Kafue
Encyclopedia
Kafue is a town in the Lusaka Province
of Zambia
on the north bank of the Kafue River
, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau
on which Lusaka
and the mining
towns of Kabwe
and the Copperbelt are located.
, the Kafue Flats, is a 240 km long east-west barrier to road and rail connections between the centre of the country and the south. Kafue lies at the eastern end of the floodplain where the river enters the Kafue Gorge and flows down the Zambezi Escarpment
into the middle Zambezi
rift valley
. Consequently it's strategically located at the only place where north-south road and rail can easily cross the Kafue River and squeeze through the gap between floodplain and escarpment. The Kafue Railway Bridge
on the Lusaka–Livingstone line
is at the south end of the town, and the Kafue Bridge 9km to south-east carries one of the busiest sections of the Great North Road
across the river and brings it through the town, from where it continues 50 km north to Lusaka
. In the other direction the road connects to the Zimbabwe
border at the Chirundu Bridge
, and the main southern highway
to Livingstone
, Botswana
and Namibia
branches off it just south of the Kafue Bridge.
The river is not used for commercial water transport
. To the west it is too shallow and meandering and does not go near any centres of population, to the east is not navigable due to the Kafue Gorge and dam. However, subsistence fishing and recreational boating and sports fishing takes place on a 60 km stretch of the river above the dam.
Other industries in or near the town:
For many years the system relied on the natural process of fertilization by the pig manure thus creating a dynamic and complex spectrum of micro life (algae
, phytoplankton
and zooplankton
) on which the fish feed.
The dominant species have been Tilapia
’s, using both indigenous O.Andersonii and imported O.Niloticus. The hatchery has evolved from using natural propagation in earthen ponds to selected brood stock in polytunnels, and the production of all male progeny using both super males
and MT technology.
Intensification and yield increases have steadily been seen over the years with the introduction of aeration and the manufacture of a unique supplementary “green water floating pellet”. The formulation of the pellet was developed with cooperation of an international feed company and a UK based researched institute.
Historically the project has incorporated and tested several other species of fish (other Tilapia
, Carp
and Barbel) as well as trialling further aspects of integration (other livestock forms, vegetable varieties, rice and banana production
).
The pedigree pig herd has over the last 15 years used some of the top bloodlines in Europe
including genetic lines which originate as far away as Norway
and Finland
. The sale of breeding stock throughout Zambia
has contributed significantly to the national herd and thus the domestic pork industry as a whole.
The company is presently breeding up a Berkshire
herd to pedigree status – the first of its kind on the African Continent where surplus stock will be available to the small and medium scale farmer as well as the provision of what is internationally recognized as the best-eating pork in the world.
Finally KFL in 1988 was the first enterprise in Zambia
to trial game-farming
and its commercial potential. All aspects of game farming have been used including tourist facility, live sale, venison production and international hunting
. At the time of writing the project carries approximately 1000 head of game with 16 different species of antelope utilizing the broad range of habitats. The Kafue Lechwe
, which is unique to the floodplain on which the farm is based, has thrived as well as a range of other species which are rare in other areas of Africa. The bird count of 444 species recorded over the years is testament to the diversity and conservation of the habitats found within the property.
Lusaka Province
Lusaka Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. The provincial capital is Lusaka, which is also the national capital.-National Parks and wildlife areas:*Lower Zambezi National Park...
of Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
on the north bank of the Kafue River
Kafue River
The Kafue River sustains one of the world's great wildlife environments. It is a major tributary of the Zambezi, and of Zambia's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban, and the longest and largest lying wholly within Zambia....
, after which it is named. It is the southern gateway to the central Zambian plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
on which Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
and the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
towns of Kabwe
Kabwe
Kabwe is the capital of the Zambian Central Province with a population estimated at 210,000. Formerly named Broken Hill, it was founded when the Broken Hill lead and zinc deposits were discovered in 1902. Kabwe also has a claim to being the birthplace of Zambian politics...
and the Copperbelt are located.
