Zambia: the Government Service Bus, ZamPortal and payment gateway

What the system is and who runs it

ZamPortal says the Government Service Bus has changed access to government services by digital means ¹. It says ZamPortal is deployed by the Electronic Government Division (SMART Zambia Institute) ¹. ZamPortal is a website and government platform on the GSB ¹.

The SMART Zambia site says it leads initiatives to improve public service delivery through e-government solutions ⁴.

In July 2026 ITWeb reporter Arnold Mulenga named the platforms as the GSB, the Government Electronic Payment Gateway ZamPortal and ZamPay ².

Start date and legal basis

The official pages opened for this article do not give a launch date for the GSB or ZamPortal. In September 2024 ZamPortal reported collections since its inception without giving the start date ¹.

The official pages opened for this article do not cite the law under which the Electronic Government Division runs the platforms ^1,4.

How a payer uses it

ZamPortal says it hosts all digital government services and interacts with the public ¹. Services named in July 2026 include passport applications, rent payments and road tax ².

Payment channels named by the Ministry of Finance official were bank transfers, debit and credit cards, mobile money and cash deposits at commercial banks ².

• Find the service on ZamPortal ¹
• Pay by bank transfer, card, mobile money or cash at a commercial bank ²

Collections and the local authority gateway

In September 2024 Director Beaton Sibulowa said, according to ZamPortal, ZamPortal had over 3.7 million recorded transactions and had generated 5 billion Kwacha since its inception ¹. In July 2026 Daniel Mwewa, principal accountant at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, speaking for the Accountant General's Office, said the platforms had collected more than K8.8 billion (US$488 million), according to the Office of the Accountant General, as reported by ITWeb ². He credited ZamPay with reducing cash handling and leakages ².

By July 2026 eight local councils were onboarded for payments such as property rates, business levies and permits, with plans to reach all 116 local authorities ².

The official pages opened for this article do not describe how receipts settle into government accounts at the Bank of Zambia, and do not publish a payer fee schedule.

Audit findings

The Auditor General's report for 2024, presented to Parliament by Acting Auditor General Dr Ron Mwambwa, found K4.39 billion in tax liabilities unpaid to the Zambia Revenue Authority, as reported by Augustine Sichula of Zambia Monitor on 3 October 2025 ³. It found K1.32 billion in outstanding ground rent and K177.9 million in revenue arrears not collected at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources ³.

The Auditor General recommended stronger revenue collection systems, digitisation of records and regular internal audits ³. The report as described does not contain a finding on ZamPortal or the GSB, and no government response was reported ³.