Drought affects charcoal business in Lusaka
Written by Millennium on March 19, 2019
SOME charcoal traders in Lusaka’s Mtendere compound have complained their business has gone down due to the drought which has hit many parts of Zambia
The traders said that finding customers to buy their charcoal had become hard because people bought a lot of charcoal when in the dry season.
One of the traders, Mailesi Lungu told the Sun that she at times went back home in the evening without selling not even a single bag.
Ms. Lungu said that the bags of charcoal she ordered early last month, remained untouched, a situation which she said was worrying.
“I had ordered a lot of bags of charcoal thinking that they would all sell since we were in the rainy season not knowing that it would be this dry. Now I am struggling to sell it because people rarely buy charcoal when it is dry like now,” she said.
Another trader Richard Moonde complained that even people that used to buy in bulk had stopped doing so.
Mr. Moonde said that the lack of rains had affected them negatively because they were failing to meet their daily sales and needs
“I depend on this business for all the needs at home. Right now I am struggling looking for my children’s school fees because the business is not doing me any good.
