23/08/2026
BRING BACK ZAMCHICK-JUSTICE FOR ZAMBIAN COMPANIES
WHY ZAMBIA NEEDS ITS OWN CHICKEN BRAND TO RISE AGAIN
By Cornel Zimba
President, Justice Watch Zambia (JWZ)
Lusaka, 23rd, August, 2026
1. A Brand Many Grew Up With
If you grew up in Lusaka in the 90s and early 2000s, you remember it. The smell of well-fried chicken pieces from Zamchick outlets across Cairo Road, Northmead, Kamwala, and Chelstone. Zamchick was not just food. It was a Zambian brand, owned by Zambians, serving Zambians. Today, we miss it.
2. It Did Not Just Fade, It Vanished
What pains us is that Zamchick did not get a proper closure. It vanished without trace. One day the outlets were full of students, workers, and families. The next day the signs were gone. A brand that fed generations deserved better. We deserve answers. We deserve a comeback.
3. "If KFC Survived, Why Can’t We?"
Chicken Inn is still here. Hungry Lion is expanding. KFC and Nando’s are packed every weekend. If foreign and regional brands can thrive in Zambia, then why can’t our own? We are not asking for favors. We are asking for a fair chance to compete. Zambia is ready for Zamchick to return as a serious business.
4. The Case for Local Ownership
Every kwacha spent at a foreign chain mostly leaves Zambia. But every kwacha spent at Zamchick stayed here. It paid Zambian farmers. It paid Zambian workers. It paid Zambian landlords and suppliers. Bringing Zamchick back is about economic justice, keeping our money circulating in Zambia.
5. Quality Is What Keeps People Coming
People say "the market is tough." But KFC proves otherwise. You rarely see a long queue, yet business continues because of consistency and quality. Zamchick was loved for the same reason: well fried, well seasoned, affordable chicken. Bring back that standard and Zambians will come. Quality is the game changer.
6. We Have The Ingredients
Zambia produces more chicken today than 20 years ago. We have farmers, feed mills, cold chains, and young people who understand branding and delivery. The infrastructure is here. What we need now is the will and investment to revive the brand.
7. Jobs For Our Youth
20 outlets in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, and Livingstone would create hundreds of direct jobs and support thousands indirectly. Cooks, riders, managers, farmers. In a time of high youth unemployment, reviving Zamchick is not nostalgia. It is economic policy.
8. Pride In Our Own
There is power in eating at a place that bears your country’s name. South Africans have Nando’s. Nigerians have Chicken Republic. Zambians deserve Zamchick. We cannot be a nation of only consumers. We must also be owners and builders.
9. Competition Makes Everyone Better
A revived Zamchick will not "crowd" the market. It will improve it. Prices will be fairer. Service will improve. Innovation will grow. A Zambian competitor forces everyone to respect our market and our people more.
10. Lessons From The Past
Zamchick closed before, but that is not the end. Businesses reopen. The new Zamchick must focus on 3 things: consistent quality, clean outlets, and professional franchising. No politics. No shortcuts. Run it like a global brand, with a Zambian heart.
11. The Nostalgia Is Real, The Opportunity Is Bigger
We remember Zamchick with love. But this is about the future. A Zambian chain that can one day go to Harare, Lilongwe, and Dar. It starts by bringing it back home first.
12. Government and Investors Must Act
This needs more than tweets. We call on ZDA, CEEC, local banks, and private investors to fund this revival. We call on mall owners to give space to Zambian chains. If we give incentives to foreign brands, we must do the same for our own.
13. The Customer Is Ready
Ask any Zambian: "Do you miss Zamchick?" The answer is yes. People want to support something that feels like home. The demand exists. What is missing is supply.
14. Quality Over Hype
We don’t need 50 outlets tomorrow. We need 5 outlets that are clean, fast, and serve chicken that tastes like memory. Trust will grow one customer at a time.
15. We Need Our Own Companies To Thrive
A country cannot grow by importing every brand. We must create, own, and scale our own. Zamchick was ours. It can be ours again. If others are thriving, we can also thrive. What matters is vision and discipline.
16. A Call To Action
To the original owners: engage the people.
To investors: fund this revival.
To government: support Zambian brands.
To citizens: demand this.
Let us not watch another Zambian company die in silence.
17. Justice for Zamchick, Justice for Zambia
Zamchick is about more than chicken. It is about identity, jobs, and economic independence. We miss our brand. We miss our outlets. We miss seeing "Zambia" on the shop front.
If quality is the standard, we can meet it.
If others can thrive, we can also thrive.
Zambia needs Zamchick back.
_Justice Watch Zambia - JWZ_
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