Category: The Citizen

Young Africans (Yanga) are taking their time before deciding the future of Captain Bakari Mwamnyeto, with financial considerations emerging as one of the key factors behind the delay in renewing contracts for several players whose deals have expired, The Citizen can reveal.

Mwamnyeto is among a number of Yanga players awaiting new agreements after the conclusion of the 2025/2026 season, despite playing a significant role in the club’s continued dominance in Tanzanian football.

Sources within the club said negotiations have not been concluded because Yanga’s management is carefully reviewing the financial demands of players seeking contract renewals, particularly regarding signing fees.

According to the source, some experienced players are requesting higher signing fees than those they received in previous contracts, forcing the club to reassess whether such payments match the players’ current value, age and long-term contribution.

The club believes contract renewals require a different approach compared to signing new players, as existing players have already contributed to the club’s success over several seasons.

‘It is true that some players are asking for bigger signing fees despite having already served the club for several seasons.

The club has to consider such factors because it cannot always provide the same signing fees given to new players,’ said a member of Yanga’s executive committee.

‘It is possible to increase salaries while maintaining or reducing signing fees, but the club must conduct proper analysis before making decisions on contract renewals.’

Mwamnyeto joined Yanga on August 1, 2020 from Coastal Union and has since become one of the club’s most influential players during a successful era.

The defender has helped Yanga win five consecutive Mainland Tanzania Premier League titles and four CRDB Federation Cup trophies, while also playing a leadership role as team captain.

However, despite his contribution, the club is yet to reach an agreement with the player as it continues reviewing the future of several members of the squad.

The source added that the delay is also linked to other commitments at the club, including preparations for leadership elections following a demanding season.

‘We are yet to sign Mwamnyeto and others. There is still time because we are coming from a tough season, and the club is now preparing for new leadership elections.

I am sure the time will come and the matter will be resolved,’ said the source. Mwamnyeto’s manager, Carlos Silvester, confirmed that the defender’s contract with Yanga expired at the end of the season, saying they are currently assessing his performance before deciding on the next move.

‘Bakari has finished his contract. When the season ended, his agreement with Yanga also came to an end. We have just started evaluating the previous season,’ said Silvester.

‘He performed well while at Yanga, scored important goals, won the league title and the Community Shield. We can say it was one of his best seasons.’

Silvester said the assessment will also include discussions over a possible contract extension at Yanga, while considering other offers that may come from interested clubs.

‘After the evaluation, we will look at the possibility of adding another contract and also consider new offers before making a final decision,’ he said.

CRDB Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing young talent, promoting innovation and empowering youth to seize entrepreneurial opportunities, recognising their vital contribution to Tanzania’s economic and social development.

Speaking during the grand finale of the 16th season of CRDB Bank Bongo Star Search held in Dar es Salaam over the weekend, the bank’s Director of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking, Bonaventura Paul, said the competition has become an important platform for identifying, empowering and developing young artistic talent to help them realise their dreams.

“Today is not only a victory for Praise Wisdom, but also a victory for all young people in Tanzania and East Africa. We have witnessed exceptional talent, discipline, creativity and determination that enabled the finalists to reach this important stage of the competition,” said Bonaventura, who officiated at the event.

The finale featured contestants from Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Bonaventura encouraged participants to remain innovative throughout their artistic careers by producing compelling creative works, improving their performance skills and using art as a tool to educate, entertain and inspire communities on various development issues.

He said CRDB Bank would continue supporting talented young people by providing youth friendly financial services, financial literacy programmes, entrepreneurship training and access to capital to help them transform their talents into sustainable economic opportunities.

“We invite all young people with innovative ideas, projects and businesses that require financial support to partner with CRDB Bank. We believe that when talent is given the right environment, it can become a major source of employment, income generation and national development,” he said.

This season marked the first partnership between CRDB Bank and Benchmark Productions, the organisers of Bongo Star Search. The competition awarded the winner a brand new car and Sh50 million in cash.

Bonaventura said Benchmark Productions’ long standing success in discovering and developing young talent, while providing aspiring artists with opportunities to learn, build confidence and join the creative industry at nationally and internationally recognised standards, attracted CRDB Bank to support the initiative.

He noted that the competition’s success over the past 16 years demonstrates the importance of continued investment in young people, particularly at a time when the global economy increasingly depends on innovation and the contribution of the younger generation to drive growth across various sectors.

