New Horizons

Like many entrepreneurial success stories, New Horizon Printing Press made its entrance into the Zambian market when a group of partners realized that not only was there a need to be filled in the country, but that they were uniquely positioned to capitalize on that need.

New Horizon Printing Press was established in 2000 when Shawky Hemaidan, Managing Director, and his partners, who trace their roots back to a family printing business in Liberia, realized that the majority of full color jobs were being imported from Zimbabwe and South Africa. From a relatively small 440,000 Euros investment, the firm has grown exponentially over the years, and now is firmly entrenched as a market leader in the country.  “We saw the market grow as people started having confidence in the local printers. Not only us, but the entire sector,” Hemaidan explains.

Shawky Hemaidan recognizes that diversification is the key to continued profitability, so New Horizon has steadily expanded into new and varied product lines, from screen-printing to paper packaging, and twenty-four outdoor LED screens that are about to be rolled out. “I think that led outdoor is the future and we felt that investing in it is appropriate even though it disadvantage the large format printing , eventually some will do that and we will still suffer from the consequences.”

Shawky Hemaidan, Managing Director
Shawky Hemaidan, Managing Director

Due to a capacity that far exceeds the competition, with massive quantities of raw materials on hand, New Horizon has been able to maintain market leadership. “Our success is consistency of quality, of service and reliability, and that’s very important. Our clients depend on us to be able to deliver on tight deadlines.” With a strong track record and a robust client portfolio, New Horizon plans to remain at the forefront of Zambia’s printing industry for decades to come. With an eye on the future, Hemaidan states, “there aren’t many printers here that are willing to invest 1.1 million Euros in a new machine, but we do because we know that we need to stay ahead of the curve.”

Nearly a decade and a half after taking a first tentative step into the Zambian printing industry, Shawky Hemaidan believes that his success is largely due to the openness and stability of the Zambian market. “This country is rich in its land, its people, and its climate. If you’re looking for a country where the general investment climate is better than many of other countries, and if you don’t want to worry about your investment, Zambia is a good destination to come to. There’s a lot to be done; there’s a lot of things that have not been explored.”