Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema officially commissioned the nation’s first state-of-the-art Glucose and Starch Plant on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Operated by Kingsworth Group Limited (KGL), a subsidiary of the Trade Kings Group, the US$110 million facility is hailed as a landmark achievement in Zambia’s journey towards industrialization and economic transformation. The commissioning ceremony, held at the Lusaka Multi-Facility Economic Zone, signifies a crucial step towards fostering value addition, creating substantial employment opportunities, and significantly reducing the country's reliance on imported goods.

President Hichilema emphasized that this significant investment underscores Zambia’s strategic shift from a consumption-driven economy to one focused on production and export. He underscored the critical role such investments play in achieving sustainable national growth, stating, “This is a national milestone in our quest for industrialisation and value addition to our economic growth. We are matching the talk with action, walking the talk. The significance of this plant cannot be overemphasized.”

The President lauded Trade Kings Group for its unwavering confidence in the Zambian economy, noting that the company’s total investment in the industrial sector now surpasses US$1 billion, which cumulatively supports over 17,500 jobs nationwide. This remarkable job creation figure, he highlighted, often exceeds that of even single mining companies, demonstrating the profound positive impact of robust public-private sector collaboration. He reiterated his administration’s steadfast commitment to cultivating a stable and attractive investment climate, actively working with private enterprises to stabilize inflation, maintain a predictable exchange rate, and consistently lower the cost of doing business. Furthermore, President Hichilema stressed the imperative of eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that impede investment, asserting that sustainable, long-term employment growth is intrinsically linked to a thriving private sector.

Economically, the KGL plant is projected to yield more than US$30 million in annual import savings and generate up to US$150 million in export potential. These figures are expected to play a vital role in stabilizing the exchange rate and fortifying the national economy. Beyond the starch plant, President Hichilema also commended Trade Kings’ ongoing expansion projects, including Dairy Gold Limited’s US$30 million dairy processing plant, which complements the US$50 million already invested in the dairy sector. He further announced plans to commission the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) plant in Kafue later the same week, marking yet another milestone in the country's industrial resurgence.

Mr. Phil Daka, Trade Kings Group Executive Director for Corporate Affairs, echoed the President's sentiments, describing the new KGL plant as a defining milestone in Zambia’s pursuit of economic self-reliance. He revealed that the US$110 million investment, allocated as US$60 million for phase one and US$50 million for phase two, strategically positions Zambia as the third producer of glucose and starch in Africa, following Egypt and South Africa. This ambitious project is expected to create over 1,000 direct jobs and will annually source 126,000 tonnes of maize from local farmers, significantly bolstering the agricultural value chain.

The plant is designed to produce a range of essential products, including starch, glucose, maltodextrin, and valuable animal feed by-products. These outputs are crucial for various sectors, including the food, beverage, and manufacturing industries, and are anticipated to boost foreign exchange earnings. Mr. Daka attributed the project’s success to exemplary public-private collaboration, crediting President Hichilema’s visionary leadership and enabling policies, particularly the incentives offered within the Multi-Facility Economic Zones (MFEZ).

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga hailed the event as a momentous day for Zambia, affirming that the country's industrial sector is experiencing a robust revival under the New Dawn administration. Minister Mulenga reflected on a past era of declining industries and economic contraction, contrasting it with the current period witnessing the birth of new industries and jobs, proudly noting Zambia’s establishment of the third-largest glucose and starch plant in the region. The commissioning of the KGL plant, occurring just days before Zambia’s 61st Independence Anniversary, was seen by President Hichilema as symbolic of a new era of genuine economic independence, firmly rooted in enhanced production, innovation, and sustainable prosperity.