Bonaventura also congratulated the organisers, judges, contestants and fans for making the 2026 season a success, while urging stakeholders to address existing challenges to ensure an even better competition in 2027.

Benchmark Productions Chief Executive Officer Rita Paulsen thanked the sponsors for their continued support, saying it had strengthened the organisers’ commitment to reaching and empowering more young people.

“We sincerely thank CRDB Bank for partnering with us. We are committed to continuously improving the competition so that it benefits even more young people. We are confident that the bank’s youth focused financial services will also create greater opportunities for our contestants through this partnership,” said Rita.

The belief that national budgets are gender-neutral came under scrutiny last week as experts warned that public spending continues to reinforce inequalities unless gender considerations are deliberately integrated into planning and implementation.

They said women, particularly those engaged in agriculture and other productive sectors, remain disadvantaged by budget priorities, funding delays, and unequal access to resources.

The concerns were raised during a high-level dialogue organised by Policy Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Equanomics initiative, which seeks to promote gender-responsive fiscal policies across Africa.

Participants argued that the challenge is not only about budget allocations but also whether approved funds are released and used effectively to address citizens’ needs.

Presenting an analysis by the Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (Ansaf), programme officer, Ms Werner Hillary, compared planned allocations with actual disbursements, saying the gap between the two determines the real impact of public spending.

She noted that although agriculture contributes 24.6 percent of Tanzania’s gross domestic product (GDP), the sector receives only three percent of the national budget, below the 10 percent target under the Malabo Declaration.

‘The consequences are real. In the 2024/25 financial year, the Ministry of Agriculture received only Sh500 billion out of the planned Sh1.19 trillion,’ she said.

Ms Hillary said delayed release of funds remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges, with money often reaching ministries towards the end of the financial year.

‘When funds are released in May or June, they often return to the Treasury unused,’ she said.

She linked the delays to poor agricultural performance, noting that Tanzania produced only 9,000 tonnes of seed in 2025 against a national target of 80,000 tonnes.

Beyond financing challenges, women involved in agricultural value addition continue to face regulatory obstacles that increase production costs.

Tanzania Milk Processors Association (Tampa) representative, Ms Rose Lyimo, said dairy processors must obtain 28 different permits from institutions, including the Occupational Safety and Health Authority (Osha), the National Environment Management Council (Nemc), and the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura).

‘These regulatory hurdles make Tanzanian milk uncompetitive,’ she said, adding that imports from Kenya and South Africa often enter the market at lower prices due to more favourable tax arrangements.

She said processors pay Sh150,000 for permits to transport milk between districts, while supplies to Zanzibar attract an additional Sh50 per litre levy.

Ms Lyimo also highlighted gender disparities in livestock ownership, saying women own only 7.4 percent of ranches, leaving them vulnerable when male relatives decide to sell family livestock.

UNDP SDG Finance and Investment Specialist Mr Simon Moshy said the organisation is working with civil society organisations to strengthen public participation in gender-responsive budgeting.

He identified agriculture as a key area because women play a major role in food production, but continue to face limited access to land, finance, farm inputs, irrigation, and markets.

‘Civil society has an essential role in bringing the realities of women farmers into budget discussions and holding institutions accountable for whether public commitments translate into actual spending and measurable outcomes,’ he said.

A senior programme officer at the Kenya-based Budget Hub, Ms Faith Kinyanjui, said fiscal policy discussions should focus on three questions: who pays, who benefits, and who decides.

‘Budgets are never gender-neutral,’ she said.

While acknowledging that governments face limited fiscal space and rising debt, she said expenditure priorities, including agricultural subsidies, must be examined for hidden inequalities. She warned that allocating resources without addressing implementation challenges does little to improve the lives of intended beneficiaries.

The Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) head of programme activism and movement building, Ms Florah Ndaba, said women make up about 71 percent of the agricultural workforce but receive only 11.6 percent of sector wages.

She said land insecurity remains a major barrier, noting that 82 percent of land acquired under the government’s Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) project lacked title deeds, limiting women’s ability to use land as collateral.

Citing the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report, Ms Ndaba said only 282 of the 812 BBT participants in 2023 were young women, while the programme reached 514 youths against a target of 12,000.

She recalled how women in Kiluleni carried bottles of contaminated water to Parliament to protest poor services, an action that later prompted infrastructure improvements.

Policy analyst, Mr James Mlali, questioned the government’s practice of increasing budget projections despite repeated revenue shortfalls.

‘If we failed to reach last year’s target, why plan for an even larger one?’ he asked.

