In 2009, Abel Ngʼandu and two partners answered the call of the Zambian government to create homegrown, Zambian-owned consulting firms to help the nation realise its infrastructure goals.
Having gained valuable experience and expertise through a joint venture with Ngʼandu UWP in South Africa, “we decided it was high time that we stopped being in a joint venture company and became independent,” Abel Ngʼandu explains. Ngʼandu Consulting was born and quickly became a leader in project management. By 2010, the firm had already achieved €3.7 million (US$5 million) in turnover, and has been growing ever since.
With a wide portfolio of services, the group’s specialisation is project management with regard to road construction and is proud to be known as the top civil engineering consulting firm in the country. Since Ng’andu Consulting’s formation, it has played a critical role in the Zambian government’s Link Zambia 8000 initiative, a nationwide overhaul to the road infrastructure in the country. however, its project portfolio goes beyond transport infrastructure, encompassing everything from agricultural engineering and irrigation to sports infrastructure, with its rwanda branch currently overseeing a major stadium project in the country’s capital.
Ng’andu Consulting’s vision is to become the top epC (engineering, procurement, Construction) contractor in Zambia while continuing its expansion efforts throughout the high potential african continent. With an average turnover since the firm’s inception of €5.9 Million Euro(US$8 million), the company is setting its sights on continued growth, projecting a turnover in 2014 of us$10 million. however, shifting from conceptualising projects to fully realising them from start to finish requires equipment and competitive financing, which european banks could provide.
Ng’andu Consulting is very much open to equity partnerships with european and regional partners, particularly with contracting firms. Currently the top project management firm in Zambia, potential partners will benefit from the knowledge, reputation and expertise ng’andu Consulting has cultivated in its brief history.
Abel ng’andu is bullish about Zambia’s prospects. With major investment projected into transport infrastructure for the remainder of president michael sata’s term, there will be no shortage of work for the established firm. Abel ng’andu hopes to continue to see projects being awarded to local firms. “Preferential procurement for Zambian firms empowers the local population,” he explains. With a firmly entrenched reputation in the Zambian marketplace, there’s no question that this award-winning organisation will enjoy a continued growth trajectory in the years to come.
