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Taifa Group is moving to deepen its regional platform with a planned investment of more than US $500 million in Zambia over the next two years, targeting gas distribution, power generation and contract mining.
For the East African businesses that have long argued for scale, value addition and intra-Africa capital, the announcement that heralds Taifa Group’s entry into Southern African country is notable for its clarity on scope, timelines and delivery.
The effort is being driven by Chairman Rostam Aziz, whose leadership is increasingly defined by execution at industrial scale and by an insistence that regional growth must be built on practical infrastructure that improves lives and productivity.
Unlocking Zambia’s Potential through Essential Infrastructure
Zambia’s economic prospects are closely tied to renewed momentum in copper, alongside agriculture and manufacturing.
Taifa Group is positioning itself to support that resurgence through the essentials that keep industry running, while strengthening the long term growth path of the Group across multiple markets.
“Zambia has become a major focus country for Taifa Group due to industrial ties, proximity and opportunities that are arising. We have some areas of focus but for now, we mainly concentrate on gas – both for home and industrial use,” Aziz said.
Strengthening Power Supply and Industrial Capacity
The immediate commercial logic is demand for reliable, cleaner energy inputs across households and industry.
The broader regional logic is that energy access remains one of the most important constraints on productivity across East Africa and neighbouring markets.
Taifa Group is placing capital where the constraint is most visible, and where improvement can translate into measurable economic gains.
“We also have pipeline projects which include 500 megawatts power generation by solar PV because we believe we have a role to play in alleviating the current acute power problem. We are also focused on bringing our mining expertise that we have accumulated for over 30 years, mainly in contract mining and supply of key mining equipment and inputs. So, altogether, we are looking to invest US $500 million in Zambia over the next 24 months,” he said.
Widening access to cleaner energy beyond Lusaka
In energy, credibility is earned through availability. Taifa Gas is expected to begin shipping LPG to Zambia in June next year, alongside investments in distribution networks designed to keep supply consistent and accessible.
This is where Aziz’s approach matters for both Zambia and East Africa – success is built in depots, logistics and service coverage, not simply in headline numbers.
“Just like our operations in Tanzania and Kenya, we are going to build depots in every town we’ll go to in Zambia and we are not just concentrating in Lusaka, but we go shall to every town,” he said.
Protecting Health, Strengthening Homes, and Reducing Harmful Fuels
Aziz is also using the Zambia programme to reinforce a wider point that resonates in East African boardrooms; stronger intra-Africa investment is not a slogan, it is a strategy for resilience, shared growth and reduced exposure to external disruptions.
“We should not wait until people come from outside and invest in our countries. Zambians should start investing in Tanzania; and equally Tanzanians must start investing in Zambia,” he said.
Just as importantly, the programme is presented as a response to social and economic realities that shape long run prosperity, including household health, cleaner cooking fuels, and the reduction of diesel dependence in industrial operations.
These are challenges that Zambia and East Africa share, and they are central to building a more competitive and sustainable regional economy.
“Zambia has the commodity (copper) the whole world wants which is going to boom the economy. And so, we need to put in infrastructure to make life easy for our people in Zambia so that they benefit from this boom, and that is why we want to bring in gas for home and industrial use so that we reduce on exposing our women to the fumes from charcoal burning that is intoxicating them. We also need to reduce a lot of these diesel power generators in key industries, especially the mines to reduce carbon emissions for the sake of our environment. We need to preserve human life as well as the environment.”
Building Regional prosperity through African-led investment
For Taifa Group, the Zambia expansion strengthens the Group’s future by extending its energy and industrial services platform into a market with clear demand drivers.
Aziz is firmly committed to a large-scale deployment of capital into infrastructure across Zambia and the broader East African region. This investment is strategically aimed at supporting growth, creating jobs, and improving living standards.
“People are now more aware of what Zambia is all about. Today, you have two million foreigners coming here annually when four years ago, you only had 500, 000,” said Aziz.
Aziz argues that Zambia’s improving visibility and growing investor attention reinforce the case for strong confidence in the region’s next, promising phase of growth.
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