Zambia Forestry & Forest Industries

What Zambia Forestry & Forest Industries does

Zambia Forestry & Forest Industries Corporation PLC (ZAFFICO) is Zambia's largest industrial exotic plantation operator, managing more than 62,000 hectares of pine and eucalyptus across five provinces (Copperbelt, Luapula, Muchinga, Northern, and North-Western), with a stated target of 100,000 hectares by 2028. Incorporated in September 1982 from the commercialisation of the Industrial Plantations Division and listed on the Lusaka Securities Exchange in February 2020, the company is a 62.8%-owned subsidiary of the state holding company Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and operates as a Public Limited Company. Its core product lines are sawn timber (Grade A premium and Grade B standard), treated poles (fencing 1.5–4m, construction 5–8m, and transmission/utility 9–20m), and roundwood for sale to small-scale sawmillers. Value-add is concentrated at the Kalulushi Pole Treatment Plant (commissioned February 2018, expanded to 240,000–260,000 poles per year) and the Integrated Wood Processing Plant under construction (Wood-Mizer equipment from Poland, 50,000m³ annual capacity), which will extend the product mix into particle boards and plywood.

ZAFFICO serves four primary customer segments: utilities and telecoms (ZESCO, ZAMTEL, Rural Electrification Authority) buying transmission poles; mining operators (Kansanshi, Kalumbila) buying larger-diameter poles; over 500 small-scale sawmillers purchasing roundwood; and a growing base of agriculture/construction SMBs reached through the SARO Agro-Industrial distribution partnership and a new e-commerce platform (online.zaffico.co.zm) launched in 2024. Pricing is unit-based in Zambian Kwacha across wholesale and retail tiers at multiple depot locations. Treated poles carry a 30–40 year service life and are ZABS certified; the bulk of pole output is contracted to ZESCO under a board-level purchasing commitment, with secondary demand from ZAMTEL, REA, and mining customers.

Revenue is generated through direct sales (corporate offices in Ndola and Lusaka, depot/wholesale network across all five provinces, the e-commerce platform) and through third-party distribution (SARO Agro-Industrial). A reported 2024 revenue of ZMW332 million and net income of ZMW738 million were driven primarily by an increase in the fair value of biological assets rather than cash sales, and the company is currently deploying a USD 40 million rights offering (launched 2025), a USD 30 million Integrated Wood Processing Plant investment, and an AFD/TEREA-backed technical assistance program to scale plantations, expand downstream processing, and extend distribution.

Name

Zambia Forestry & Forest Industries

Legal name

Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation PLC

Website

https://zaffico.co.zm

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ZAFFICO is Zambia's largest industrial exotic plantation operator, managing 62,000+ hectares of pine and eucalyptus across five provinces and producing treated poles, sawn timber, and roundwood for utilities (ZESCO, ZAMTEL, REA), mining firms, and 500+ small-scale sawmillers. It is a state-anchored (IDC 62.8%) Public Limited Company listed on the LuSE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Products and Timber

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (1131), Sawmills and Wood Preservation (3211)

SIC

Forestry (800), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421)

akta.pro primary industry

Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Softwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAA)

Keywords

• Pine eucalyptus plantations
• Treated timber poles
• Forestry products Zambia
• Sawn timber production
• Pole treatment plant

Headquarters

HQ city

Ndola

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Roundwood Sales: Sale of unprocessed timber (roundwood) to small-scale sawmillers and wood processing companies. Major customers include Copperbelt Forestry Company, Kitwe Wood and Log, Lufwanyama Enterprise. Over 266 small-scale roundwood customers plus one large-scale customer.
2. Treated Pole Sales: Sale of creosote and CCA treated poles for fencing, construction, and power transmission. Major institutional clients include ZESCO, ZAMTEL, Rural Electrification Authority, and mining companies. Production capacity of 240,000 transmission poles annually.
3. Sawn Timber Sales: Sale of Grade A and Grade B sawn timber products through e-commerce platform and depot sites. Grade A from K63.00, Grade B from K43.10. Multiple size configurations available.
4. Biological Asset Valuation: Revenue generated from increase in fair value of biological assets (growing timber plantations). Generated ZMW332 million in revenue and ZMW738 million in net income in 2024.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZAFFICO establishes and manages industrial exotic forest plantations of pine and eucalyptus across more than 63,000 hectares in five Zambian provinces. It sells roundwood, kiln-dried sawn timber (Grade A and Grade B), and treated poles (fencing, construction, and transmission/utility) produced through its creosote and CCA pole treatment facility in Kalulushi.

