THE NUMBERS BEHIND IDC’S MISSION

During the IDC-sponsored luncheon at the 98th Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show, our Chief Finance Officer Mr. Raphael Chipoma put real figures behind this year’s theme “Fostering Trade and Investment”

Since 2019, IDC has channelled over K5.1 billion into its subsidiaries through shareholder loans, loan guarantees, bridging finance and working capital, across energy, manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, transport and communication, financial services, and tourism and hospitality.

However, we haven’t stopped at strengthening what exists. We’ve directly invested K1.6 billion in building entirely new companies, including Ngonye and Bangweulu Power Companies (our solar energy portfolio), Zambia Airways, Infratel, Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank, Chitambo Agro Processing, and Eastern Tropical Fruits, among others.

Of all that investment, K1.3 billion has gone directly into agriculture. This demonstrates that our goal has never been just about the balance sheet.

Every company we build is designed to catalyse investment, especially in rural areas the private sector often overlooks. When IDC sets up a new business, we’re not just creating one company — we’re building an entire value chain. Suppliers. Transporters. Distributors. Retailers. Opportunity, ripple by ripple, in the communities that need it most.

At the end of the day, the real measure of our work isn’t in the figures. It’s in the lives changed along the way.