Southern African Institute for Policy and Research

25/08/2026

𝐙𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥; 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬

Cooperatives have long been part of Zambia’s economic and social development story, but their ability to create jobs, improve livelihoods and contribute to inclusive growth will depend on addressing persistent challenges around awareness, financing, governance and institutional support.

This was among the key messages from Dale Mudenda’s presentation on “The History and State of Cooperatives in Zambia”, delivered during the International Hybrid Conference on Worker Cooperatives and Decent Youth Employment in Africa yesterday.

The presentation shared findings from a study examining Zambia’s cooperative landscape, covering the legal and institutional framework, public understanding of cooperatives, factors influencing membership, and the availability of financial and technical support.

One of the clearest challenges identified was the knowledge gap around cooperatives. While 39% of cooperative members demonstrated a correct understanding of what a cooperative is, this fell to only 20% among non-members. The gap was even more pronounced among young people, with just 14% of youths showing a correct understanding, compared with 45% of adults.

This lack of awareness also appears to affect participation. Among respondents who were not cooperative members, 46.4% cited lack of awareness and information as the main reason for not joining, while 34.6% said they did not know how to join.
The research also showed that Zambia’s cooperative sector remains heavily associated with agriculture, accounting for about 70% of cooperative activity captured by the study. While agriculture remains important, the findings point to the need to broaden the cooperative model into other sectors of the economy.

For existing members, the benefits can nevertheless be significant. Respondents reported increased income, business and farming growth, improved access to inputs and services, training opportunities and access to credit among the benefits associated with cooperative membership.

At the same time, internal governance emerged as an important concern. Respondents identified poor leadership and management, lack of transparency, favouritism and lack of trust as factors that can discourage participation and weaken cooperatives.

Financing remains another major challenge. The study found that cooperatives are largely self-financed, with 70% identifying their own resources as their primary source of funding, while 82% considered available funding inadequate.

Government programmes such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) continue to play an important role, but the research calls for support to become more diversified and less concentrated on agriculture.

Technical assistance also remains uneven. While training, information and education support, and the provision of equipment are available in some areas, the study found that decisions on the type of assistance provided are often driven by service providers rather than by cooperatives themselves.

The presentation therefore called for a shift towards demand-driven technical assistance, tailored to the actual needs of cooperative members, managers and boards.

Among the broader recommendations were calls to strengthen Zambia’s legal and institutional framework for cooperatives; improve coordination among institutions supporting the sector; expand public awareness; deliberately increase participation by young people and women; strengthen leadership and transparency; diversify government support beyond agriculture; and reduce excessive dependence on the State.

The broader message from Mudenda’s presentation was clear: Zambia’s cooperative movement has considerable potential, but sustainable growth will require more than simply registering new cooperatives.

The challenge is to build cooperatives that are properly understood, effectively governed, adequately financed and supported to become sustainable enterprises capable of creating jobs, generating income and contributing meaningfully to Zambia’s development.

In his remarks at the conference, SAIPAR Executive Director Manenga Ndulo placed the discussion within SAIPAR’s broader mandate of bridging the gap between research, policy and practice. He noted that while cooperatives are globally recognised for their contribution to economic development and social inclusion, there remains a need for stronger evidence and documentation of Zambia’s cooperative movement.

24/08/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞?

Opening the International Hybrid Conference on Worker Cooperatives and Decent Youth Employment in Africa, Cooperation Africa Co-Chair Adotey Bing-Pappoe set out a clear challenge: Africa must find practical and sustainable ways of creating jobs for its rapidly growing young population.

He warned that the continent is facing what he described as a “demographic tsunami of unemployment”, with youth unemployment in some countries approaching the scale of a national security concern. In Cooperation Africa’s view, worker cooperatives offer one important pathway for creating decent and sustainable employment opportunities for young people.

Bing-Pappoe explained that Cooperation Africa’s work is built around three key areas: raising awareness about cooperatives; research and advocacy; and cooperative development and financing. This includes research into national cooperative environments, advocacy for supportive laws and policies, knowledge exchange through the Cooperative Support Network, and efforts to develop financing models that can support cooperatives across the continent.

But the conversation is not only about creating individual cooperatives. As he emphasised, worker cooperatives need an enabling policy environment, as well as support from governments and the wider African cooperative movement, if they are to make a meaningful contribution to tackling unemployment.

His remarks also placed cooperatives within a broader vision of economic participation. By enabling workers and producers to collectively own and benefit from their enterprises, cooperatives can contribute to fairer markets and more equitable economic relationships.

In our next post, we take a closer look at the Zambia Country Cooperative Report, presented by Country Lead Dale Mudenda, which examines Zambia’s cooperative landscape and forms part of Cooperation Africa’s broader research and advocacy programme.

Mudenda also serves as Head of SAIPAR’s Economics Division.

You can continue following the conference proceedings through the live stream on Cooperation Africa’s YouTube channel.

24/08/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/vj2qNXJ6p9w?si=e8GH4JEKW5H9nIf6

The International Hybrid Conference on Worker Cooperatives and Dece...

24/08/2026

The International Hybrid Conference on Worker Cooperatives and Decent Youth Employment in Africa begins at 10:00 hours this morning.

Bringing together policymakers, cooperative leaders, researchers and practitioners from across Africa and beyond, the conference will explore practical pathways for advancing decent youth employment through worker cooperatives within Africa’s evolving economic landscape.

