CNBC Africa widens its African reporting footprint; opens bureau in Zambia

CNBC Africa (DStv channel 410), opened its eighth African bureau in Zambia as it continues to widen its African reporting footprint. The bureau, a joint venture with Zambia’s national broadcaster, ZNBC, will be based in the Zambian capital, Lusaka and opened for business on 25 July.

It’s the channel’s second bureau this year following Mozambique where, the company also teamed up with the local national broadcaster, TVM. The other bureaus are in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Gabon.

“The new bureau is continuing testimony to our vision to provide comprehensive coverage of Africa’s growing markets. Zambia is one of the new groups of African economies expanding at more than 7% per anum whose story remains largely untold outside its borders,” said Godfrey Mutizwa, CNBC Africa chief editor.

The channel plans to be in Rwanda and Ethiopia in the last quarter of this year. By 2014 it plans to be in 20 African countries, making it the only media company in Africa providing complete business and economic news across the continent.

CNBC Africa’s country bureau representative Debbie Baillie comments; “CNBC Africa has been active in Zambia for the three months, conducting live interviews on Zambian markets, business and economic news. The channel, which turned five last month, has grown to become the primary and biggest source of business news in Africa since 1 June 2007”.

CNBC Africa co-founder Rakesh Wahi, who performed a bell ringing ceremony at the Lusaka stock exchange to mark the opening of the bureau, said the company’s presence in Zambia marked yet another milestone in its brief history.

“Zambia has been an integral part of our journey in Africa. With a well-diversified economy, 14 million people and a GDP of $22-billion it is one of the top economies in the continent with consistent high growth and progressive and consistent policies”, says Wahi.

“We are privileged to have been able to strike a strategic relationship with the Zambian Broadcast Corporation. Part of this will be the facilitation of having Zambia on our editorial calendar and report on all the progress being made in this great country”, he said.