Industrial Diplomacy in Action

Botswana President Tours United Capital Fertilizer Plant, Sparking Hopes for Stronger Regional Trade Ties

By Francis Maingaila

Chilanga, Zambia – (Friday, August 1, 2025) - Botswana President Duma Boko on Friday toured the United Capital Fertilizer (UCF) plant in Chilanga District, in a diplomatic move seen as a boost for regional industrial integration. 

Although he did not issue a public statement during the tour, his presence underscored Botswana’s growing interest in Zambia’s manufacturing and energy sectors.

The tour was led by Gilbert Temba, Board Chairperson of the Wonderful Group, which owns and operates UCF. 

Temba used the occasion to highlight the company’s regional fertilizer export strategy, ongoing energy infrastructure investments, and environmentally conscious industrial model.

Zambia Positioned as Regional Fertilizer Supplier

Temba said the UCF plant is central to Zambia’s ambition to become a fertilizer production hub in Southern Africa. 

The facility currently exports to Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. Plans are underway to extend distribution to Angola once outstanding logistical hurdles are addressed.

“We are not just producing for Zambia—we are supporting agriculture and food security across the region,” Temba said. 

He added that Phase 2 of the plant, expected to be commissioned later this year, will significantly boost output and raise employment beyond the current 10,000 workforce.

Energy Investments to Support National Grid

Temba announced that the Wonderful Group is undertaking major energy investments to support both its operations and Zambia’s national grid. 

Chief among them is a 700-megawatt thermal power plant currently under construction, which will directly feed electricity into the national supply system.

He further revealed that the company’s urea and ammonia facility will generate an additional 85 megawatts of electricity as a by-product of its chemical production process. 

A portion of this energy, he confirmed, will be sold to ZESCO, helping to ease Zambia’s ongoing power challenges.

“These projects reflect our commitment to solving practical national problems while building industrial capacity,” Temba said.

Environmentally Aligned Industrial Growth

While acknowledging the scale of industrial operations, Temba stressed that Wonderful Group remains committed to environmental responsibility. 

He said the company is adapting its production systems to be more energy-efficient and continues to explore long-term renewable solutions.

“Solar power is not yet feasible for our heavy-duty machinery, but we are constantly looking for cleaner and more sustainable ways to power our facilities,” he said.

Manufacturing Key to Zambia’s Future

Temba reaffirmed the company’s belief that manufacturing is central to Zambia’s long-term economic growth through job creation, value addition, and export expansion.

“We believe Zambia can industrialize without compromising sustainability. This visit signals the importance of regional solidarity in driving that vision forward,” he said.

While President Boko remained silent during the engagement, his tour of the fertilizer plant was widely interpreted as a gesture of support for Zambia’s industrialization efforts and a signal of deepening trade and investment ties between the two Southern African nations.