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Innovation surge fuels Tanzania’s startups

A NEW wave of innovation is sweeping across the country, driven by a collective ambition to stimulate the national startup ecosystem

DAR ES SALAAM: A NEW wave of innovation is sweeping across the country, driven by a collective ambition to stimulate the national startup ecosystem.

According to the 2023 Tanzania Startup Ecosystem Report, there are currently 842 startups countrywide.

Dar es Salaam remains the predominant business hub, hosting 66.56 per cent of known startups, followed by Mbeya with 8.24 per cent, Arusha with 7.06 per cent, Morogoro with 5.88 per cent and other regions making up the remainder.

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Among the solution-oriented startups is Digital Laboratory’s Smart Darasa software, developed by Tanzanian innovator Kusiluka Aginiwe to enhance students’ understanding and interest in science subjects.

Additionally, Mr James Kalema, the Director of Afya Lead, has introduced ‘Mkanda Salama,’ a technology that prevents excessive bleeding after delivery.

This innovation proved 80 per cent effective after being tested on 120 women in Kibaoni, Mlimba, and St Francis hospitals in the Morogoro region.

Recognising the significant gap between Dar es Salaam and other regions and the immense potential for growth, leaders and policymakers are urged to drive development.

The Tanzania Startup Association (TSA) has intervened by initiating a regional startup ecosystem monthly meetup in collaboration with Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Organisations (EISOs).

TSA, a membership-based organisation with over 710 startup from all over the country, aims to advocate for a favourable business environment for startups to prosper.

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“The strategic initiative aims to strengthen regional startup ecosystems by fostering community networks through regular, semiformal meetups.

These gatherings facilitate peerto-peer mentorship, stimulate networking opportunities, and provide a platform for sharing experiences,” said TSA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Zahoro Muhaji to Business Standard.

Despite the challenging business environment, Mr Muhaji emphasised the importance of addressing the significant divide within the Tanzanian startup ecosystem.

“This divide hinders growth due to inefficiencies, siloed operations, missed opportunities for collaboration and duplicated efforts,” he said.

The TSA programme, now implemented across five regions, aims to engage and support over 120 startup founders and more than 1,000 participants from the general community.

By targeting regions with emerging entrepreneurial activity, TSA seeks to accelerate growth in these dynamic ecosystems.

Since its inception last September, the programme has covered five zones: Coastal (Morogoro), Northern (Arusha), Southern Highlands (Mbeya), Lake Zone (Mwanza), and Central Zone (Dodoma), providing knowledge on critical issues