Tanzania emerges as continental leader in ICT innovation
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has cemented its position among Africa’s top countries for ICT innovation, thanks to a strategic programme by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) that promotes and supports local tech entrepreneurs.
Over the weekend in Dar es Salaam, TCRA Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari announced that five out of the ten leading African startups recognised by the African Telecommunication Union (ATU) were Tanzanian, a remarkable milestone for the nation’s growing tech ecosystem.
“This is a result of our deliberate efforts to create an enabling environment for innovators in the communications sector,” said Dr Bakari.
The ATU Innovation Challenge, which supports digital transformation across the continent, identified the top startups based on their potential to deliver impactful, scalable solutions in ICT.
Two Tanzanian innovators are currently representing the country at a four-day international innovation summit in Cape Town, South Africa, which concludes today. Their participation is part of the ATU’s ongoing Africa Innovation Challenge series.
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TCRA fully funded the travel of both representatives: Ms Asha Haji Haji, founder of GetAI and Mr Alex Gastone Mkwizu, product manager of Black Swan-AI, a credit scoring technology startup. Their inclusion highlights the country’s increasing visibility in the global tech space.
According to ATU Programme Coordinator Ms Alice Koech, Black Swan’s AI-driven credit scoring engine, which extends financial services to underserved populations using alternative data, was selected to represent the Fintech category an area where Tanzania is quickly emerging as a regional leader.
“Tanzania’s innovation in Fintech demonstrates how ICT can be leveraged to expand financial inclusion,” said Ms Koech.
TCRA’s innovation programme provides extensive support to startups in the communications sector. This includes temporary allocation of essential digital resources such as short codes, radio spectrum, domain names, postcodes and mobile numbers free of charge, to help innovators test and refine their solutions.
The Authority also collaborates with key national stakeholders, including the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA), to ensure that innovators receive technical, legal and operational support.
“We are determined to build a Tanzanian society that is empowered and enabled by access to communication services,” Dr Bakari said.
As part of its broader innovation agenda, TCRA, in partnership with BRELA, recently organised a workshop on intellectual property rights (IPR) for ICT innovators. The event focused on educating participants about the protection of ideas and inventions, including trademarks, patents and utility models.
The initiative aims to help innovators safeguard their creations from infringement, misappropriation and brand dilution, which are common challenges in the startup landscape.
