WHEN President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as the 6th president of the United Republic of Tanzania, local companies held their breath.
It was the first time the country was being run by a woman, and they did not know what she had to offer in terms of local investment…they did not hold their breaths for long.
Since coming into office on March 19, 2021, President Samia has made it clear that she wants to lead a country where businesses flourish.
Addressing Parliament for the first time in April 2021, President Hassan dedicated almost a third of her 90-minute speech explaining what her government would do for Tanzania to regain investors’ trust.
She also dwelt on how economic diplomacy, incentivising strategic projects, fighting corruption, removing red tape in issuance of work permits and approval of investment projects, among other measures, would boost investment to spur economic growth and reach the aspired eight per cent annual growth rate.
That is why when Nguvu Moja Security Services (NgMSS), a local security company won the prestigious Annual Company of the Year (ACOYA) award, many knew those efforts continue to pay dividends.
The company which deals with security, safety and rescue operations brushed off stiff competition to prove that Tanzania is standing on another level in terms of local content.
An official of the company whispered that one of the pillars which made them win the coveted award is the support offered by the Geita located Buck reef Gold Mine.
Buck reef Gold Mine is jointly owned by Tanzania Royalty Exploration Corporation (TRX) and the government of Tanzania through the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO).
NgMSS was declared the winner for the medium sized companies in the quality services survey conducted by Eastern Star Consulting Group (Tanzania) Limited (ESCoG) across Africa for the 2023/24 first edition.
For a local company, it is a feat worth mentioning considering that the competition involved 149 other companies in different categories prepared by ESCoG team of consultants spread all over Africa as far as Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia, just to mention a few.
Gracing the event in Dar es Salaam, Mozambican High Commissioner in Tanzania, Pedro Azevedo Davane witnessed as 148 more companies received accolades in such fields as Real Estate management, Agribusiness, Construction, Interior Design, Energy, Finance and Health among others.
“This is a good opportunity for all of you to penetrate foreign markets within Africa outside Tanzania,” he said.
He urged local companies to be brave enough to challenge international companies, saying that with such quality surveys like the ones organised by ESCoG, African firms may be able to challenge the supremacy of European, North American, Asian and Chinese firms.
Mr Davane mentioned the efforts of ESCoG Managing Director Deogratius Kilawe, saying they have pumped credibility into Tanzanian companies when venturing into the African continent’s virgin market, where reports indicate that African firms utilise just under five per cent of the continent’s trade potential.
“With this award, you now have the potential to penetrate markets in all African countries, because you have what it takes to offer exemplary services anywhere in the continent,” said the Diplomat.
The ESCoG Managing Director, Mr Kilawe on his part said that the competition is the first edition to focus on continuous improvement that builds sustainable institutions based on key performance indicators or determinants.
He said in the first ACOYA edition, companies were assessed on the soundness of business processes, sustainability and companies that cultivate a culture that values continuous learning and improvement.
NgMSS, a 100 per cent local security outfit has proved its salt by offering services to major companies, including Tanzanian mining giants Mirerani based Tanzanite One in Simanjiro District in Manyara region, Barrick Gold Mine (North Mara) which is in partnership with the Tanzanian government through Twiga Minerals Corporation, Pangea Gold Mine (Buzwagi) which also partners with the Tanzanian government through Twiga Minerals Corporation, Buckreef Gold Mine in Geita which is in partnership with a Canadian mining giant TRX, as well as the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) and ZEM Tanzania, a Chinese mining company in Butiama, among many others.
One of the company officials, Camil Joseph Alphonse, says the award will motivate them to continue investing more in both security, safety and rescue operation assets so that they can win the trust of more customers.
“Some of the areas covered in the survey included sufficient investment in security assets and equipment in order to serve clients better. It also looked at staff motivation, discipline and training, which makes us comfortable to look for potential customers beyond the continent,” he said.
He said the company has fulfilled some of the key security and safety requirements, such as provision of top-quality Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) as per Occupational Safety and Health Agency Authority (OSHA) set standards, that is why for two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023 they received awards from OSHA for being the overall best security outfit in Tanzania.
“We thank our President for creating an enabling environment for local companies, that is why we can now confidently encourage investors to come in and work in partnership with the government of Tanzania and we will be there to offer them the best services,” he concluded.
NgMSS is a 100 per cent local Tanzanian company which was registered in 2010 after joining forces with retired officers from Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), Tanzania Police Force (TP), the Tanzania National Service (JKT) and other retirees from other national security agencies and paramilitary local agencies.
That is why Barrick President, Mark Bristow, once stated that because they have confidence on the services of the local security company, they dismissed the international security firm which guarded the North Mara Gold Mine and replaced them with NgMSS.
