I Worked for a Lusaka Startup That Never Paid Me. Here's What I Learned

By Bright Kapamulomo · Job Search · May 2026 · 8 min read

I want to tell you something that happened to me — not as a cautionary tale from someone else's life, but from mine. I am a full-stack software developer. I know how to verify information. I know how to ask questions. And I still got taken advantage of by a startup that looked legitimate enough to fool me.

This article is why we built ZedHires.

How it started: a job offer that seemed promising

I found the opportunity online. The role was for a technical lead position at what presented itself as a growing company with ambitious plans — twelve subsidiary modules to build, a client service portal for ordering fuel, pharmacy supplies, maize, and consulting services. The scope sounded real. The conversation felt professional. They spoke like people with money and a clear vision.

I went for the interview. They asked about my salary expectations. I mentioned my current take-home pay, and I told them I wanted ZMW 25,000 take-home, given the scope of what they were asking me to build. They said they would think about it. We continued talking.

First red flag I ignored: They had no website. No Facebook page. No LinkedIn company profile. Nothing I could search and verify independently. I told myself they were early-stage. I moved on.

The office problem

Before we even discussed a contract properly, something unusual was happening with the workplace. We were meeting at different locations — Radisson Blue, East Park Mall, other places that were new to me. I asked them why we kept moving. They said they were about to rent a proper company office.

I accepted this explanation. I shouldn't have.

Second red flag I ignored: A legitimate company, even a startup, has a consistent place of operations. "We're about to get an office" is a reason to wait before signing anything — not a reason to start work.

The contract and the appointment

They sent me a contract. I told them I could only work part-time in a hybrid arrangement, not full-time. They agreed to these terms.

Before I had fully signed and negotiated the contract, they appointed me as Technical Lead. Another red flag.

Third red flag — the biggest one: Being given a senior title before contract terms are finalized is a manipulation tactic. It creates a sense of obligation and importance that makes you feel committed before the paperwork actually protects you. It is a way of making you feel like you are already part of something before you have agreed to be.

I signed. We started working. They provided equipment to get me started, which made everything feel more legitimate. It wasn't.

End of month: the money that never came

Month end arrived. No salary was paid.

After everything — the role, the promises, the equipment, the "Technical Lead" title — I received ZMW 6,000 out of my agreed ZMW 25,000.

I had to chase this down myself. I submitted a case to the Ministry of Labour. I went to the local courts. Even with formal legal pressure, recovery was minimal.

The only reason this did not destroy me financially is that I had never left my original employer. I was still employed elsewhere. I still had an income. I was lucky. Not everyone would be.

What I should have done differently

Looking back, there is a clear list of checks I skipped. I am sharing them plainly so that you do not make the same mistakes.

1. Verify the company exists independently before any meeting

Before attending an interview, search the company name on:

• PACRA (Patents and Companies Registration Agency) — every legitimate Zambian company is registered here. You can verify registration at pacra.org.zm. If a company cannot show you a valid PACRA registration number, it is not formally incorporated.
• ZRA (Zambia Revenue Authority) — legitimate employers have a TPIN. Ask for it. If they are paying you lawfully, they must have one.
• Google, LinkedIn, Facebook — not just whether pages exist, but whether there is any history, any posts, any employees with the company listed in their profiles. A company with no digital footprint that claims to have money is a contradiction.
• Their physical address — before an interview, ask for their office address. Try to visit or verify it independently via Google Maps. "We are moving offices" is not an acceptable answer for a company asking you to consider leaving a stable job.

2. Never start work before the contract is fully signed and agreed

I started working under a verbal agreement with incomplete contract terms. This was my error.

In Zambia, the Employment Code Act No. 3 of 2019 requires that employment contracts be in writing. A written contract must include:

• Your agreed salary and payment date
• Your job title and duties
• Your probation period if applicable
• Working hours and location
• Notice period

Do not show up to work on day one without a fully signed contract in your possession. Not a draft. Not a verbal agreement. Not "we'll finalize it next week." A signed document.

