Our partnership with Zambeef is supporting smallholder farmers, creating jobs and improving access to affordable food through a growing retail network
With around half of Africa’s workforce employed in agriculture, businesses such as Zambeef play a critical role in supporting jobs and strengthening food systems. The company operates across the full value chain, from farming and processing to distribution and retail, producing a wide range of food products including meat, dairy, eggs, stockfeed and flour.
Zambeef sources a significant proportion of its inputs locally, including its cattle and grain, providing a reliable market for more than 100,000 small-scale farmers and agents. Alongside this, it supports farmers by offering services such as advice on improving yields, livestock care, and access to pricing information, helping to strengthen productivity across the wider agricultural ecosystem.
Zambeef used our original 2016 investment to strengthen its balance sheet and expand its operations and distribution network. As a result, the company has doubled wheat production and operates the largest stockfeed, poultry, dairy and farming operation in the country. Zambeef employs over 7,000 people directly and operates nearly 250 retail outlets across all ten Zambian provinces, thereby making affordable and quality animal protein widely available to consumers through a modern retail network, including in areas underserved by other formal retail providers.
