SMEs struggle to sustain products beyond trade fairs
DAR ES SALAAM: DESPITE showcasing high-quality products at major trade fairs, domestic small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face challenges in maintaining standard consistently, hampering their long-term growth and market competitiveness.
Many entrepreneurs excel during exhibitions, drawing attention with innovative and well-crafted products.
However, post-fair, a troubling pattern emerges: These SMEs struggle to uphold the same quality and product availability. An economist-cum-investment banker, Dr Hilderbrand Shayo, warned that this gap pinpoints a broader issue of market readiness and operational sustainability.
“This inconsistency undermines customer trust, hampers repeat business and ultimately, stifles sustainable growth,” Dr Shayo told ‘Daily News’ after the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair ended on Monday.
He advocates for SMEs to focus on product improvement, alignment with standards and the formalisation of their businesses to remain competitive beyond the fairgrounds.
Stakeholders should help SMEs to “improve their products, penetrate competitive markets and sustain growth beyond exhibitions,” the economist said. Additionally, he said digital platform underutilisation is a significant obstacle.
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Many SMEs use social media for sales but lack proper digital infrastructure websites, digital payments, reliable logistics that could help them reach wider markets, especially internationally.
Airprint & Graphics Solution CEO Richson Prosper said that addressing these challenges and improving quality standards and digital readiness are crucial for SME growth.
“Many SMEs are failing to comply with the country’s standards under TBS (Tanzania Bureau of Standards), hindering their ability to compete locally and internationally,” Mr Prosper said.
He said SMEs are slow in adopting digital payment platforms because as they trusting more hard cash. High transaction commission are backpedaling their growth capability.
A cookies maker, identified only as Natarlie said she uses social media like Instagram and WhatsApp for social commerce but faces significant barriers in technical capacity, trust, logistics, financing and product quality, limiting her domestic and international competitiveness.
“We face significant hurdles across technical capacity, trust, logistics, financing and product quality and these issues really limit our competitiveness, both here at home and internationally,” she said.
