• Zambia
  • Resources
  • Capacity Building
  • Business Training
  • Business Training

Capacity building for Zambian businesses

Information on a range of training (or coaching) needs critical for women in business.

Businesses require proper management for them to succeed. The basic aspects of business management include planning, leading, organizing and controlling. Various organizations in Zambia provide business training to women entrepreneurs. When women have the knowledge and technical skills it is easier for them to penetrate the business environment/access markets. Provided below are links to the various trainings provided by these organizations.

 

angle-left Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS)

Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS)

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) is the statutory national standards body for Zambia and implements the Standards Act No. 4 of 2017 of the laws of Zambia. ZABS is responsible for the development and adoption of national standards, provision of conformity assessment services such as testing and certification and training in various management system standards.

It provides training to promote awareness, and the advancement of quality management practices to industry based on local and international standards developed to enhance the competitiveness of Zambian goods and services both locally and in the world market. Training to industry is conducted to enhance advancement of professional development in quality and compliance management to increase industrial efficiency and productivity.

Importance of standards

Standards are significant for improvement of quality of products, product safety and for protection of health of the consumer and the environment. Standards also help to determine how much of each ingredient must be added when manufacturing products. For a woman in business specifically, standards are useful in the following ways;

•    For marketing purposes, standards imply that a product is of good quality and as such it has an advantage over other products which are not certified as following a standard. The certification acts as an assurance to the consumer; it is a guarantee;

•    Standards aid in international marketing and this is done by labeling of products with the standards that they comply with;

•    Where a local standard is derived from an international standard, duo numbering on products signifies that the quality of that product is equivalent to the internationally accepted standard, and;

•    A product carrying a certification mark does not undergo rigorous inspections in foreign markets as would a product which has not been certified.


Training provided by ZABS

•    Packaging and Labeling;
•    Quality assurance;
•    Good Manufacturing Practices;
•    Good Agricultural Practices;
•    Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000);
•    Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001);
•    Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (ISO 45001); and tailor-made courses as requested by the client.


Forms of training:

1.  Open Training is conducted every quarter and trainings are available to the public on a particular set date and venue. The dates and courses on offer for open trainings are outlined in the ZABS annual training calendar which one can request by sending an email to: info@zabs.org.zm; and 

2. In-house Training is conducted upon request by a client, at their premises or any suitable venue identified by the organization needing the training. This type of training is available to organizations with a minimum number of 5 delegates or participants.

Who conducts the training?
ZABS team of trainers comprises of ZABS members of staff who are qualified and technically competent professionals with vast experience in delivery of training and consultancy in the courses offered. All trainers are equipped with the practical knowledge of the standards and can guide participants in understanding and implementing lessons learnt in their respective fields.

Duration of trainings
Trainings take between 2 to 5 days

Services beneficial to women entrepreneurs:
•    Standards are sold at a discounted rate of 10 percent to paid up members of the Documentation and Information Centre (DIC); and
•    The cost of testing and certification services are generally subsidized, and discounts of 20-50 percent are given on a case by case basis.

Events ZABS is involved in:

ZABS participates in national and international events such as;


•    Trade fairs;
•    Exhibitions;
•    Expos; and 
•    Commemorative events (International Women’s Day) 

ZABS hosts the National Quality Awards where women entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in the various categories.


Contact information:

Zambia Bureau of Standards
Lechwe House
Freedom Way South End
P.O Box 50259 Ridgeway Lusaka
Tel: +260 211 231385/227075 
Email: info@zabs.org.zm
Website: www.zabs.org.zm