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Tanzania: Doing business & staying in touch
Doing business in Tanzania
Business culture in Tanzania tends to be formal, relationship-driven and influenced by both African and British traditions. Hierarchy is respected, and senior figures are usually addressed by their title and surname unless invited to do otherwise. Initial meetings often begin with polite conversation before moving to business matters, and building trust is considered important before decisions are finalised.
Punctuality is appreciated, particularly in government and corporate settings, though meetings may not always start exactly on time. It is advisable to confirm appointments in advance and to be patient if schedules shift. Decision-making can take time, especially where approval from senior management or officials is required.
A handshake is the standard greeting in professional contexts. It is courteous to wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Exchanging business cards is common, and cards should be treated with respect. Dress is generally conservative and professional, particularly in formal meetings; suits or smart business attire are appropriate in cities such as Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
Communication style is typically polite and measured. Direct confrontation is avoided, and disagreements are often expressed diplomatically. Written follow-up after meetings is advisable, as it helps clarify agreed points and next steps.
During Ramadan, working hours may be adjusted, and meetings may be shorter or scheduled earlier in the day. Awareness of religious holidays and public holidays is important when arranging business travel.
Tanzania has one of the largest and most diverse economies in East Africa, underpinned by agriculture, mining, tourism and a growing services sector. Agriculture remains a major employer, with crops such as coffee, tea, cashew nuts, cotton and tobacco forming key exports. The country is also known for cloves from Zanzibar and horticultural produce destined for regional and international markets.
Mining plays an important role, particularly gold, which is one of Tanzania's leading export earners. The country also has deposits of diamonds, tanzanite and other minerals, alongside natural gas resources that contribute to industrial development and energy supply.
Tourism is a central pillar of the economy, driven by wildlife safaris, Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and numerous national parks and conservation areas. The sector supports transport, hospitality, construction and a wide range of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country.
In recent years, infrastructure development has been a key focus, with investment in roads, railways, ports and energy projects aimed at strengthening regional trade links. Dar es Salaam functions as a major commercial hub and port for landlocked neighbouring countries, enhancing Tanzania's role in regional commerce.
While urban centres are expanding and industrial activity is growing, a significant proportion of the population remains engaged in subsistence farming and the informal sector. The government continues efforts to diversify the economy, improve investment conditions and expand manufacturing, positioning Tanzania as an increasingly important player in East Africa.
Gold, coffee, cashew nuts, tobacco, cotton, cloves, natural gas, and precious stones including tanzanite.
Petroleum products, machinery and transport equipment, motor vehicles, industrial goods, chemicals, and manufactured consumer goods.
Keeping in Touch in Tanzania
In most towns there is an efficient local and international service from public coin and card phone boxes operated by the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd. (TTCL) (www.ttcl.co.tz). These are usually outside or within the post office and in the cities there are separate TTCL offices for phone, fax and Internet. Connections are quick and about a third of the price of a call through hotels, which are expensive for phone calls and faxes.
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Tanzania’s many cellular networks cover almost all towns, the urban sections of the coast, Zanzibar and the tourist areas, but not some of the parks and reserves or the southwest of Tanzania away from the towns and the main road. SIM and top-up cards for the pay-as-you-go mobile providers are available just about everywhere; in the towns and cities they often have their own shops, but you can buy cards from roadside vendors anywhere, even in the smallest of settlements.
Email can be accessed in internet cafés in main urban areas, which are affordable and efficient. Even smaller towns have at least one, usually on the main street. In the more remote towns, where a satellite connection is used, costs can be a little higher. Tourists can also access the internet in many hotels; the more upmarket and business orientated ones have in-room Wi-Fi. Accommodation in parks and reserves generally don’t have internet.
There are post offices even in the smallest of towns (www.posta.co.tz). Airmail to Europe takes about 5-7 days and to the US about 10 days. EMS is a registered postal service available at all post offices. Courier services take three working days and the major international courier companies such as DHL (www.dhl.co.tz) are represented in the cities and Zanzibar.
Until the 1990s, Tanzania's media was largely state controlled. Founding president Julius Nyerere believed TV would increase the divide between rich and poor and Tanzania is considered to have been one of the last countries in the world to broadcast TV – which it did in 1994. Today, the number of Tanzanians with TVs has risen at a swift rate and most ‘middle class’ urban Tanzanians own a television. Tanzanians are avid radio listeners with an estimated 60% of the population having access to radio. Tanzania enjoys a good level of freedom of press, though there is some bias depending on the ownership of the media.
Government-owned Daily News is Tanzania's oldest newspaper. There are also private English-language newspapers The Guardian and This Day as well as private weeklies Business Times, The Express and Arusha Times.
There are more than 15 private TV channels in Tanzania (in Dar es Salaam alone seven terrestrial channels are broadcast). One of the most popular is Capital run by the IPP media group (www.ippmedia.com) which broadcasts a mix of news (in Kiswahili and English), Swahili dramas, imported soaps and dramas from the USA, UK and South Africa, music videos and European football matches. DSTV (Digital Satellite Television; www.dstv.com), is a South African subscription satellite channel, which has countless international channels and is found in most upmarket hotels, (as well as many restaurants and bars for the sports and music channels).
State-run stations include Radio Tanzania Dar es Salaam, Parapanda Radio Tanzania and Voice of Tanzania-Zanzibar. There are also dozens of private FM radio stations, most of them operating in urban areas; among these networks are Radio Free Africa, Radio One, Radio Sky, Radio Star and Radio Uhuru. News bulletins from international radio stations, including the BBC, Voice of America and Germany's Deutsche Welle, are carried by many stations.
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