ZANACO shares lessons learnt on supply chain disruptions, partnership with local SMEs

ZANACO Plc has to identify ways of de-risking and addressing the issues affecting the supply chain during the Covid-19 pandemic era.

Chief Executive Officer Mukwandi Chibesakunda said this during a panel discussion at the on-going Investing in African Mining Indaba to discuss supply chain disruption and the lessons learned from the pandemic times.

She said the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on supply chains as noted by the shifts in importation periods.

“As a bank, we were able to maintain a bird’s eye view of the pandemic impact on the community and our people. In terms of the supply chains it took us back literally to the day to day management of businesses,” Chibesakunda said.

He told delegates that the bank discovered areas where clients viewed their businesses as 90 percent being locally sourced,70 percent of the 90 percent was imported.

“That meant we had to review the entire supply chain particularly for the mining sector bearing in mind that 70 percent of Zambia’s export
earnings are mining related, our clients in the sector were adversely impacted,” she said.

Chibesakunda cited how the bank has partnered with some mining companies on an accelerator programme which has helped in building the
capacity of local SMEs in the mining supply chain.

This is according to a statement made available to Zambia Monitor by Zanaco head communications Verona Mwila –Nkolola on Thursday.

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