Site
Kafue is at the south-eastern foot of a range of granite hills rising 200 m and extending over an area of about 250 km², and occupies a shelf of land between the hills and the river, just high enough to avoid its annual flood. The town extends along some shallow valleys between the hills. A 400 m wide strip of small farms and gardens separates the town from a bend of the river which is about 300 m wide in the dry season and 1.3 km wide in the rainy season, sometimes inundating a floodplain 10 km wide on the opposite bank, which consequently is uninhabited save for a few small villages or farms on higher ground.Transport links
The Kafue River's 50 km wide floodplainFloodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
, the Kafue Flats, is a 240 km long east-west barrier to road and rail connections between the centre of the country and the south. Kafue lies at the eastern end of the floodplain where the river enters the Kafue Gorge and flows down the Zambezi Escarpment
Zambezi Escarpment
Zambezi Escarpment is a name used for the escarpments forming both sides of the rift valley or graben in which lie the middle Zambezi river and Lake Kariba...
into the middle Zambezi
Zambezi
The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
rift valley
Rift valley
A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. This action is manifest as crustal extension, a spreading apart of the surface which is subsequently further deepened by the forces of erosion...
. Consequently it's strategically located at the only place where north-south road and rail can easily cross the Kafue River and squeeze through the gap between floodplain and escarpment. The Kafue Railway Bridge
Kafue Railway Bridge
The Kafue Railway Bridge was built to carry the Livingstone to Lusaka railway line in what is now Zambia over the Kafue River in 1906. It is a steel girder truss bridge of 13 spans each of supported on concrete piers...
on the Lusaka–Livingstone line
Zambia Railways
Zambia Railways is the national railway of Zambia, one of the two major railroad organizations in Zambia, which may also be referred to as Railway Systems of Zambia...
is at the south end of the town, and the Kafue Bridge 9km to south-east carries one of the busiest sections of the Great North Road
Great North Road (Zambia)
The Great North Road is a major route in Zambia, running north from Lusaka through Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi Serenje, Mpika, Kasama, Mbala and Mpulungu. 82km North of Mpika is a signposted left turn onto a well maintained gravel road leading to Shiwa Ng'andu and Kapishya Hot Springs...
across the river and brings it through the town, from where it continues 50 km north to Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
. In the other direction the road connects to the Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
border at the Chirundu Bridge
Chirundu Bridge
The Chirundu Bridge now consists of two road bridges side by side across the Zambezi River between the small town of Chirundu, Zambia and the village of Chirundu, Zimbabwe. At this location around 65 km downstream from the Kariba Dam the river is about 400 m wide...
, and the main southern highway
Lusaka-Livingstone road
The Lusaka–Livingstone Road or Livingstone Road is the main highway of the Southern Province of Zambia from the capital, Lusaka, to the principal tourist destination, Livingstone, Southern Africa....
to Livingstone
Livingstone, Zambia
Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
, Botswana
Kazungula Ferry
The Kazungula Ferry is a pontoon ferry across the 400-metre-wide Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia. It is one of the largest ferries in south-central Africa, having a capacity of 70 tonnes...
and Namibia
Katima Mulilo Bridge
The Katima Mulilo Bridge carries the TransCaprivi Highway over the Zambezi River between Katima Mulilo, Namibia and Sesheke, Zambia. It is a road bridge, completed in 2004, 900 metres long and with 19 spans...
branches off it just south of the Kafue Bridge.
The river is not used for commercial water transport
Water transport in Zambia
Water transport, and the many navigable inland waterways, in Zambia has a long tradition of practical use in Zambia except in parts of the south. Since draught animals such as oxen were not heavily used, water transport was usually the only alternative to going on foot until the 19th Century...
. To the west it is too shallow and meandering and does not go near any centres of population, to the east is not navigable due to the Kafue Gorge and dam. However, subsistence fishing and recreational boating and sports fishing takes place on a 60 km stretch of the river above the dam.
