These obstacles topped the World Bank Enterprise Survey rankings in 2007, 2013, and 2019, considerably outweighing other issues, including high taxes, corruption, and skilled labor shortages.
The most current poll, conducted in 2019, indicates a significant increase in the proportion of enterprises reporting finance as their top limitation.
In that year, 28.5% of Zambian firms identified access to credit as their main challenge, up from 18.1% in 2007.
This issue is especially serious when compared to regional and global rivals, with just 23.2% of enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa and 15.6% in lower-middle-income nations citing money as their top obstacle.
Electricity supply is still the second most significant hurdle, mentioned by 25.8% of Zambian enterprises in 2019.
This marks a resurgence in anxiety following a brief dip in 2013, highlighting persistent concerns with electricity dependability.
The proportion is significantly higher than the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 12.7%, highlighting Zambia’s ongoing challenges with load shedding, infrastructure maintenance, and capacity limitations.
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