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The District Administration for Isoka District in Muchinga has developed this document to highlight key sectors of potential investments. This is aimed at attracting investors both local and foreign with a view of exploiting the resources available to unlock the district investment potential. The key sectors of comparative advantage in Isoka District have been identified in almost all the fourteen (14) wards. The key sectors of investment range from mining, agribusiness, tourism, energy, real estate (such as in the hospitality industry), fisheries and aquaculture, manufacturing, education, health, financial services and general infrastructure.
Isoka is one of the eight (8) districts found in Muchinga Province of Zambia. Isoka is located at the far Eastern corner of the country between longitude 32˚ 29’ 0” and 33˚ 50’ 0” East and latitude 9˚ 45’ 0” and 10˚ 49’ 2” South. It covers an area of 4,665.91km² (466,591 Hectares) of with most of land being under under customary tenure.
The district shares international boundaries in the East with Malawi and also shares its administrative district boundary in the North with Nakonde, in the South with Chinsali and East with Mafinga and in the South-East with Chama District of Eastern Province. Isoka District is approximately 950km from Lusaka the Capital of Zambia, about 106 Km from Chinsali the Provincial headquarters and slightly over 110km from the nearest Tanzanian town of Tunduma.
Isoka District presents a wide range of opportunities for investors with the following investment potentials.
Predominantly, the economy of Isoka District is based on subsistence farming and trading. The agriculture activities are divided into the four common categories of field crops cultivation, hot culture crops cultivation, vegetable production and livestock rearing.
Over 90% of the farmers in the area are small scale. The district has a livestock-breeding centre at Mbesuma. The primary livestock in the district are cattle, goats, pigs, sheep and poultry, which are reared at both peasant and commercial level. The district’s favourable climatic and physical conditions such as good rainfall, fertile soil and availability of water bodies provides potential for the district to thrive in this sector.
However, the programme is no longer being implemented in the district. The ministry of agriculture has continued to monitor the performance of the projects. Though, very few of these projects are doing fine. This is mainly because most of the beneficiary groups did not get their last disbursements to finally start the smooth running of the businesses.
The main fruits grown in Isoka district are Oranges, Mandarins, Lemons, Avocado Pears, Guavas, Bananas, Mangoes, Pawpaw and Sugarcane. The table below shows the number of growers and the trees.
Agriculture in Zambia remains a major contributor to Zambia’s economy contributing about 13% to the country’s Growth Domestic Product (GDP). Agriculture is also a major employer in Zambia and currently employs about half the total work force in Zambia. However agriculture alone is not enough to bring about meaningful development to the Zambia people, Isoka district has not been spared from this prevailing situation, there is need for Zambia and Isoka district in particular to diversify from primary agriculture into agro processing.. Alternative or additional income generating opportunities are needed to support the millions of poor families who can no longer support their livelihoods from the land alone. Agro processing – turning primary agricultural products into other commodities for market – has the potential to provide those opportunities.
Agro processing in Isoka District aims to increase income and access to food for the poor, by establishing small scale, appropriate and sustainable processing businesses that are flexible, require little capital investment and can be carried out without the need for sophisticated or expensive equipment. Agro processing opportunities in Isoka include:
Agro processing sector basically provides an opportunity for small scale producers to engage in small scale enterprises. However there are major constraints to the development and growth of agro industrial enterprises in Isoka District largely due to limited access to appropriate technology, low viability of existing agro processing enterprises and limited access to credit.
Why invest in the Isoka Agro Processing Sector?
Isoka district has a tourism potential ranging from natural water sources, field adventures and thick forests site viewing of natural splendors, mountaineering and game viewing (such as monkeys. The district is endowed with the following natural tourism spots.
On the hospitality industry, the district has about 15 good of lodges and guest houses and no discotheques.
The district has huge deposits of minerals at Nkombwa Hill which is endowered with phosphate and 15 other Rare Earth Elements (REE). However, this resource is yet to be exploited. From the samples tested by a consultant geologist in 2016, the REE are essential components of fuel, refinery catalysts, catalytic converters, fuel cell alloys, batteries, high quality optical glass, fluorescent lights and Television screens, mobile phone touch screens, and high strength alloys for aircraft engines and lighter cars. The Nkombwa Hill also has a rare mineral named Isokite which is composed of monoclinic-prismatic mineral containing calcium, fluorine, magnesium, oxygen and phosphorous.
There are no major industries in the district apart from the commercial activities in terms of shops. There is need to establish industries to process raw materials from the agricultural sector,
Isoka district is strategically located in the Province and it is linked to the provincial capital by a tarred road stretching only making it easy to access other goods and services not readily available in the district. The district has a reasonable public transport system because it is connected through a Great North Road which is being rehabilitated. The district mainly relies on taxis and mini buses. However, there is need to provide as buses moving to and fro Copperbelt, Lusaka and Nakonde for transportation.
Muchinga Province is located in the northeast of the country and was created in the year 2011 after detaching it from mother province – Northern Province. The name of the province originates from the Muchinga Escarpment; on which it predominantly sits. The province elongates from southwest to northeast and is located on both sides of the Muchinga Mountains (Muchinga Escarpment).
Office of the Permanent Secretary
Provincial Administration
P.O Box 480137
Chinsali