He called for more realistic budgeting to reduce corruption risks and urged greater representation of women in local decision-making bodies.

Farmer, Mr Fred George, suggested that Tanzania adopt Botswana’s approach of allowing women to access credit using national identity cards rather than land titles.

Concluding, Ms Kinyanjui cited a Kenyan example where a community rejected partial delivery of water tanks until all demands were met, saying collective action can strengthen accountability and ensure public resources respond to citizens’ priorities.

Tanzania has reaffirmed its growing influence on the African music scene after emerging as the most represented country in East Africa at the 2026 African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA), with 11 artistes and creatives earning nominations across multiple categories.

The nominations, unveiled by AFRIMMA organisers ahead of the awards ceremony set for September 12 in Dallas, Texas, celebrate outstanding achievements in African music and entertainment over the past year.

Leading Tanzania’s charge in the Best Male East Africa category are Diamond Platnumz, Juma Jux, Marioo, Barnaba and Mbosso, who will battle for the regional crown against Kenya’s Bien, Uganda’s Eddy Kenzo and Joshua Baraka, Ethiopia’s Lij Michael, and South Sudan’s Single Dee.

In the Best Female East Africa category, Tanzania is represented by Zuchu and Abigail Chams, who will compete with Kenya’s Nikita Kering’, Njerae and Bridget Blue, Uganda’s Winnie Wa Mummy, Rwanda’s Ariel Wayz, and Ethiopia’s Veronica Adane and Salemia.

Beyond the regional categories, Tanzania has also secured nominations in technical and gospel categories, highlighting the diversity of its entertainment industry.

Acclaimed music video director Hanscana has been nominated for Best Video Director, recognising his work behind some of East Africa’s most visually compelling music videos.

In gospel music, celebrated singers Christina Shusho and Joel Lwaga will compete in the Best Gospel category, reflecting the continued popularity and impact of Tanzanian gospel music across the continent.

Meanwhile, internationally renowned choreographer Angel Nyigu is Tanzania’s sole nominee in the Best Dancer category. He will face stiff competition from some of Africa’s top dance talents, including Uganda’s globally acclaimed Ghetto Kids and South Africa’s Hope Ramafalo, among others.

The nominations come during a strong year for Tanzanian music. Juma Jux recently became the country’s highest-ranked artiste on the Kworb Global Digital Artist Ranking, while Diamond Platnumz has continued to strengthen his international profile through collaborations and performances across Africa, Europe and the United States. Zuchu, Marioo and Abigail Chams have also enjoyed commercial success through chart-topping releases and growing streaming numbers.

Across the continent, Nigeria once again dominates the nominations, with Afrobeats heavyweights Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Rema, Ayra Starr, Tems, Asake, Omah Lay, Kizz Daniel and Shallipopi featuring in several major categories.

South Africa is strongly represented by Grammy Award-winning singer Tyla, Amapiano stars Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Uncle Waffles and Scotts Maphuma, while Ghana’s contingent includes Black Sherif, King Promise, Stonebwoy, King Paluta and Kweku Smoke.

Central Africa also boasts a formidable lineup led by Congolese music icon Fally Ipupa and fast-rising star Mauvais Djo, while Côte d’Ivoire’s rap sensation Himra continues his impressive rise with nominations in major continental categories.

Established in 2014, AFRIMMA has grown into one of Africa’s premier music awards, recognising excellence across more than 40 categories spanning Afrobeats, Bongo Flava, Amapiano, Hip Hop, Gospel, R and B and traditional African music. The awards also honour producers, DJs, dancers, music video directors and other creatives who contribute to the continent’s vibrant entertainment industry.

The 2026 ceremony will take place on September 12 in Dallas, Texas, bringing together artists, producers, industry executives and fans from across Africa and the diaspora. Winners will be determined through a combination of public voting and judges’ scores.

With 11 nominees spanning music, gospel, dance and video production, Tanzania’s impressive showing underscores the country’s expanding influence on the continental stage and highlights the growing global appeal of Bongo Flava and Tanzanian creative talent.

Tanzanian R and B star Juma Jux has reached a new career milestone after securing a place in the Global Digital Artist Ranking compiled by music analytics platform Kworb, cementing his growing influence on the international music scene.

The singer is currently ranked 250th globally with 188 points, making him the 16th highest-ranked African artiste on the latest list.

The achievement places Jux alongside some of Africa’s biggest music exports, including Nigerian superstars Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, Ayra Starr and Omah Lay, as well as DR Congo’s Mauvais Djo, reflecting the increasing global reach of African music across digital platforms.

