EELA Zambia Energy Efficient Appliances and Manufacturing Development Market Study

A striking finding of the study is the so-called “compliance paradox”. While around 92% of appliances sold in Zambia carry energy labels, this does not indicate true regulatory compliance. Nearly half of firms (49%) are unaware of MEPS or relevant standards, and 55% of staff have not received any training on energy efficiency. Labelling is therefore largely voluntary and driven by market practices rather than enforced standards, with compliance often based on self-declaration instead of independent verification. This creates a situation where the appearance of compliance masks underlying weaknesses in quality assurance.

On the demand side, affordability emerges as the dominant constraint shaping consumer behaviour. The market is overwhelmingly cash-based, with 86–88% of purchases made upfront and 67% of respondents identifying cost as the main barrier to adopting energy-efficient appliances. At the same time, the study finds that 50% of consumer willingness to pay for energy-efficient products depends on access to financing. This indicates that demand for efficient technologies exists but remains largely untapped due to financial constraints. Importantly, energy efficiency itself is not a major decision driver; consumers prioritise price, brand, and reliability far above energy savings, suggesting that awareness campaigns alone are unlikely to shift demand without supportive financial and regulatory incentives.

Five interconnected bottlenecks explain why the market has not yet transitioned toward energy efficiency. These include the absence of MEPS, lack of testing and certification capacity, limited access to financing, fragmented institutional coordination, and significant gaps in technical skills. These constraints reinforce each other: for example, without testing infrastructure, standards cannot be enforced, and without enforcement, there is little incentive for manufacturers or importers to invest in higher-efficiency products.

Quality assurance remains particularly weak. Only about 11% of firms use certified test reports, and Zambia currently lacks an ISO/IEC 17025‑accredited laboratory for appliance energy performance testing. While ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation applies to individual laboratories rather than entire institutions - meaning that the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) may host multiple labs with varying accreditation status - the absence of an accredited facility dedicated to energy efficiency testing represents a critical gap. As a result, regulators are unable to independently verify product performance, leaving the reliability of energy efficiency claims uncertain and weakening overall market trust.

Environmental considerations add further urgency. The study reveals that 23% of appliances have unknown end-of-life pathways, and only 23% of firms provide information on recycling or take-back options. Although Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations exist, they are not yet operationalized, leaving the country vulnerable to growing e-waste challenges as appliance use expands.  

Gender disparities are another critical dimension of the analysis. Women are significantly underrepresented across the value chain, particularly in technical and manufacturing roles, where 70% of firms report female participation below 20%. At the same time, only 1% of firms are female-led (while 41% of enterprises are female-led when joint/mixed ownership is included), and 87% of market actors do not actively target women as consumers. This highlights both structural inequalities and missed market opportunities, as women represent a largely untapped segment in both production and consumption.