Zimbabweans in a market Photo: VCG

Access to descent trading spaces is a challenge for many small-scale food traders in Zambia.

It is for this reason that Jihai Central Sports (JCS) Company Limited, a Chinese-owned entity operating in Zambia, decided to empower local small-scale food traders in Lusaka, Zambia's capital with clean and affordable trading spaces.

JCS Food Market is an initiative of JCS, a business complex that is located in Lusaka's Longacres area.

One of the traders, Maria Mukela, 48, who specializes in the sale of a wide variety of dry foods explained that the trading facility is unique in that it offers traders a good working environment that promotes growth.

"This place is clean and traders have access to clean trading spaces as well as clean sanitation facilities. That is why the food market attracts sober and mature clientele," said an enthusiastic Mukela, who has been trading from JCS Food Market for about six years.

She further said JCS Food Market also serves as a launchpad for bigger business opportunities for small-scale food traders.

"I have been awarded contracts to supply huge amounts of dry foodstuffs to both private and public entities. This has enabled me to grow my business," Mukela revealed.

For 36-year-old Doreen Songiso who has been trading at the JCS Food Market for almost five years now, the space has given her a chance to trade in a safe and secure environment.

"I do not have to worry about moving from place to place particularly during the rainy season as is the case with most small-scale traders dealing in foodstuffs and operating from the street," Songisio explained.

She added that JCS Food Market offers small-scale food traders the chance to interact with people of different nationalities and backgrounds, which is useful to traders wanting to venture into international trade.

Regular customer, Joe Mwake, 45, said the clean environment has encouraged many to continue buying agricultural produce from JSC Food Market.

"This food market not only has a wide range of fruits and vegetables

 but is also clean all the time. I have been buying vegetables and fruits from here since fruit and vegetable traders started operating in 2015," Mwake said.

According to JCS Food Market Operations Manager Billy Ng'ambi, there are about 39 small-scale food traders, the majority of whom are Zambian that have been allocated trading spaces at the facility.

"We have 26 traders dealing in fresh fruits and vegetables and 13 trading in a variety of dry foods. The produce is sourced both locally and internationally," Ng'ambi said.

Ng'ambi also mentioned that JCS Food Market, which attracts both local and international visitors, has restaurants that offer varying Asian cuisine. It also has sports and fitness centers.