Zambeef Plc: Fast Growing Agribusiness Producer Helps Build Out Africa’s Food Supply Chain

With demand for meat products perennially outstripping supply and parastatal ranches and farms playing a diminishing role in the food supply chain, up and coming private-sector agribusinesses such as Zambeef Plc are playing an ever larger role in food production and distribution in Zambia and across Africa.

From humble beginnings, Zambeef has quickly grown to be the largest beef producer in Zambia. Along the way, it has expanded its product line to include poultry, eggs, milk and dairy products, vegetable oil, and chicken feed, among others, enabling it to qualify for listings on the London and Lusaka stock exchanges.

In addition to expanding its line of agribusiness products, Zambeef has focused on building out its supply and distribution chain, a key factor in realising its ambition to expand regionally.

Operating 90 retail outlets throughout Zambia, Zambeef has a strategically important partnership with the Shoprite supermarket chain. The company recently entered into a joint venture with Shoprite to expand into Ghana and Nigeria, where the markets are significantly larger.

As CEO Francis Grogan commented, “Some would call Zambia landlocked, we consider it to be ‘landlinked’. With our central location in Africa, we will be able to be a supplier of food products throughout the entire region.”