Image: ZACL
Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has become the first state-owned enterprise in Zambia to adopt the Smart Office Management System, as the government steps up efforts to digitalise public institutions and improve the efficiency of administrative processes.
The system was officially commissioned and handed over to ZACL managing director Urvesh Desai by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa during a ceremony in Lusaka on 4 September.
Developed by the Smart Zambia Institute, the e-Government Division under the Office of the President, the Smart Office Management System is designed to replace manual, paper-based administrative processes with digital workflows, electronic records management and faster approval systems.
For ZACL, the adoption of the platform is expected to reduce dependence on physical paperwork while improving turnaround times, transparency, accountability and decision-making across the corporation.
Desai said ZACL would approach the implementation as a broader institutional transformation rather than simply an information technology initiative.
“We will treat this implementation as an institutional transformation programme, not simply an information technology project,” he said.
ZACL has already trained staff at its head office on how to use the platform. Training will subsequently be extended to employees working at the corporation’s other stations, with 406 staff expected to receive training by the end of November 2026.
The rollout is expected to address some of the administrative challenges associated with paper-based systems, including delays, difficulties in tracking files and bottlenecks in decision-making.
Fredrick Mwalusaka, permanent secretary in Zambia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics, said the new system would help resolve these challenges by providing a more efficient way of managing government and institutional processes.
“The Smart Office Management System is our answer,” Mwalusaka said. “The new system will support faster and more transparent approvals, secure records management and timely access to critical information.”
Percy Chinyama, national coordinator of the Smart Zambia Institute, said successful implementation would depend on commitment and cooperation among employees and other stakeholders within ZACL.
He said the platform would support the corporation’s transition from manual processes to digital operations while contributing to improved productivity and decision-making.
The Cabinet has directed government institutions to prioritise the adoption and use of the Smart Office platform. Its rollout forms part of Zambia’s Eighth National Development Plan, which includes efforts to strengthen digital capacity and modernise public sector operations.
ZACL’s adoption of the system represents a significant step in the digital transformation of Zambia’s aviation sector. The corporation is responsible for developing, maintaining and managing the country’s four designated international airports: Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone and Mfuwe Airport.
ZACL also provides air navigation services within Zambian airspace.
As the corporation expands the system across its operations, the initiative is expected to provide a more streamlined approach to administration, while supporting Zambia’s broader objective of building efficient, transparent, and digitally enabled public institutions.