According to the latest rankings, Burna Boy remains Africa’s highest-ranked artist, sitting inside the global Top 20, while Mauvais Djo and Asake also feature among the continent’s leading digital performers.

Jux’s latest accomplishment also makes him the highest-ranked Tanzanian artist on the current Global Digital Artist Ranking. Notably, fellow Bongo Flava heavyweights Diamond Platnumz, Alikiba and Harmonize are absent from the current Global Top 250.

The recognition comes during one of the strongest periods of Jux’s career. Over the past year, the singer has expanded his international profile through successful collaborations, high-profile performances and growing streaming numbers across multiple platforms, helping introduce his signature blend of R and B, Afropop and Bongo Flava to wider audiences.

Kworb’s Global Digital Artist Ranking measures artists’ overall performance by combining data from major digital music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, iTunes, Shazam and Deezer.

Rather than relying on a single streaming service, the ranking evaluates an artist’s worldwide digital footprint across multiple platforms to generate an overall score.

For Jux, the latest ranking marks another significant milestone in his efforts to position Tanzanian music on the global stage, highlighting the increasing international recognition of Bongo Flava and East African artists in the digital streaming era.

Police in Tabora Region have arrested three people accused of plotting to defraud customers withdrawing cash from major financial institutions, specifically CRDB Bank and NMB Bank, through elaborate con schemes.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Tabora Regional Police Commander (RPC) Twaha Lulengelule identified the suspects as Shabani Nyambi, 36, Saidatu Masoud, 52, and Veronica Richard, 40, who are all residents of Ubungo in Dar es Salaam.

“We arrested them while they were planning to enter the bank branches to target and defraud customers, particularly those withdrawing large amounts of cash,” said the RPC.

Law enforcement officers searched the suspects and recovered seven genuine US dollar notes, six Squareline notebooks, eight brown envelopes, and folded notebook papers carefully cut to resemble bundles of US dollar notes.

During interrogation, the suspects allegedly admitted targeting high-value customers withdrawing large sums of money from the two commercial banks.

“They used bundles containing just a few genuine US dollar notes hidden on top of fake ones so that unsuspecting victims would believe the entire bundle was real foreign currency,” explained Commander Lulengelule.

He said the suspects’ modus operandi involved identifying targets inside the banks before approaching them outside with false claims that they wanted to exchange foreign currency for Tanzanian shillings, but could not use formal channels because they lacked National Identification Authority (NIDA) identity cards.

If a customer showed interest, a suspect would discreetly signal accomplices, who then pretended to be ordinary bystanders before helping convince the victim to exchange their cash for the fake dollars.

After completing the fraudulent transaction, the group would quickly flee the scene to target other bank branches.

“According to their statements, they have successfully used these fraudulent methods in different parts of the country to swindle money without being caught,” he said.

Police have urged members of the public to avoid financial dealings with strangers and ensure all currency exchange transactions go through authorised banking channels.

“Residents must completely avoid private transactions outside banking halls, especially currency exchanges, because such transactions must strictly follow official legal banking procedures,” stressed Commander Lulengelule.

He assured residents that Tabora remains safe and secure, urging them to continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities and suspected criminal elements in their neighbourhoods.

Police said security agencies remain highly vigilant against fraudsters following a series of swift arrests linked to similar financial syndicates and counterfeit currency scams across the region.

Education stakeholders have called for stronger efforts to eliminate violence in schools, saying safe learning environments are essential for improving academic performance and enabling children to realise their full potential.

Speaking during the launch of the Safe Learning Assessment in Tanzania, organised by HakiElimu, stakeholders said fear, intimidation and abuse undermine children’s confidence, participation and overall development.

HakiElimu Head of Programme Godfrey Boniventura said quality education cannot be achieved without protecting children from violence.

“A child’s right to education cannot be separated from the right to safety and protection. Schools should be places of hope, not fear, where children are nurtured and supported to achieve their potential,” he said.

Mr Boniventura called for closer collaboration among the government, teachers, parents, civil society organisations and learners to end violence in schools.

He added that the assessment would provide evidence to support stronger education policies, budgets and programmes that prioritise safe learning.

Presenting the findings, University of Dar es Salaam senior lecturer Dr Hezron Onditi said Tanzania had made progress in reducing violence against children in schools, but significant gaps remain.

