CHARLES CHISALA, Lusaka
A LUSAKA-BASED graphics designer has earned over K21,000 from the sale of branded T-shirts during the Mutomboko traditional ceremony and Luapula Expo and Investment Conference last weekend.
Kabaso Nkandu set up his stand outside a bar on the road to the main arena of the ceremony and was found making brisk business with the help of his brother and a cousin on Saturday morning.
Mr Nkandu said he had sold over 300 T-shirts at K60 and K70 each between Thursday and Saturday.
He attributed the good business to the expo, which had brought more people and the presence of President Lungu.
“This is the best business I have ever had since I started coming here to sell T-shirts three years ago. I am grateful to the people who brought this expo. In fact I had under-estimated the demand,” Mr Nkandu said as Mutomboko-goers jostled to buy his T-shirts.
The words ‘Mutomboko Ceremony of Mwata Kazembe’ were emblazoned on the front of the T-shirts.
Mr Nkandu said there was more demand for the golf T-shirts, which had sold out by 12:00 hours, than the roundnecks.
But local people were complaining about the price, demanding to buy the materials at K50 each.
Mr Nkandu said the local people were negotiating for K50 because that was the price at which he had been selling the T-shirts during the past Mutomboko ceremonies.
“The challenge is that the local people want to buy the T-shirts at the same price they bought them last year and the other year. But we are printing them at a higher cost now. We need to make some profit,” he said.
And Violet Chisala, who runs a restaurant near Senior Chief Mwata Kazembe’s Kapale palace, said she was enjoying good business.
“Yesterday [Friday] business was a bit slow. We were just dozing most of the time. But today we don’t even have time to sit. We have been busy since we opened,” Ms Chisala said.
She was offering nshima with ofals, fish, chicken, beef and vegetables.
Grocer George Munshya said his shop had not been busier.
Mr Munshya said he had been forced to send someone to Mansa to order more merchandise because it was running out fast.
