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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-ZW link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=996 style='width:747.2pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><a href="https://bullszimbabwe.com/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=246 height=120 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0" alt="cid:image001.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:33.55pt'><td 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style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span class=style30><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Entrepreneurship Zone: 05 July 2024: Zambia: The journey of building a retail chain for farmers</span></b></span><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span class=style30><b><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:3.0pt'><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:3.0pt'></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:3.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=990 rowspan=3 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><a href="https://www.zitfevents.com/"><img border=0 width=624 height=941 src="cid:image002.jpg@01DACEC3.EA854CC0" align=left hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"></a><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><em><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Zambia-based Farm Depot is a retail chain supplying a wide array of agricultural products to small-scale farmers. In addition to the stores, the company also offers financing for smallholders and a subscription-based farming support service. Learn how Simon Bentley and his co-founder Nina Gibson grew their modest pickup truck operation into a business with 26 branches.</span></em><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><em><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The article covers the following topics:</span></em><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#555555'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'>Origins of the business</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#555555'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'>Shifting towards a platform model that connects smallholder farmers with service providers and clients across the value chain.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#555555'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'>Dealing with human resources challenges</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#555555'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'>Economic headwinds in Zambia</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:9.6pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;background:white'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#555555'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'>Market opportunities in the Democratic Republic of Congo</span></em><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#555555'><o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot origins<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Growing up on a tobacco farm in Zimbabwe, Simon Bentley always had a passion for agriculture. “It’s in my blood,” he asserts. Yet, in 2005, faced with political and economic instability in Zimbabwe, Bentley relocated north to Zambia, attracted by the government’s open-door policy to agricultural investments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Initially, Bentley joined forces with other investors to start a banana farming business but he left that venture after a few years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>In 2008, he began talks with Ross Breeders, a poultry hatchery business that provided small-scale farmers in Zambia with day-old chicks, which the farmers would then raise for egg production or as meat. Although Ross Breeders had a robust distribution network in southern Zambia from its Lusaka base, its presence was weaker in the Copperbelt region. Consequently, Bentley and his co-founder Nina Gibson established a distribution business to extend Ross Breeders’ presence into areas where the company was less established.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Operating from a Toyota pickup truck and trailer, specially modified to carry day-old chicks in boxes of 50 to 100, Bentley and his team traversed the Copperbelt, scouting new customers and making deliveries to those it had already signed up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>From pickup truck to storefront<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>In 2009, after trading from his Toyota for a year, Bentley and Gibson opened the first Farm Depot store in Kitwe, the second-largest city in Zambia. The 150m<sup>2</sup> outlet was located near a bus stop, benefitting from high foot traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The transition to a physical store introduced additional overhead costs. To spread these over a greater range of items, Farm Depot broadened its inventory to include veterinary products for chicken farmers, like vaccines.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley then expanded his offerings to include a variety of products for crop farmers, such as seeds, fertilisers, chemicals, as well as equipment. He views crop farming – specifically maize, soya beans, and vegetable cultivation – as a significant growth area for the company. Bentley notes that the market for crop inputs had been distorted for years by a government-subsidised programme, making this segment less attractive to Farm Depot. However, he states that the current administration plans to revise the Farmer Input Support Programme due to affordability issues, which will create more opportunities for Farm Depot to serve crop farmers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot sells products from brands such as Pannar, SeedCo, Yara, Syngenta and Bayer that are procured both from within Zambia and internationally.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Navigating growth<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot has grown its store network to 26 outlets across four provinces in Zambia. This expansion has not only made Farm Depot more appealing to suppliers but also enhanced its buying power.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>To make its products more affordable, Farm Depot introduced the Panono Panono payment plan. This concept allows customers to make a 10% deposit on day-old-chick or feed orders. They then have four weeks to pay the balance, interest-free. Upon completing the payment, customers can collect their orders. This arrangement enables customers to secure products at a fixed amount, safeguarding them from price fluctuations, and also helps them to manage their cash flow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley notes that the company has seen an average annual growth of 20% since inception, although this hasn’t always been linear. Typically, a store generates about US$30,000 in monthly turnover, with a gross profit margin of 12% and a net margin of 2%. The company’s annual revenue ranges between US$10-15 million.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Pivot to platform<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot’s next growth phase involves transforming into a ‘platform’ that connects smallholder farmers with service providers and clients across the value chain. Bentley has identified business opportunities in tackling the four main challenges confronting farmers in Zambia: access to finance, knowledge, quality agricultural inputs, and markets.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Expanding access to quality inputs</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot aims to create a digital marketplace enabling other agricultural input dealers to list their products. “The idea would be to introduce other agri dealers onto the platform so that we can scale, because right now it’s dependent on us opening <a href="https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/sectors/retail-sectors/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#DD3333'>retail</span></a> stores,” Bentley explains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Financing solutions</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>In early 2023, Farm Depot launched a service that connects the 115,000 registered farmers in its database to finance providers. As of now, Inde Credit is the only financier, but the intention is to add a variety of lenders. Bentley points out that there’s a significant finance gap of $1.5 billion between what Zambian smallholder farmers require and what is available to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot shares the purchase history of its customers with Inde Credit, which Inde Credit then uses to determine which farmers to finance. By December 2023, Inde Credit had issued 450 loans with a total value of $500,000 via the platform. The loans offered are collateral-free, and according to Bentley, the default rate is below 5%.