LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Zambeef’s appointment of Mathews Ngosa as its new general manager – poultry came as no surprise to the animal science fraternity in Zambia.

Mr Ngosa has had a long and fulfilling career as an animal scientist and his appointment is a significant addition to one of Zambia’s most successful agri-businesses.

Mr Ngosa’s career started in 1990 after he graduated from the University of Zambia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science, majoring in animal science. He got his first job with Hybrid as a poultry manager. He later left to pursue a career in academia, but he soon found himself drawn back to his first love: practising animal science. He joined ZCCM Nchanga farms and worked at a few other farms in various managerial roles.

Mr Ngosa complemented his on-the-ground career experience with academic qualifications. He is a holder of two master’s degrees, one in animal science and the other in business administration. He also holds a higher diploma in animal neurology.

His expertise was recognised by his peers, who appointed him chief executive officer of the Poultry Association of Zambia. Mr Ngosa went on to join Zambeef as the sales and marketing manager of Zamhatch in 2014, before being promoted to his current role as general manager – poultry.

Even before joining Zambeef, Mr Ngosa participated in the creation of Zamhatch, thus when the opportunity to join the organisation presented itself Mr Ngosa needed little persuading.

“I wanted to join Zambeef because my skills as an animal scientist would be put to good use. I had worked with them before, so I knew the company’s culture and what they were out to achieve.”

Like his previous roles, Mr Ngosa achieved success with Zamhatch. When he joined its day-old chicks’ output was low; today Zamhatch produces over 400,000 chicks daily. Mr Ngosa attributes his success to his work ethic and to the team he works with.

“My attitude towards work is to be a hard worker and a team player. I’m not afraid to take on challenges that achieve results. I also have a great team; their dedication and expertise help us achieve the goals we set up for ourselves.”

New to his role as general manager, Mr Ngosa is excited about what the future holds for him and his team. His first order of business is to build on the good job done by his predecessor and keep the momentum going.

“My new role is a tough one, it requires a lot of planning and hard work but I am up for the challenge. My first goal is to make sure key performance indicators are met. I look forward to achieving success with my team in this new task we have been given.”

As for the output Zamhatch is producing Mr Ngosa is very proud of what they put out in the market and is confident Zamhatch’s products are second to none.

“At Zamhatch we use the latest technology in our state-of-the-art facilities. Human interaction with our eggs and chicks is very minimal, thus guaranteeing a product of the highest quality.”

About Zambeef Products Plc
Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia and one of the largest in the region, involved in the primary production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, eggs, dairy products, fish, flour and stockfeed, throughout Zambia and the surrounding region, as well as Nigeria and Ghana.

It has 206 retail outlets throughout Zambia and West Africa.

The company is one of the largest suppliers of beef in Zambia. Five beef abattoirs and three feedlots located throughout Zambia, with a capacity to slaughter 100,000 cattle a year. Zambeef produced 18.1 million kgs of beef in 2018. It is also one of the largest chicken and egg producers in Zambia, producing 16.9 million day-old chicks a year and processing 12.8 million kgs of chickens in 2018.

It is one of the largest piggeries, pig abattoirs and pork processing plants in Zambia, with 9.9 million kgs produced during the year, while its dairy processes around 19.3 million litres of milk a year.

The Group is also one of the largest cereal row cropping operations in Zambia, with approximately 7,787 hectares of row crops under irrigation which are planted twice a year, and a further 8,694 hectares of rainfed/dry-land crops available for planting each year.

Zambeef employs 7,555 people with a total of K420.8 million paid in remuneration and benefits in the last year.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com