THE Africa Union Commission in collaboration with the Africa Business Council has awarded Trade Kings Group as the best African Manufacturer.

In a statement, Trade Kings public relations and corporate affairs manager Bridget Kambobe said the award was presented during the 13th Africa Union Private Sector Forum.

“The Trade Kings Group, Zambia’s leading manufacturer of FMCG has been named the Best African Manufacturer. This prestigious Award was presented to the business by the Africa Union Commission in collaboration with the Africa Business Council during the 13th Africa Union Private Sector Forum. The Award is presented to manufacturers that have demonstrated unrivalled manufacturing capacity through value addition and creation of employment. The Africa Business Council being the premier advocacy arm and platform for private sector cooperation and engagement at the African continental level, along with ensuring regular inclusive dialogue with the African Union has named the Trade Kings Group as Africa Manufacturer for the contribution that business has made to value addition, creation of employment and contribution to the Made in Africa narrative for the past 25 years of its existence,” she said.

“Trade Kings remains committed to exploring and seizing the opportunities in the African manufacturing sector with the belief that to unleash their full potential, African countries must embark on a bold agenda driven by private sector-led investments in industrial transformation. There is a real opportunity for Africa to create jobs and promote inclusive economic transformation through domestic manufacturing and a commodity-based industrialization process, capitalizing on the continent’s resources and opportunities presented by the changes in the structure of global production.”

And Trade Kings Group general Manager Lux Subramanium said the award was an encouragement to the group’s leadership as they continued to grow and thrive in an uncertain risk environment.

“Trade Kings’ Group General Manager, Mr. Lux Subramanium when receiving this prestigious award said “Trade Kings remains a fast growing and a leading manufacturer of fast-moving consumer goods during turbulent times in the local and international environment. The business attributes its resilience to a leadership that is building a culture of establishing and maintaining a holistic risk management program that is anchored in preparedness”. He further said that “Trade Kings has received this Award with a lot of gratitude to the African Union Private Sector Forum and African Business Council for the demonstrated confidence through the Zambian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce,” read the statement.

“Mr. Subramanium further stated that this Award is an encouragement to Trade Kings Group’s leadership as we continue to grow and thrive in an uncertain risk environment. Over the last few years, business leaders have been reminded repeatedly of the interconnectedness and unpredictability of businesses, economies, and societies. Humanitarian disasters, from the COVID pandemic to the war in Ukraine, have created shockwaves affecting geopolitics, economics, trade, energy, and financial markets. Business reputations, markets, supply chains, and employees have been impacted in unpredicted ways.”