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot earns a commission on each loan extended. A potential future business opportunity is to also offer insurance to the farmers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Access to knowledge</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>According to Bentley, the average maize yield for small-scale farmers in Zambia is just over one tonne per hectare, in stark contrast to the eight tonnes achieved by commercial farmers. This gap exists even though smallholder maize farmers have receive subsidies from the government for inputs, indicating a lack of farming expertise among them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>To address this knowledge deficit among poultry farmers, Farm Depot introduced the Broiler Assist Programme. For a monthly subscription of $22, farmers are visited weekly by extension officers who advise on optimal chicken rearing practices. While the service currently caters exclusively to chicken farmers, Bentley plans to extend it to crop farmers as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Facilitating market connections</span></strong><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The final piece of the puzzle is helping farmers sell their produce. Recognising the difficulty many face in finding buyers, Farm Depot is set to launch a platform facilitating direct connections between farmers and potential customers, streamlining the path from farm to market.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Minimal external investment<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Farm Depot has demonstrated that starting a business doesn’t always require a substantial upfront investment. It was launched with a US$50,000 loan from friends and family. In its early days, Ross Breeders also provided the company with stock on credit, allowing iy to sell the day-old-chicks before needing to pay for them. “Any profits that we made were invested back into the business in order to … either purchase more products or … open new stores,” Bentley explains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>The company’s initial institutional investment of €235,000 came from the Enterprise Zambia Challenge Fund.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Human resources challenges<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Finding the right staff continues to be a significant challenge for Farm Depot, Bentley notes. The company has over 100 full-time employees. His current strategy focuses heavily on conducting thorough interviews to ensure the right candidates are hired from the start and to fire swiftly if someone is not the right fit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley mentions that education levels in Zambia are generally low, prompting Farm Depot to implement its own training programmes, despite the risk of investing in employees who may not stay long-term.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Moreover, Bentley emphasises the importance of hiring individuals who are committed to supporting small-scale farmers in Zambia. “One of the fundamentals is that the people we employ have to care about transforming our customers from being small-scale farmers into emerging or commercial operations,” Bentley says.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Doing business in Zambia<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Zambia has faced several economic challenges in recent years, notably grappling with a significant debt burden. In November 2020, it became the first African country to default on its debt during the Covid-19 pandemic. Zambia’s total debt was estimated at $32.8 billion at the end of 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley points out that exchange rate volatility ranks among his toughest challenges. The Zambian kwacha has depreciated more than 300% against the US dollar over the last decade. This has been problematic for Farm Depot, as some of its products, like fertiliser, are priced in US dollars but sold in kwacha.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley believes the country relies too heavily on copper mining and suggests that more emphasis on agriculture could benefit the economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Despite these macroeconomic challenges, he mentions that Zambia is generally stable politically outside of election times, which aids in long-term planning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;line-height:initial'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>DRC opportunity<o:p></o:p></span></h4><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>Bentley highlights a significant market opportunity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Zambia’s northern neighbour. He mentions that exporting to the DRC offsets some of Zambia’s currency-related challenges since the DRC is a dollarised market.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>He observes that the DRC produces very few products domestically, leading to a high reliance on imports. Farm Depot has strategically located stores near the Zambia-DRC border, attracting Congolese customers who cross the border to make purchases.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white;box-sizing: border-box;font-size:0.975rem'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>While Bentley is open to the idea of establishing stores within the DRC, he says that the entry costs are substantial, necessitating significant financial resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=800 height=550 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image007.jpg@01DACEC3.EA854CC0" alt="https://cdn-ehepc.nitrocdn.com/irBzRYkBekzJBgZevpNPMGNeqdaqURgx/assets/images/optimized/rev-7c8afd5/hwmiia.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/03151117/Farm-Depot.jpg"></span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Interview with Simon Bentley<br>MANAGING DIRECTOR, FARM DEPOT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Lives in: Zambia</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>—Howwemadeitinafrica<span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:23.4pt;margin-left:0cm;background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr style='height:10.05pt'><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span lang=X-NONE style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span lang=X-NONE style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'> </span><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Invest </span></i><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Cellphone: +263 71 944 1674 | +27 79 993 5557 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Email: <a href="mailto:bulls@bullszimbabwe.com">bulls@bullszimbabwe.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Website: <a href="http://www.bullszimbabwe.com">www.bullszimbabwe.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Blog: <a 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style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=278 height=110 id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image005.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0" alt="cid:image005.png@01D6FBBE.85AC06D0"></span><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt;line-height:115%;background:white'><b><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;height:10.05pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#1F497D;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><i><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#1F497D;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><i><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:white'>DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls ‘n Bears, a division of Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for any securities. The information contained in this report has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than the securities of more established companies. Neither Faith Capital nor any other member of Bulls ‘n Bears nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this report or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Recipients of this report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of any companies referred to in this report. Other Indices quoted herein are for guideline purposes only and sourced from third parties.</span></i><i><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><i><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=top style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:8.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>(c) 2024 Web: <a href="http://www.bullszimbabwe.com">www.bullszimbabwe.com</a> Email: <a href="mailto:bulls@bullszimbabwe.com">bulls@bullszimbabwe.com</a> Tel: +27 79 993 5557 | +263 71 944 1674<o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=990 valign=bottom style='width:742.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:solid white 1.0pt;border-bottom:none;border-right:solid white 1.0pt;background:#F2F2F2;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td><td width=6 style='width:4.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:105%'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>