He called for stronger child protection systems, including reviewing education laws to align with international standards, strengthening local government capacity and establishing child protection structures in schools, including trained teachers, counselling services and effective reporting mechanisms.

Dr Onditi also warned of emerging risks linked to technology, including cyberbullying, online sexual harassment and unsafe digital behaviour, calling for more research and stronger online safety measures.

National Coordinator of the Safe Schools Programme Dr Theresia Kuiwite urged teachers to follow official disciplinary guidelines and avoid using corporal punishment as a routine disciplinary measure.

She said schools should promote positive discipline and guidance to create safe and supportive learning environments for all children.

There is no such thing as ‘the perfect garden,’ as it changes from one season to the next when different colored flowers bloom, trees change leaf color, food is harvested, and lawns and landscapes continue to evolve with the seasons.

The garden continues to evolve, but most of this can only be seen through individual photographs taken at certain moments in time. Seasonal transformation videos are popular because they allow gardeners to showcase their gardens during each season.

With the help of the latest Seedance 2.5 model, you can build incredible seasonal transformation videos of how your garden has evolved over the growing period of time using photographs of your garden.

This dream tool will allow you to compile all of your photographs from every month into one single video that will showcase the blooming of your flowers, the growth of your vegetables, and the development of the colors in your landscape throughout the year in a single visual story.

Your garden blooming on the screen

Each garden starts with preparing the soil. The garden becomes colorful, full of blossoming flowers, greenery, and alive thanks to your efforts. Showing this process will show the patience and attention needed to grow a perfect garden.

Do not simply give the result; show the process instead. Start from the first days when you were planting things in the soil and gradually reveal fresh sprouts, flourishing plants, and blossoms.

Include events such as:

Plant bed preparation

First emergence of young sprouts

Plants during midseason

Flowering and/or harvest at peak

Finished garden in bloom

Each event is one more chapter of the garden’s story.

Celebrate all the seasons, not only the end result

Gardens constantly change, and each season is unique.

The spring season presents bright blooms and new life. The summer season provides lots of colors and growth. Fall season has warm colors and harvest-ready plants. Winter shows the garden through textures of winter and preparation of the garden for next season.

Don’t think of these as several projects, but rather one cinematic story. Transitions from photos of different seasons show the development of the garden and highlight how important each step of the gardening process is for its final result.

How Seedance 2.5 allows gardens to blossom

With the newest upgrade, Seedance 2.5 integrates prompts, seasonal garden photos, and references into one streamlined creative process. The multimodal input feature ensures that all stages of your garden’s evolution remain connected with a unique visual style.

A more consistent tone allows for natural coloring and lighting across the whole video, whereas longer video generation allows enough time to show an entire season or even a year of growth without haste. Seedance 2.5 can now create a video up to 30 seconds, so you can provide longer and more immersive video for readers.

Garden your story with Dreamina

Step 1: Start Dreamina Seedance 2.5

Visit Dreamina and select the Seedance 2.5 AI Video Generator, which allows direct access to the official tool to generate high-quality AI videos using text, image, and reference prompts.

Step 2: Provide your prompt and references

Give an elaborate prompt that describes your video scene, its subject, motion, camera techniques, and desired visual ambiance. Upload any image or reference materials if you wish to guide the character, product, style, and overall direction of your video.

Sample Prompt: Create a cinematic seasonal garden transformation video depicting the evolution of a backyard from newly planted flower beds to a blooming garden in full blossom. Include garden pictures, smooth camera movements, natural sunlight, gradual season transition, realistic plant growth, and an ambiance that highlights nature and gardening.

Step 3: Generate, edit and save

Click on Generate to allow Dreamina Seedance 2.5 to generate your idea as a cinematic AI video. If necessary, edit your prompt or references to fine-tune the generated video, and save your AI video for sharing in social media, ads, product promotions, etc.

Motivate other gardeners on your path

While people love to see a great garden, they like to see how it was built even more.

Demonstrating your seasonal growth inspires people to start gardening themselves and proves that great landscapes grow through patience and diligence.

Think about including:

Flower bed changes

Vegetable garden evolution

Backyard landscaping

Balcony gardening

Seasonal planting series

Every video serves as inspiration and praise to each gardener’s creativity.

Make a visual garden diary

Many gardeners capture photos through the seasons and don’t even know that they have all the necessary material for making video stories.

Each new season means that you will get closer to the point where you will be able to see your growth, your experiments, and changes during the past years. It will be possible to look back at your previous work and to compare your ideas and successes, and to evaluate the results.

