Technology in Tanzania today is revolutionizing the economy and creating a host of job opportunities for the nation’s youth. Mobile money and internet-based transactions, for example, have changed the financial sector, empowered women and small retailers and transformed the education system.

The next step, says Promise Mwakale, Partnership Lead at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), is to introduce policies that will boost the ability of tech entrepreneurs to attract investment and encourage “innovation sandboxes”: digital environments that enable stakeholders to build innovative concepts and solution.

“We hope this will happen by next year,” said Ms. Mwakale. “We already have a hubs-of-hubs programme, as well as university hubs and some hubs forming joint programmes. A government policy on start-ups would set standards and regulations aimed at granting tax breaks and the ability to unlock financial gates.”

Recent mapping of Tanzania’s tech ecosystem led by International Trade Centre’s  #FastTrackTech project identified how tech hubs, startups and other stakeholders also can better collaborate for growth in order to compete effectively and attract investment.

Working Together For Success

“The report, which focused its research on 24 tech hubs, shows there is a huge opportunity here for institutions to connect more with each other,” said ITC programme officer Nuria Rull Bes, who led the mapping exercise together with Costech.

The mapping report provided a baseline for discussion at a meeting that took place on 27 June in Dar es Salaam and gathered development organizations, government and private sector leaders, innovation hubs, start-up associations and entrepreneurs. The discussion focused on how best to support Tanzania’s evolving tech sector, key priorities, and how to build up the hubs’ capacity.

“It gave me a better idea of the current standing of Tanzania’s Tech Ecosystem,” said Francis Omorojie, co-founder of Ennovate Hub and a #FastTrackTech partner. “We have been working in silos, competing for similar funding streams, and implementing programmes with few or no partnerships within the ecosystem, creating a situation of competition rather than collaboration,” he noted.

“Now I have a road map for how to better structure my programmes and understand what kinds of partners I need to build more effective partnerships to unlock potential investment,” Omorojie said. “Donors also need to start encouraging joint hub programmes,” he added.

SOURCE intracen.org/news/tanzania-transform-digital-economy-opportunities-growth/