Zambia Sugar


Zambia Sugar Plc, is the largest sugar-manufacturing company in Zambia, with annual output in excess of of crystalline sugar annually, as of November 2018. The company stock is listed of the Lusaka Stock Exchange, where the shares trade under the symbol: ZSUG.

Location

The company headquarters are located in the town of Mazabuka, in Mazabuka District, in the Southern Province, Zambia. The company owns, operates and maintains Nakambala Sugar Estates, located in Nakambala, a suburb of Mazabuka, approximately by road, southwest of Lusaka, the national capital and largest city in Zambia. The geographical coordinates of Nakambala are:15°49'58.0"S, 27°46'53.0"E.

Overview

As of 31 December 2019, the company's total assets were ZMW:3,949,763,000, with shareholders' equity of ZMW:1,412,679,000.

History

The Nakambala Sugar Estate was founded in 1964 by Tate & Lyle Limited, on the southeastern edge of the Kafue Flats at Mazabuka. By 1968 the estate was growing sugar cane on, using the sugar mill which had been moved from Tate & Lyle's failed sugar operation at Chirundu and irrigation water from the Kafue River. By 1976 the estate was producing of sugar from under cultivation. Production rose to over of refined sugar from of farmland, by 1983.
In 1972 the Zambia Sugar Company Limited, which operated the estate, was nationalised and Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia acquired 51 percent of the shares of the company, while Tate and Lyle retained 49 percent. In 1975 INDECO raised their stake to 75 percent, with Tate and Lyle retaining 11 percent, with the remaining 14 percent being taken up by other private investors.
In 1995 Zambia Sugar Company Limited was repurchased by Tate & Lyle, who increased their stake to 51 percent, Commonwealth Development Corporation took up 31 percent and the remaining 18 percent was acquired by Zambia Privatisation Trust Fund. In 1996 the company floated its shares of stock on the Lusaka Stock Exchange as Zambia Sugar Plc. In 2001 Tate and Lyle sold its interest in Zambia Sugar Plc to Illovo Sugar of South Africa. Illovo made an offer to minority shareholders, as required by Zambian law, and increased shareholding to 90 percent. By 2006, sugar production had increased to 240,000 tons annually.
Between 2007 and 2010 the company implemented a major expansion program and increased the area in production from to nearly of irrigated farmland. In 2009, Zambia Sugar Plc acquired a controlling interest in Nanga Farms Plc, who owned sugar farms adjacent to Nakambala with production capacity in excess of 350,000 tones of raw cane annually. That same year, Illovo reduced shareholding to 81.6 percent. Illovo Group Holding Limited reduced shareholding in Zambia Sugar Plc to 75 percent in 2014, to comply with new rules at the Lusaka Stock Exchange.

Operations

In 2013, the company launched the Manyonyo Outgrower Scheme, an initiative of the government of Zambia, funded by the government of Finland and the African Development Bank. It involves 145 small-sale farmers who grow sugarcane on their land and sell the raw cane to the company.
As of 2014, Zambia Sugar Public Limited Company employed 6,014 people, some of whom were permanent, others temporary and still others were seasonal.

Ownership

The shares of stock of Zambia Sugar Plc are listed on the Lusaka Stock Exchange, where they trade under the symbol: ZSUG.
The table below illustrates the shareholding in the company as of 31 August 2017.
RankName of OwnerPercentage Ownership
1Illovo Group Holdings Limited
76.40
2Pension Funds
18.10
3Zambian Companies
4.10
4Zambian Individuals
1.10
5Non-Zambian Individuals
0.20
6Non-Zambian companies
0.10
Total
100.00

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