The apprentice tilers of Ndola: a story of patience and precision

How a small training programme is producing some of the country's most in-demand finishers — one straight grout line at a time.

In a quiet workshop on the outskirts of Ndola, a group of apprentices is being taught the kind of patience that turns a good tiler into a great one. We spent a morning with them.

The programme is small — twelve apprentices a year — but the alumni are now in demand on premium residential and hospitality projects across the country.