Product overview

ZAFFICO is a forestry corporation managing over 62,000 hectares of pine and eucalyptus plantations across five provinces. The company operates a multi-product portfolio centered on timber and wood products, including sawn timber (Grade A premium and Grade B standard), treated poles (fencing, construction, and transmission/utility poles), and roundwood for sawmilling. Value addition is achieved through a Pole Treatment Plant (Kalulushi) producing CCA and creosote-treated poles with 30-40 year service life, and an Integrated Wood Processing Plant (under construction) that will manufacture sawn timber, particle boards, and plywood. Products are sold through direct sales offices, ecommerce platform (online.zaffico.co.zm), and distribution partnerships including SARO Agro-Industrial Ltd for treated poles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZAFFICO Timber Grade A Premium kiln-dried sawn timber graded for structural strength, dimensional accuracy, and superior finish. Available in 60 sizes and used for high-specification construction, joinery, and finishing work.
• ZAFFICO Timber Grade B ZABS compliant air or kiln-dried sawn timber in standard grade for general construction, packaging, and utility applications. Available in 34 sizes.
• Fencing Poles CCA (Tanalith) and creosote treated timber poles in sizes 1.5m to 4m and diameter ranges 2cm to 20cm. Designed for farm fencing, animal ranches, chicken runs, residences, and thatched structures.
• Construction Poles

Quantifiable outcome

• Treated wood service life extended to 30-40 years on average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TEREAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 November 2025French consultancy serving as lead coordinating body for AFD-funded project implementation. Will conduct diagnostic assessment of plantation strategy, industrial operations, human capital, and financial management. Includes capacity-building program and technical visits to France.
• Public Service Micro Finance Company (PSMFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Two MoUs signed: Building Materials Loan Scheme (ZAFFICO supplies timber products to civil servants) and Agricultural Asset Plus Loan Scheme (ZAFFICO facilitates provision of tree seedlings and treated poles). Five-year implementation period aimed at expanding access to forestry products for public service workers.
• Ndola Fitness SquadminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Three-year CSR partnership for ZAFFICO Marathon. ZAFFICO acquired naming rights. Marathon scheduled for November 8, 2025. First year supports completion of mothers' shelter at Mukutuma Rural Health Centre in Lufwanyama District.
• SARO Agro-Industrial LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2025Partnership to make treated poles more accessible to clients. SARO provides its customers (particularly farmers) with premium, affordable, high-quality treated poles suitable for fencing and construction. Initial phase on pilot basis available in Choma, Mkushi, Lusaka, and Kabwe with expansion plans.
• ZESCO LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2024ZESCO committed to purchasing poles from ZAFFICO following completion of expansion works at Pole Treatment Plant. Board policy to enter working partnership with ZAFFICO. May allow ZAFFICO to import poles on behalf of ZESCO if necessary. Plant capacity increased from 140,000 to 260,000 poles annually.
• Zambia Development Agency (ZDA)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024ZDA organized Zambia Outward Trade Mission to DRC from October 16-18, 2024 at Hypnose Mall, Lubumbashi. ZAFFICO participated to market treated wooden poles for fencing, construction, and transmission in regional export market.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondi Group: Global paper and packaging group with significant plantation forestry operations across South Africa and the rest of Africa, comparable to ZAFFICO in plantation-scale operations and softwood/hardwood product portfolio.
• Suzano S.A. World's largest eucalyptus pulp producer and vertically integrated forestry operator in Brazil; relevant as a global benchmark for eucalyptus plantation economics, biological-asset revaluation, and integrated wood-product business model.
• Safcol: South African state-owned food and forestry company with plantations and timber processing operations; a sub-Saharan African regional incumbent analogous to ZAFFICO's IDC-backed forestry operations.
• Sappi Limited: Global leader in dissolving pulp and coated paper with large eucalyptus and pine plantations in Southern Africa, comparable to ZAFFICO in plantation management, sawmill integration, and wood-treatment value chain.
• Potlatch Deltic Corporation: US-based timberland REIT with sawmill operations, comparable to ZAFFICO in business-model mix of plantation ownership plus downstream wood-products manufacturing.
• Weyerhaeuser Company: US timberland real-estate investment trust (REIT) and wood-products manufacturer; a comparable in managing biological assets, plantation valuation, and listing on a public exchange.
• West Fraser Timber Co. Major North American lumber and wood-products producer with vertically integrated operations including lumber, panels, and pulp & paper, relevant as a broad incumbent benchmark for ZAFFICO's expansion into particle board and plywood.
• UPM-Kymmene: Finnish forestry and paper group operating large plantation estates and wood-products businesses globally, comparable to ZAFFICO in managing long-cycle biological assets and certified timber operations.

Direct peers

• Interfor Corporation: North American lumber producer operating softwood sawmills and timber assets; a direct peer in sawn-timber manufacturing, kiln-dried grade A/B product mix, and bulk wholesale distribution.
• York Timber: South African pine sawmill and timber products company based in Mpumalanga with its own plantations and value-add processing; a direct sub-Saharan peer to ZAFFICO's pine sawn-timber and treatment model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zaffico
• Facebookweb.facebook.com/ZAFFICO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zaffico

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zambia Forestry & Forest Industries