A rare meat success in Africa

A fast-growing food firm is looking beyond its home country for customers

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Readers' comments



And there are still idiots in Brazil thinking that Brazil Foods, JBS, Marfrig and others will supply the world. It is true they have the captive Brazilian market but Brazilian inefficiencies will render them uncompetitive abroad. It is a matter of time before they get wiped out from Middle East and Eastern European markets.

Fally Nkhwazi

This is great, but early company success outside the continent's powerhouse, South Africa, has not really had staying power. Hopefully, this is different.

Christopher Haslett

Why is this "meat success" so "rare" for Africa? The meat industry is alive and well in Kenya and has been for generations. The packers there produce a fine range of meats, including what are to my mind the best breakfast sausages in the world. There is a thriving domestic fast food sector, supplied 100% by local packers.

When are the Economist correspondents going to stop acting like tourists who just landed? Their reporting is too anecdotal and narrow. By discussing one "rare" business success they just perpetuate the notion that success is the exception rather than the rule.


I love these kinds of articles. Seeing how a successful business in another country works gives a unique perspective into how people there think and how they're doing. Cool stuff!

Sue Ida

Great news and business scheme! With a growing middle-class, (according to the African Development Bank) "almost" a quarter of Africas population, this will prove to be yielding quite some profits.

However, I do a few western countries nowadays(supported by scientific studies) attempts are being made to reduce the meat consumption, which has been seen to contribute largly to all sorts of heart diseases and other health issues..anyway, as long as the majority of consumers don't exaggerate = one steak a week ought to suffice, bon appetit!


I think Zambeef's international success will likely be supported by further domestic expansion. While living in the town of Katete, Eastern Province, Zambeef was the only company offering the value of proposition of (affordable) quality deli products to the ~90,000 populace. They have an edge in these centres with their early market entry.

Moreover, their cooled logistics fleets are the hallmark of effective Zambian marketing; each truck boasts eye-catching illustrations and a recognizable prefix for the product onboard(Zam-____) that is a true stamp of quality.


The moment I saw the organisation, planning, investment involved I knew it was most likely not done by an indigenous Zambian. Africans are consumers not entrepreneurs.

This needs to change. But always good to see an immigrant doing well. Well done mr Grogan.

Hitchslap in reply to Reigal

Don't write off your countrymen (if they are your countrymen) just yet. 40% of the US Fortune 500 was founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants. That doesn't mean that Americans aren't entrepreneurial.

What it does mean is that you need the building blocks for success. In my opinion these are, property rights, good governance, the rule of law, basic infrastructure (roads, mobile telecoms, electricity and internet access). Admittedly a tall order when starting from scratch.

If a 28 year old Zambian realises that they can start a private car hire booking service or a spare room rental business without existing taxi companies or hotels using their influence to have the new business declared illegal perhaps Zambia and others have a chance of building a modern economy from within.

JWJe36Ned8 in reply to Reigal

@Reigal your casual implied racism is uncalled for, what exactly do you mean "indigenous"? The co-founder of Zambeef are the owners of Huntley farm and have been in Chisamba since the early 19th century and he was born in Zambia does that not make him indigenous? Come out and say what you mean to say and confirm that you are referring to the colour of his skin. A further correction Zambeef is not halfway between the Copperbelt province and Lusaka.


I have the utmost admiration for entrepreneurs that succeed in such places without the benefit of connections, purely by hard work and careful planning. Probably a bit of luck as well!

At the risk of sounding patronising with all of the odds stacked against them, infrastructure, governance, property rights, taxation and so on I imagine the entrepreneurs that succeed could succeed anywhere.


As a Zambian citizen, I am really proud of the progress Zambeef has made over the last few years. Here is to hoping stories such as this one spark an economic revolution in our motherland and birth the next crop of Zambian entrepreneurs.


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