3. Be suspicious of early prestige — especially titles

Being appointed Technical Lead before signing paperwork is not an honour. It is pressure.

Legitimate employers do not need to flatter you with titles before the legal process is complete. If a company is rushing to make you feel important before contracts are signed, ask yourself why. Flattery is a tool. Titles are often used to create a sense of commitment that the company benefits from even when they are not going to hold up their end.

4. Have a consistent meeting location — or walk away

"We are about to get an office" is a statement, not an excuse. A company serious about hiring you will be able to meet you at a permanent, verifiable place of business.

If meetings keep happening at coffee shops, malls, or hotel lobbies — ask directly: "Can you give me your company's registered physical address?" If they cannot, you are not dealing with a company in the ordinary sense.

5. Involve your partner, family, or trusted friends in major job decisions

This is something I want to stress particularly for Zambian job seekers: career decisions do not have to be made alone. If you are married, discuss the opportunity with your spouse before accepting which I did. If you are not, talk to a parent, a sibling, a mentor — someone who is not emotionally invested in the excitement of a new opportunity.

The people close to you will often notice things you cannot see because you are inside the situation. They will ask questions you have not thought to ask. Use them.

A note of caution here too: be selective about who among your family and friends you take advice from. Not everyone giving you advice has your best interests at heart. Choose people who have good judgment, who know the professional landscape, and who will tell you the truth even if it is not what you want to hear.

6. Never quit a stable job for an unverified startup

I was fortunate. I did not resign from my position. I was doing this as a part-time, hybrid arrangement. This saved me.

If an offer is pressuring you to resign your current role before you start — before you have received a first salary payment — that is a major warning sign. A company confident in its own legitimacy will allow a reasonable transition period. A company that needs you desperate and committed before you have seen any money has a reason for that urgency.

Know your rights as a Zambian employee

If something does go wrong, you have legal recourse in Zambia:

Ministry of Labour and Social Security — you can file a complaint about unpaid wages. Their offices are within your districts and provincial capitals. The process is slow but it is available.

Industrial Relations Court — for employment disputes, this is the specialist court. You do not necessarily need a lawyer for smaller claims.

Small Claims Court / Magistrate Court — for civil recovery of money owed below certain thresholds.

ZICA (Zambia Institute of Certified Accountants) — if the company claimed to be in finance or accounting, you can check whether their principals are registered.

Document everything. Keep all messages — WhatsApp, email, texts. Keep copies of any contract, any correspondence about salary, any appointment letters. If a dispute arises, these are your evidence. The single biggest mistake people in my situation make is having nothing in writing, which is exactly what predatory employers count on.

The pattern to recognize

Looking back at my experience with fresh eyes, the pattern is consistent with what I have since heard from others who have been through similar situations:

• Company without verifiable registration or physical address
• Early prestige (titles, responsibility) before contract formalities
• Promises of large budgets and ambitious scope
• Meeting in public or temporary spaces rather than a stable office
• Delayed or missing salary payment at month end
• Limited or no response when payment is challenged

No single item on this list is necessarily fatal. But three or more together — especially for a startup with no digital footprint — should make you pause and verify before committing.

A closing thought

We built ZedHires because job seekers in Zambia deserve better than scattered WhatsApp groups, pay-to-apply scams, and employers who are never what they say they are. The Zambian job market has real, legitimate opportunities — in mining, banking, NGOs, healthcare, technology, and more. But navigating it safely requires information that most people do not have.

If you have had a similar experience — a company that did not pay you, a role that turned out to be something else, a recruitment process that felt wrong — we would like to hear about it. Share in the comments below. Your experience might protect someone else from making the same mistake.

And please: keep abusive or accusatory language out of it. Name the patterns, not the individuals. That is how this is useful.

Bright Kapamulomo is a full-stack software developer and co-founder of ZedHires. He works on data engineering and full stack software development for organizations across Zambia.

Have a correction, addition, or story to share? Email us at hello@zedhires.com.

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