Broadcast giant plugs into football celebration

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Satellite broadcast giant SuperSport will capture the footballing action from Zambeef’s Zamfest event next month, broadcasting the excitement of the event across the continent.

The TV cameras will be focussed on the preliminary round of the Kaleza Football Tournament on April 1 at the Bank of Zambia Sports Club in Lusaka, during which teams will battle it out for a chance to participate in the final on April 8 at Zamfest in the Showgrounds.

The coverage from both dates will be aired on DStv’s football magazine show Bola Ya Pa Zed and the highlights from the preliminary tournament will be on SuperSport 9 channel 209 Blitz the week after the event.

The tournament will be one part of Zambeef’s massive Zamfest extravaganza, which will also see the launch of DVD sales of the e18hteam documentary that captures the passion, excitement and national pride of the Zambian football team as it charts the fortunes of the national Chipolopolo team – from the lows of the 1993 Gabon air crash to the highs of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory.

The event will also incorporate a food festival and music from some of the country’s top artists, including Pompi, Willz, Cactus Agony, Maureen Lilanda and Sebastian Dutch.

“We are delighted that SuperSport has come on board as media partner for Zamfest,” said Zambeef Joint Chief Executive Officer Dr Carl Irwin. “Their coverage will bring the event to many millions of football fans across the continent and enable us to share our passion for the sport with fans everywhere.”

The tournament is a fitting launch to the e18hteam DVD, which Zambeef spent K1.5 million to support. The e18hteam documentary is the work of producer, Ngosa Chungu and Spanish writer, director and co-producer Juan Rodriguez-Briso. It follows themes of Zambian pride, spirit, sportsmanship and perseverance as the country went from losing 18 national players in a tragic plane crash (1993) to the hard-won victory in 2012.

The Zamfest, as the launch event, also promises the most exciting chefs from across Africa, 50 world class pop-up restaurants, more than 100 international and local types of cuisine to sample, the best of local and international music acts, and a wide selection of local and exotic beverages. To add to the event will be a “knock-out round” football competition, made up of eight amateur teams. The winners receiving a cash prize and the opportunity to face-off against five of Zambia’s current football stars. Other event day competitions will include a Best Braai competition and an attempt at breaking a world record, yet to be disclosed.

“Zambeef shares the nation’s love of football, and we believe passionately in the power of sport to bring people together from all corners of the country in a celebration of all that is great about Zambia: football, food, music and fun,” said Dr Irwin.

Zambeef has a long association with football. Its Zamleather division makes the popular Kaleza Z-12 model leather soccer boots, the first to be locally designed and manufactured in Zambia. Zamleather is also home to the Alive & Kicking employment-generation project that manufacturers quality leather soccer balls that carry health messages and are distributed to under-privileged teams nationwide.
Throughout its history Zambeef has supported a number of football teams playing in leagues and at community level, and has groomed footballers at the grassroots including AFCON 2012 squad member James Chamanga.

Zambeef: celebrating Zambia’s footballing history.	Zambeef: celebrating Zambia’s footballing history.
Zambeef: celebrating Zambia’s footballing history.	Zambeef: celebrating Zambia’s footballing history.

About Zambeef Products Plc

Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated agribusiness and food processing company in Zambia and one of the largest in the region.

The group is principally involved in the production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, dairy products, eggs, stockfeed and flour. The group also has large row cropping operations (principally maize, soya beans and wheat), planting 16,500 hectares in summer and 8,000 hectares in winter. The group is also expanding its West Africa operations in Nigeria and Ghana.

The company slaughters around 70,000 beef cattle, 6.75million chickens and 70,000 pigs per annum, while also processing 16 million litres of milk, producing 150,000 tons of stockfeed, 60 million eggs, 78,000 pairs of shoes and processes 97,500 hides in its tannery per year.

It has 176 retail outlets throughout Zambia and West Africa.

Zambeef employs over 6,000 people with a total of K307 million paid in remuneration and benefits in the last year, and contributed K144m to Government in taxes and duties.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com

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