Building Zambia'sBio-Economyfrom the Ground Up
The Matemo incubator identifies, supports and connects enterprises building viable businesses from Zambia's non-timber forest products.
An incubator built for
Zambia's forest economy
The Matemo incubator provides structured advisory support, market linkages and direct exposure to buyers and investors — giving entrepreneurs and adjacent-sector SMEs everything they need to build viable businesses from Zambia's non-timber forest products.
Matemo operates as Zambia's first dedicated bio-economy incubator for NTFP value chains, working on two tracks simultaneously:
- With demand-side actors: 1) Startup entrepreneurs and adjacent-sector SMEs with potential to become NTFP processors/off-takers, by providing structured incubation support to grow their commercial viability and market reach; 2) Creating and nurturing market linkages of incubated and existing off-taker/processor SMEs with producer groups.
- With community-level producer groups: Working in partnership with NGOs and other organisations already engaged at community level, providing market-facing value chain development expertise to support producer group market readiness.
Key Principles
- Build the market ecosystem rather than substituting for it
- De-risk private and donor investments in the NTFP sector
- Promote fair-trade principles in market linkages
- Develop deforestation-free value chains
What we provide
Comprehensive, structured support to help you build a commercially sustainable NTFP enterprise.
Business Planning
Develop or refine your business model with expert guidance tailored to NTFP value chains.
Market Intelligence
Access market data, pricing insights and demand analysis for honey, mushrooms and other NTFPs.
Supply Chain Linkages
Connect directly with verified community producer groups for reliable, sustainable supply.
Technical Training
Build capacity in processing, quality assurance, packaging and product development.
Compliance & Standards
Navigate food safety, certification and regulatory requirements for all markets.
Investment Readiness
Prepare for growth financing through investor-ready documentation and pitch support.
Built for commercially
minded operators
Startup Entrepreneurs
Individuals with a viable concept or early-stage enterprise in the NTFP sector, at any stage of development.
Processors & Aggregators
Businesses that buy, aggregate and process raw NTFPs from community producers for domestic or export markets.
Adjacent-sector SMEs
Established businesses in food processing, logistics or trade looking to add NTFP value chains to their operations.
Traders & Product Developers
Operators sourcing Zambian NTFPs for resale, or innovators creating new consumer products from forest resources.
Matemo's current activities
Matemo is being established through the Bush2Business project — recruiting its first enterprises, building producer linkages and standing up the incubator's services.
Recruiting the first cohort
Identifying and assessing startup entrepreneurs and adjacent-sector SMEs ready for structured incubation support.
Building producer linkages
Connecting incubated and existing off-taker/processor SMEs with community producer groups across Zambia's NTFP value chains.
Establishing the incubator
Standing up Matemo's governance, advisory services and market infrastructure as a not-for-profit bio-economy incubator.
Team Members
The people on the ground connecting communities, enterprises and forest value chains.
Besnart Banda
Field TechnicianSupporting community engagement and field coordination while promoting sustainable forest businesses, community development and conservation.
Rector Mimbululu
Field TechnicianProvides specialized training on sustainable harvesting, processing methods and financial literacy, while contributing to value chain assessment, designing interventions and supporting implementation to improve productivity, value addition, market access and economic engagement of Non-Timber Forest Products producer groups.