Tutoring Franchise in Zambia: The Complete 2026 Guide

Zambia's schools are changing on two fronts at once. Free education has brought many more learners into classrooms, and a new curriculum framework is restructuring how many years children spend in each phase and when they sit national exams. For anyone considering a tutoring franchise in Zambia, those changes create a clear need: parents want dependable help with English and Mathematics while the system around them is being rebuilt.

This guide covers the examinations set by the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ), the 2023 curriculum framework and its timeline, why demand is growing, the ways families get help today, franchise regulation and how Success Tutoring approaches Zambia.

ECZ examinations under the current system

Under the system that most learners in school today still follow, the ECZ sets three national examinations:

• The Grade 7 composite examination at the end of primary school.
• The Grade 9 junior secondary examination.
• The Grade 12 School Certificate examination, whose results determine entry to universities and colleges. A credit or better in English and Mathematics is a common entry requirement.

The 2023 curriculum framework

The Zambia Education Curriculum Framework 2023 is moving schools towards a competence-based curriculum and a new structure. According to Ministry of Education statements reported in the Zambian press, the system changes from 4-7-2-3 to 3-6-4-2: three years of early childhood education, six years of primary, four years of ordinary secondary and two years of advanced secondary.

The practical changes reported so far:

• Forms replace grades at secondary level. Ordinary secondary runs from Form 1 to Form 4, with A-level study in Forms 5 and 6.
• The junior secondary exam is going. The ECZ's 2025 newsletter lists the Junior Secondary School Leaving and Junior Secondary External examinations as being discontinued under the 2023 curriculum.
• The School Certificate moves to Form 4. Ordinary-level certification will come at the end of Form 4 rather than Grade 12.
• School-based assessment. Reports say school-based assessment will be used alongside traditional exams.
• A phased rollout. Implementation began in 2025 with early childhood Level 1, Grade 1 and Form 1, and reached Grade 4 in 2026. Zambian press reports that 2028 will be a double year, with old and new cohorts at both primary and secondary level sitting their examinations at the same time.

Timelines in a reform of this size can shift, so check current ECZ and Ministry announcements before relying on any date.

Why tutoring demand is growing in Zambia

There is no official measure of Zambia's tutoring market, and we will not quote one. The drivers are clear, though:

• Larger classes. The government introduced free education from early childhood to secondary school in 2022, bringing many more learners into school. More learners per teacher means less individual attention.
• A new curriculum. Parents educated under the old system are now supporting children on new syllabuses and new assessment styles.
• Two systems at once. Until the transition completes, schools are teaching old and new cohorts side by side, with exams converging in 2028.
• Entry requirements. Credits in English and Mathematics remain central to further study, so families invest in those two subjects first.
• Urban growth. Lusaka and the Copperbelt towns of Kitwe and Ndola, along with provincial centres such as Livingstone, have growing numbers of families able to pay for after-school support.

How families get help today

Private tuition is common in Zambia, often given by teachers or university students, and many schools run extra lessons before exams. Families choose between:

• Private tutors, who are flexible and often affordable but vary in quality and continuity.
• Independent tuition centres, which know their communities but must build curriculum, recruitment and marketing themselves.
• Kumon-style worksheet centres. Kumon describes its method as worksheet-based self-learning: children work through short daily worksheets and progress level by level. It suits families who value routine practice.
• Tutor-led membership centres, the model Success Tutoring uses, where tutors work with learners in a centre on a regular weekly schedule, with progress reporting for parents.

We have not found a Zambian statute that specifically regulates private tuition centres. If you plan to employ serving teachers, check whether Teaching Service Commission or employer rules restrict outside paid work, and take local advice. Our Success Tutoring vs Kumon guide compares the two centre models.

What a tutoring franchise is

A tutoring franchise licenses you to run a learning business under an established brand, using its curriculum, systems, training and marketing. You pay an initial fee and ongoing royalties; you own the business and employ the staff. During a curriculum transition, the franchisor's ability to update resources quickly and train tutors consistently is a large part of what you are buying.

What to look for in a tutoring franchise in Zambia

1. A plan for the transition. Ask how the programme supports learners in both the old grade structure and the new form structure, and how it will adapt as ECZ assessments change.
2. Literacy and numeracy first. English and Mathematics are the subjects that carry across every syllabus and every entry requirement.
3. Launch support. Ask what marketing help is available for a new centre during the curriculum transition; see our launch support page.
4. Tutor recruitment and training. Ask how tutors are recruited, vetted and trained, and how consistency is maintained.
5. Territory. A unit near a busy Lusaka mall serves a different catchment from a site in Kitwe or Ndola. Our franchise territories page shows indicative territories when viewed in Zambia.
6. Disclosure. There is no legal duty to disclose, so ask for a disclosure document and speak to existing partners.

Franchise regulation and practicalities in Zambia

Zambia has no franchise-specific statute. Franchise agreements rest on general contract, intellectual property and competition law.

• Company registration. Companies register with the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA).
• Trade marks. Confirm that the franchisor's brand is registered in Zambia and how your licence to use it is structured; your lawyer can advise on the current registration process.
• Competition law. Territory and pricing clauses can raise questions under Zambian competition law; ask how the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission would view them.
• Premises. Check that the lease and local council requirements permit an education use and that the space suits children.
• Royalties. Payments to an overseas franchisor raise withholding tax and foreign exchange questions; take advice from a Zambian accountant.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Take advice from a Zambian lawyer before you sign anything.

How Success Tutoring approaches Zambia

Success Tutoring was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2017 by Michael Black and has been franchising since around 2020. It has publicly announced international markets including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom and India. At the time of writing (October 2026) it has not announced a launch or any centre in Zambia. It is open to conversations with franchise partners and a master franchise partner for the country.

The model, built in Australia, is one of membership-based, retail-style learning centres for K–12 students. Partners may receive support with site selection, leasing and fit-out, tutor recruitment and online tutor training, learning resources, launch and ongoing marketing, and ongoing help from head office; the franchise agreement and disclosure documents describe the actual support. Partners do not need to be teachers.

Costs are on the investment schedule. Our complete tutoring franchise guide explains the model, and our Kenya guide covers another market moving to a competency-based curriculum.

Frequently asked questions

What is changing in Zambian exams?

Under the 2023 curriculum framework, secondary moves to Forms 1 to 4 plus Forms 5 and 6, the junior secondary exam is being discontinued, and the School Certificate moves to Form 4. The rollout began in 2025.

Is there demand for a tutoring franchise in Zambia?

Free education since 2022 has enlarged classes, and the new curriculum is changing what learners study. Both lead parents to look for structured English and Maths support after school.

Does Zambia have a franchise law?

No franchise-specific statute exists. Agreements rest on contract, intellectual property and competition law, so take local legal advice.

Who is the right partner for Zambia?

Someone who cares about children's learning, can lead a team of tutors and is comfortable building a local business. Larger groups may be interested in master franchise rights.

Is Success Tutoring open in Zambia?

No centres have been announced. Success Tutoring is seeking franchise and master franchise partners for Zambia.

Next steps

A tutoring franchise in Zambia meets a need created by free education and a new curriculum. Read why us for how Success Tutoring supports partners, then follow the process from first conversation to opening day.

All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Figures about other franchises are taken from their public websites, disclosure documents or reputable franchise directories at the time of writing and may have changed; verify them directly before making any decision. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.