide a nationwide route-to-market solution and a team of product specialists, which enables the business to participate in every category of the FMCG industry.

“PST is a renowned Botswana business known for the delivery of well-known brands in the country and further enhances our position as the leading distributor in Southern Africa”, said Johan Truter, Chief Executive Officer of Imperial’s Market Access business. “The business has robust infrastructure which enables it to serve the entire trade universe and has unmatched local knowledge, with almost all employees being local, including top management”.

“This transaction further cements PST’s relationship with Imperial, and bodes well for our vision of being the best FMCG distributor in the country and delivering well-known brands and household names to the people of Botswana. In addition, this investment allows us to continue to consistently deliver outstanding results for the benefit of our customers and principals in line with our promise of customer satisfaction”: Said Autash Arora, Managing Director of PST.

This transaction bears testament to Imperial fulfilling its ambition of becoming the leading market access and logistics partner in Africa, by providing access to quality products and services.

Logistics volumes into and out of Zambia have grown consistently over the last ten years, with the bulk of cargo movement being driven by capital expenditure projects for mines, growing mining sector activity leading to increased distribution to key markets such as India and China, and infrastructure development.

However, DSV Zambia MD Kris van Heerden said despite the infrastructure improvements, the road and rail infrastructure could not meet existing demand let alone forecast growth – and this hinted at the opportunities in the country once infrastructure matched economic potential.

Transport’s contribution to GDP has grown, if unevenly, over the last ten years shows, as the graph below shows, and it reached a high of 1678.50 ZMW (Zambian Kwacha) in the third quarter of 2021, before falling to 1459 ZMW Million in the fourth quarter of 2021 – but still recording the highest fourth quarter of the decade.

The rising price of copper over the past 18 months and the relaxing of tax liabilities by government for mines had positively impacted mining production and led to increased exports. “At the same time, mines were investing in increasing production capacity, and this automatically impacted on inbound cargo flow within Zambia for capex investments of the mines.”

Van Heerden pointed to First Quantum Minerals, which was investing US$1.2 billion to boost productions of copper and nickel for export, as evidence of growing investor confidence in the country’s mining sector and positive reaction to the government’s Economy Recovery Programme.

The Zambian economy was projected to grow 2.0% in 2022, underpinned by recovery in the mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors, all of which are fueling demand for logistics services. Van Heerden said DSV Zambia was active in the Automotive, healthcare and Pharma, Energy and Mining + Projects verticals.

Van Heerden said there had been improvements in many parts of the country and government had both recognized the importance of the transport sector to the economy and was committed to entering public private partnerships as a route to maintaining and constructing transport infrastructure.

Both Kenneth Kaunda and Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International airports were upgraded to international standards in 2021, and there have been improvements to both road and rail networks.

The Lusaka Decongest Project, which included construction, rehabilitation, and expansion of roads, has reduced travel times in the capital.

“Importantly, the recently opened 923-meter Kazungula bridge linking Botswana and Zambia over the Zambesi River, along with one-stop border posts on each side, has made regional trade that much easier, providing alternative routes for SADC movements into, out of and through Zambia. Roads were being rehabilitated and upgraded and new roads built to improve trade corridors between mines, cities, towns and rural areas and neighboring countries”, he said.

In addition to this infrastructure development, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) had introduced, including the two international airports, and the Kitwe, Chirundu, Kazungula, Nakonde and Katimo border posts.

The implementation of compulsory pre-clearance at all the borders has ensured that goods move seamlessly into Zambia.

The Zambia Revenue Authority has also introduced the Customs Accredited Client Programme (CACP) which facilitates almost “risk free” movement into Zambia once clients have been fully audited and accredited by the ZRA.

DSV Zambia is part of DSV – Global Transport and Logistics, which manages supply chain solutions for companies from 90 countries and has been operating in Zambia for 30 years.