It is also possible to use your videos for sharing among friends, gardening forums, and among clients if you are designing landscapes for others. Rather than just presenting images, you will be showing the entire season story and will prove not only your creativity but your devotion as well.

Each new season will become one more story in your gardening experience.

Dreamina to share your garden’s story

A garden is an expression of patience and imagination along with lots of little instances of nurturing. With the help of converting your garden photography into movies that tell a story through their scenes, Dreamina will enable you to experience each step of the way entertainingly.

Using Seedance 2.5, you can make even your ordinary garden updates look like stunning video storytelling.

Tanzania has said that the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050 will accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by fully integrating them into the country’s short-, medium- and long-term development plans.

The commitment was announced by the Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Alexander Mkumbo, while addressing the General Debate of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Presenting Tanzania’s national statement, Prof Mkumbo said the country had continued to make steady progress towards achieving the SDGs despite global challenges, including climate change, economic shocks and regional conflicts.

He highlighted key achievements, including expanded access to clean water and sanitation, strengthened healthcare services, improved access to quality education, wider electricity coverage, accelerated digital transformation, increased investment in strategic infrastructure, stronger domestic resource mobilisation and enhanced capacity of public institutions.

Prof Mkumbo said Tanzania views the 2030 Agenda as an integral part of its long-term development journey. He explained that the agenda has been aligned with the National Development Vision 2050 through the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP IV), providing a framework for sustaining progress on the SDGs beyond 2030.

He said the country’s priority areas for the coming years include modernising agriculture, advancing industrial development, expanding the blue economy, strengthening resilience to climate change, accelerating digital reforms, investing in human capital and increasing domestic resource mobilisation to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The minister stressed that achieving the 2030 Agenda would require stronger international cooperation, noting that many developing countries continue to face significant financing gaps that constrain investment in development projects.

He called on the international community to fully implement the 2023 United Nations Political Declaration and support the UN Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus initiative by lowering borrowing costs, addressing debt challenges, expanding access to affordable development finance and accelerating reforms to create a more inclusive global financial system that better serves developing countries.

Tanzania is scheduled to present its Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

Mobility solutions provider GF Group used the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) to showcase its expanding manufacturing capacity and commitment to local industrial development as Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi toured the company’s pavilion.

Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi toured the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) during its official closing ceremony on Monday, July 13, 2026.

The 50th edition of the fair ran from June 28 to July 13, 2026, with Dr Mwinyi serving as the guest of honour at the closing event.

The visit comes as Tanzania seeks to accelerate industrialisation through increased local production, import substitution, and stronger private sector investment in manufacturing.

During the tour, Dr Mwinyi was received by GF Group chairman Mehboob Karmali, director Alijawad Karmali, and Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) director general Dr Latifa Mohammed, who briefed him on the company’s manufacturing operations, product range, and latest innovations.

The company displayed products manufactured in Tanzania, highlighting investments aimed at increasing production capacity, improving quality, and enhancing operational efficiency.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Karmali said the President’s tour reflected growing recognition of the contribution local manufacturers make to the country’s industrialisation agenda.

‘We are honoured to host the President at our pavilion. His visit reaffirms the importance of local manufacturing and encourages continued investment in innovation, quality, and industrial growth,’ he said.

The company said its strategy focuses on expanding domestic manufacturing while investing in technologies that improve productivity and enable it to meet changing consumer demand.

Founded in Tanzania, GF Group has grown into one of the country’s diversified manufacturers, with operations spanning food and beverages, household products, packaging, plastics, logistics, and distribution.

It said its integrated manufacturing model supports value addition, creates jobs, and strengthens domestic supply chains.

The 50th DITF, popularly known as Sabasaba, brought together hundreds of exhibitors from Tanzania and abroad to showcase products, technologies, and investment opportunities.

The event is regarded as one of East Africa’s largest trade exhibitions and serves as a platform for promoting industrial development, trade, and business partnerships.

GF Group said its participation in this year’s exhibition aimed to demonstrate how sustained investment in manufacturing, product innovation, and sustainable business practices can contribute to Tanzania’s long-term economic transformation.

The company also thanked TanTrade for organising the landmark edition of the fair and expressed appreciation to customers, business partners, and visitors for engaging with its exhibition.

As Tanzania advances its industrialisation agenda, manufacturers say sustained investment in production capacity, innovation, and local value addition will remain vital to improving competitiveness, creating jobs, and supporting economic growth.