29/08/2026
IDC SUPPORTS KULAMBA CEREMONY
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has supported this year’s Kulamba Ceremony, extending financial support to the colourful traditional event that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Chewa people.
The ceremony, held earlier today at Mkaika in Katete District, is a grand ceremony in which over 290 Chewa chiefs from Zambia’s Eastern Province, Malawi and Mozambique gather to pay homage to their King, Kalonga Gawa Undi, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition.
IDC’s contribution to the ceremony reflects the Corporation’s commitment to deepening ties and supporting the communities in which it operates, reinforcing the important link between industrial development and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Ahead of the ceremony, a delegation from IDC paid a courtesy call on Kalonga Gawa Undi. The team comprised Chief Investment Officer Mr Mainga Mukando, Head of Procurement Mr Thomas Lwenje, Senior Corporate Communication Officer Mr Kingsley Kaswende, Investments Officer Mr Thabo Lungwangwa and some officials from Eastern Tropical Fruits (ETF) Limited, IDC’s fruit processing project in Katete.
During the visit, Mr Mukando briefed the King on the progress made in operationalising the ETF factory in Katete. He informed the King that the factory has since rolled out new products, including orange juice, tomato sauce, and mineral water, all manufactured from raw materials locally sourced from farmers in the district.
In a gesture combining goodwill with enterprise, IDC and ETF jointly donated a total of 80 cases of the newly manufactured products for use at the ceremony. Beyond the donation, the Kulamba Ceremony also served as a strategic market entry point for ETF, offering the factory an opportunity to introduce and sell its products to the thousands of people who converged at Mkaika for the event.
Responding to the update on the factory’s progress, King Kalonga Gawa Undi commended IDC for successfully operationalising the facility. He urged the factory’s management to extend its support to local farmers by procuring raw materials from them at fair and reasonable prices, a move that would strengthen the link between the factory’s growth and the livelihoods of the surrounding farming communities.
