Learning Beyond the Classroom

Academic knowledge meets practical experience at a leading Zambian manufacturer.

By Francis Maingaila 

Lusaka, Zambia24– 22 July 2025 — Students from St. Paul’s Secondary School on Monday toured the Wonderful Group of Companies in Lusaka’s industrial area as the firm marked 15 years of operations in Zambia.

The tour, part of an ongoing academic-industry partnership programme, aimed to expose students to the practical aspects of local manufacturing and industrial production. The visit coincided with the company's 15th anniversary celebrations.

The Wonderful Group of Companies has reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment and community engagement by hosting the group of students from a local government school on an educational tour of its industrial facilities.

Speaking during the tour, Chief Financial Officer Ray Mumba said the initiative aimed to expose students to real-world industrial practices and inspire them to take their education seriously by seeing how classroom knowledge is applied in the field.

“We believe in young people because they are our future employees and leaders,” Mumba said. “This tour is meant to give them a practical experience of how industries operate, beyond what they learn in class. It helps them connect theory to practice and motivates them to study harder.”

Wonderful Group accountant Ray Mumba added that the company welcomed the opportunity to engage with future professionals and share insights into the manufacturing industry.

“We believe in knowledge transfer and skills development. As we mark 15 years in Zambia, it is important to involve young people in our journey,” he said.

The students toured several sections of the company’s premises, including the Jumbo Sewing department, which primarily employs young women — a key focus of the group’s female empowerment efforts. 

Mumba noted that Wonderful Group employs thousands of Zambians across its six subsidiaries, including United Capital Fertilizer, contributing significantly to national job creation.

“We have provided employment not just to men but also empowered many women through our operations,” he said. “By bringing students from the surrounding community — many of whom have relatives working here — we are showing them what’s possible with hard work and education.”

The students, drawn from public and private universities and colleges, toured the firm’s steel plant, roofing sheet production lines, and logistics sections.

Company officials guided the students through production processes and discussed the role of manufacturing in Zambia’s economic development.

St. Paul’s Secondary School teacher Lontia Lungowe, who led the delegation, said the tour provided students with valuable exposure to real-world industrial practices.

“This kind of interaction between students and industry is essential in aligning academic knowledge with the practical demands of the labour market,” Lungowe said.

The educational tour also served as part of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Mumba explained that the selected school was chosen specifically from the surrounding community, where most of the company’s employees live.

> “As a business, we would not exist without the support of the community,” he said. “This tour was a way of giving back and showing appreciation by investing in the future of their children.”

Established in 2010, Wonderful Group is one of the country’s leading manufacturers of steel and construction materials.

The company says it employs over 3,000 Zambians and continues to invest in workforce training, apprenticeships, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In addition to marking its anniversary, the company is now planning to expand the initiative to reach more schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Mumba said the company recently hosted the Permanent Secretary of Education and is exploring more experiential learning opportunities for students, including industrial exposure and internship-style visits.

 “Learning should not be limited to textbooks,” Mumba said. “We want to give young people practical, hands-on exposure that will prepare them for the future.”

To ensure safety, all visitors were provided with protective gear, including respiratory masks where necessary, to avoid exposure to industrial hazards.

Wonderful Group, which has been operational for 15 years, is one of Zambia’s leading manufacturing conglomerates, with a workforce drawn largely from local communities.

Students and teachers from various schools have praised the Wonderful Group of Companies for offering them a rare and exciting opportunity to tour its industrial facility, describing the experience as both educational and inspiring.

The factory visit, organized as part of the company’s 15th anniversary celebrations, brought together learners from several institutions who were given a behind-the-scenes look at how various products, including sacks and plastic packaging, are manufactured.

Tandiwe Mbewe, a student who took part in the tour, said the experience was enlightening and enjoyable.

 “We had the opportunity to visit different sections of the industry and were trained on how some of the food items like beans are processed. It was a great experience to learn how the machines work,” she said. “We are very grateful for this chance.”

David Phiri, another student from Japan Upload School, noted that the tour helped him and his peers better understand the role of industrial machinery in production.

“Before today, we didn’t really know the purpose of many of the machines. Now, we’ve seen how they’re used to make sacks and other items we use in everyday life. It’s been an exciting and eye-opening trip,” he said.

Educators were equally impressed. Lontia Lungowe, a teacher from St. Paul 700 School, commended the company for aligning the tour with the current educational syllabus, which emphasizes practical and outcome-based learning.

> “Our learners are often confined to the classroom, but today they had a chance to see how what they learn applies in the real world,” Lungowe said. “They saw the full process — from raw materials to finished plastic products and sacks. This is the kind of exposure we need for holistic learning.”

She added that her school hopes to participate in similar visits in the future so that more students can benefit.

In addition to the student tour, the company’s 15-year commemoration includes community outreach activities, staff appreciation programmes, and plans for expanding into renewable energy and green construction technologies.

The Wonderful Group of Companies, which has been operating in Zambia for the past 15 years, has played a key role in promoting industrial skills development and job creation. Company officials say such visits are part of their broader commitment to corporate social responsibility and youth empowerment.