SHERQ
At Zambia Sugar, the safety and well-being of our employees and the communities in which we operate is a top priority. We continue to implement comprehensive Safety, Health, Environment, Risk, and Quality (SHERQ) programmes that ensure sustained operations in a safe and responsible manner.
Safety is at the heart of everything we do at the Zambia Sugar. As a core value we focus on the goal of achieving “zero harm to employees and contractors”. Everyday every person should go home in the same condition they came to work. Safety remains Zambia Sugar’s top priority, the foundation on which every success rests. Our goal of Zero Harm drives every decision, every shift, and every person across the organization.
The year under review demonstrated both the strength of our safety culture and the depth of our compassion. Following a tragic contractor fatality in August 2025, Zambia Sugar immediately halted operations for two days to reflect, learn, and reaffirm our commitment that no job is worth a life.
The Managing Director and senior leaders personally addressed teams across the estate, underscoring that safety is not negotiable.
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At Zambia Sugar, we believe that our SHERQ program is essential to our success. We are committed to continuously improving our SHERQ performance through regular monitoring, assessment, and improvement of our processes and procedures. We also believe that collaboration with our employees, customers, suppliers, and local communities is essential to achieving our SHERQ goals.
SAFETY
While we recorded eight lost-time injuries (LTIs) compared to six the previous year, proactive reporting and leadership visibility reached record levels. More than 296 supervisors completed the Supervising and Coaching Safer Teams (SCST) programme, while new behavioural-safety training helped employees understand the subconscious drivers behind unsafe acts.
Our multi-channel near-miss reporting platform, via email, WhatsApp and SMS significantly increased engagement, raising reporting from 10% to over 80% of the workforce. Fire safety was strengthened through new investments, including a dedicated fire centre, a modern fire engine, and people-vehicle separation systems.
HEALTH
We believe that a healthy workforce is essential to our success. We have implemented a range of health programs to support our employees’ physical and mental well-being. These programs include access to medical care, wellness programs, and mental health resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Zambia Sugar continues to strengthen its position as a leader in responsible agriculture and manufacturing. Guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, our sustainability journey focuses on decarbonization, efficient resource use, and biodiversity restoration.
During the year, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 24% to 74 539 tCO2e, thanks to increased internal power generation from bagasse, improved fuel efficiency, and smarter farming systems. Our validated Science-Based Target commits us to a 36% reduction in emissions by 2030, and several renewable energy projects are already under way.
Water, the lifeblood of agriculture and all our operations, was used more efficiently than ever before. Withdrawals from the Kafue River dropped 18% due to improved rainfall and continued conversion from flood to more efficient irrigation systems. Zambia Sugar also hosted the launch of Zambia’s first national guidelines for sustainable wetland utilization, reflecting our leadership in water stewardship.
BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION
Waste recycling reached 80%, with bagasse, filter cake, and boiler ash reused as renewable fuel and soil enhancers. New waste segregation and plastic take-back initiatives are positioning the business to achieve near-zero landfill waste in the years ahead.
Biodiversity protection remains at the heart of our environmental strategy. Through reforestation of over 7 000 indigenous trees and partnerships with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and community nurseries in Magoye, we are restoring degraded land and empowering youth and women in the process. A biodiversity survey by The Lionheart Experience (South Africa) recorded more than 400 observations and 300 species, laying the groundwork for our new Biodiversity Management Plan.
