Agriculture has become an important part of the Zambian economy, offering much opportunity to South African companies. According to John McGill, director of Interlogix, the landlocked country has always offered opportunity in terms of mining and general cargo needs, but in recent times agriculture has become a number one priority. “Mining still ranks as the most important priority, but due to commodity price fluctuations there has been a move to look at opportunities in the agricultural sector.” Interlogix, a logistics and project management company that specialises in overborder cargo, has been operating for ten years, focusing mainly on oversize cargo such as mining machinery. “With the onset of improved governmental agricultural policies there is a growing demand for agricultural raw materials into Zambia, with foodstuffs to be exported,” says McGill. “It is the Zambian government’s intention to increase farming outputs by 900% by 2015, providing us with the opportunity not only to handle their exports but also the imports needed for this growth.” According to McGill, international agricultural concerns are already buying or renting vast tracts of virgin farming land in Zambia to grow foodstuffs for their own domestic consumption. “We base our forecasts on our Zambian work that makes up about 60% of our volumes. Zambia has become easier to deal with in recent years thanks to the efforts of the government departments that assist us greatly.” This, he says, is despite the excessive costs and the road regulations that continue to be a challenge.