Population
According to its 2000 Census, Kafue has a total population of 162,262, of which 83,421 are males and 78,841 are females.Religion
Among people aged 15 years and above, 73.11% are Protestant, 11.08% belong to other religions, and 15.80% are not affiliated with any religion.Industry
Agriculture and fishing are the traditional occupations of the area, and a commercial faming area extends along the edge of the Kafue Flats for 35 km north-west of the town. Commercial fishing operations of any size are limited to fish farming. Kafue has a larger proportion of manufacturing industries than most other towns outside the Copperbelt, having an industrial estate with housing and services called Kafue Estates. The industries there include:- Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (agricultural fertilisers)
- Bata TanneryTanningTanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
(shoe leather) - Textiles
Other industries in or near the town:
- Kafue Fisheries Ltd was first established in 1981 with a five hectare pilot scheme. Over the succeeding years, the project has grown to its present size of 60 hectare ponds situated in the centre of 1800 hectare wildlife and cattle scheme. The whole aquaculture system is based on an integrated pig and fishIntegrated farmingIntegrated farming or integrated production is a commonly and broadly used word to explain a more integrated approach to farming as compared to existing monoculture approaches...
enterprise with annual production of TilapiaTilapiaTilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
exceeding 700 tonnes and 4000 pigs of the ‘heavy hog’ class.
For many years the system relied on the natural process of fertilization by the pig manure thus creating a dynamic and complex spectrum of micro life (algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, phytoplankton
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
and zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
) on which the fish feed.
The dominant species have been Tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
’s, using both indigenous O.Andersonii and imported O.Niloticus. The hatchery has evolved from using natural propagation in earthen ponds to selected brood stock in polytunnels, and the production of all male progeny using both super males
XYY syndrome
XYY syndrome is an aneuploidy of the sex chromosomes in which a human male receives an extra Y-chromosome, giving a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the more usual 46. This produces a 47,XYY karyotype...
and MT technology.
Intensification and yield increases have steadily been seen over the years with the introduction of aeration and the manufacture of a unique supplementary “green water floating pellet”. The formulation of the pellet was developed with cooperation of an international feed company and a UK based researched institute.
Historically the project has incorporated and tested several other species of fish (other Tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
and Barbel) as well as trialling further aspects of integration (other livestock forms, vegetable varieties, rice and banana production
Banana plantation
A banana plantation is a commercial agricultural facility found in tropical climates where bananas are grown. -Geographic distribution of banana plantations:...
).
The pedigree pig herd has over the last 15 years used some of the top bloodlines in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
including genetic lines which originate as far away as Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The sale of breeding stock throughout Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
has contributed significantly to the national herd and thus the domestic pork industry as a whole.
The company is presently breeding up a Berkshire
Berkshire (pig)
Berkshire pigs are a rare breed of pig originating from Berkshire in England.Herds of the breed are still maintained in England by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, and by the South of England Rare Breeds Centre in Kent. The Berkshire is listed as 'vulnerable',...
herd to pedigree status – the first of its kind on the African Continent where surplus stock will be available to the small and medium scale farmer as well as the provision of what is internationally recognized as the best-eating pork in the world.
Finally KFL in 1988 was the first enterprise in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
to trial game-farming
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
and its commercial potential. All aspects of game farming have been used including tourist facility, live sale, venison production and international hunting
Trophy hunting
Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial , the carcass itself is sometimes used as food....
. At the time of writing the project carries approximately 1000 head of game with 16 different species of antelope utilizing the broad range of habitats. The Kafue Lechwe
Lechwe
The Lechwe, or Southern Lechwe, is an antelope found in Botswana, Zambia, south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, north-eastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats and Bangweulu Swamps....
, which is unique to the floodplain on which the farm is based, has thrived as well as a range of other species which are rare in other areas of Africa. The bird count of 444 species recorded over the years is testament to the diversity and conservation of the habitats found within the property.
- Kafue Quarry produces construction aggregateConstruction AggregateConstruction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
for road building and general construction. - Kafue Gorge Dam generates hydroelectricityHydroelectricityHydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
30 km downstream from the town, and at the end of the rainy season its reservoirReservoirA reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
extends back to the town.
- a cement worksCement in Africa- Angola :* Lobitoo - proposal 2006* Nova Cimangola - state-owned cement company based in Luanda, associated with Scancem and Heidelberg Cement- Cameroon :* Douala - port - cement works* Yaoundé - national capital - cement works...
is proposed.