The conference is being hosted at M’Kango Golfview Hotel, with participants also joining online.

Unable to attend in person? Missed the Zoom registration? Good news; you can still follow the conference live on YouTube!

Watch the livestream on the Cooperation Africa YouTube channel here: UCo8sfX8akUBGIA3gDnP2-Yw

20/08/2026

The International Hybrid Conference on Worker Cooperatives and Decent Youth Employment in Africa will take place from 24–26 August 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia, bringing together policymakers, cooperative leaders, researchers, and practitioners from across the continent and beyond. Hosted at the M’Kango Golfview Hotel and online, the conference will explore practical pathways for advancing youth employment through worker cooperatives within Africa’s evolving economic landscape.

Organised by Cooperation Africa in partnership with ICA–Africa, the conference will focus on key themes including policy dynamics, the role of worker cooperatives in job creation, and policies that support decent youth employment. Through expert presentations, case studies, and cross-sector dialogue, the event aims to strengthen understanding, share innovations, and promote enabling environments for cooperative development and inclusive economic growth in Africa.

Interested? FREE registration here: https://cooperationafrica.org/events/6d7cbf63-9dbe-4304-b407-0964114f04d0

12/08/2026

𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐑 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐨 𝐌𝐛𝐞𝐤𝐢 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Executive Dean of the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs (TM-School), Edith Phaswana, has visited the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR) to explore opportunities for strategic collaboration between the two institutions.

The meeting focused on strengthening institutional ties and identifying areas for cooperation, including research, teaching, student mobility, academic publishing and capacity development.

Phaswana, who is a professor in International Development, was accompanied by TM-School Director of Research, Sifiso Ndlovu, who is a professor of history.

SAIPAR was represented by Executive Director Manenga Ndulo, Director of Research Marja Hinfelaar, Muna Ndulo, Head of the Legal Division Tinenenji Banda and Board Member Jotham Momba.

During the meeting, Hinfelaar provided an overview of SAIPAR’s work, highlighting key programmes and research undertaken across its three divisions: Law and Justice, Economics and Development, and Politics and Social Change.

Phaswana also gave an overview of the TM-School, noting that it was established at the University of South Africa (UNISA) five years ago. She highlighted UNISA’s long history, having been founded in 1873, and its position as a leading open distance e-learning institution.

She identified a number of possible areas of collaboration between SAIPAR and the TM-School, including joint work on academic journals and research initiatives that document South Africa’s historical relations with other African countries.

Phaswana noted that such work could help deepen understanding of the important role played by other African countries in South Africa’s history and liberation struggle, while also contributing to efforts to address xenophobia and strengthen a shared sense of African identity.

Building on this discussion, Ndlovu presented several volumes of The Road to Democracy in South Africa, a publication series featuring contributions from distinguished scholars and authors from across the continent, including Zambia. The series documents, among other themes, the contributions made by African countries to South Africa’s liberation struggle.

Ndlovu emphasised that the TM-School is also exploring more creative approaches to teaching younger generations about South Africa’s history and its connections with the rest of the continent.

He said greater awareness of this shared history could help challenge negative perceptions of migrants and foster a deeper appreciation of the longstanding ties between South Africa and other African countries.

Phaswana’s itinerary includes a tour of UNZA, ZCAS, and Oliver Tambo House, among others.

12/08/2026

The EDR Advisory Centre is here for you.

11/08/2026

What happens when a political party loses an election?

For Neo Simutanyi, one of the most important lessons for Zambia’s democracy is simple: there is life after losing an election. Life does not come to a halt because an election has been lost.

In this final episode of our SEDROBZ series on Electoral Dispute Resolution, Simutanyi reflects on the role political parties play in Zambia’s elections, the disputes that arise around them, and why stronger and more democratic party structures are essential for credible elections.

A key concern raised during the conversation is that many political parties in Zambia lack strong, functioning structures. This can have consequences for candidate selection, internal decision-making, accountability, leadership succession and the manner in which parties respond when disagreements or electoral losses arise.

The discussion explores questions including:
• Why political parties must learn to accept electoral defeat and continue participating democratically
• Whether Zambia’s political parties have sufficiently strong internal structures
• How weak internal party governance can contribute to electoral disputes
• Candidate adoption and leadership disputes within political parties, and much more.

The conversation also raises a broader question for Zambia’s democracy:
Are electoral disputes always a problem with the electoral system, or do some of them begin with weaknesses inside political parties themselves?

Watch the full conversation and share your thoughts: https://youtu.be/wqjEjVQx1ZM?si=xLZj5vgiCZs9MkwK

Do Zambia’s political parties need stronger internal structures? And have we developed a political culture that accepts electoral defeat as a normal part of democracy?

What happens when a political party loses an election?For Neo Simu...

11/08/2026

At 14:00 hours today, we bring to you the final episode of our Sedrobz series. Here is a sneak peak:

(Don't miss out, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more enriching content)

10/08/2026

The Webinar starts in a few minutes. Click on this link to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/w/84353972820?tk=zwknqA9c5Rv6BpUz-jqNo5zqjVDMTCsWJZR8d3iB0zs.DQkAAAATo-N6VBZzejdzRWEtNVI1YUNuVEkxcFo4QzBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&pwd=i6zAYMuZUNvbcTsRcl5gTilIlS986E.1