Air Tanzania - Twiga Issue 02

Issue 02 / July to September 2019

YO U R F R E E A I R TA N Z A N I A M AGA ZINE

T R AV E L / TA S T E / TA L E N T

Twiga A I R TA N Z A N I A Issue 02

Mumbai here we come Fly with us to the City of Dreams

Creating a dream life

Dar vlogger Osse Greca Sinare

Where to stay in Jo'burg

The city's hip havens of hospitality

Scarily good

Best trips for adrenalin junkies

contents 8

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37

Regulars

Features

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6 24 hours in…Mumbai

49 Best hotels in Johannesburg

8 One Bike

54 ‘Green gold’

22 Adrenalin junkies

57 Musanga delivers

26 Air Tanzania’s familiarity tour

60 Africa Cup of Nations

29 Mumbai’s waste warriors

63 Journey to The Other Side

CEO foreword

4 Air Tanzania news 12 Twiga competition

Win a night for two in Jo’burg at Curiocity

13 Tanzania’s treasures New national parks

16 Twiga trends

Ethical products

17 Twiga interiors

How Zanzibar’s Emerson hotels got their look

34 Health and fitness Health buys and in-flight yoga

How to make the most of your time in ATCL’s newest international destination The Moshi cycling enterprise building an environmentally aware community Adventures across Air Tanzania’s network of destinations Zimbabwe Tourism Authority hosts team from Tanzania Ingenious small-scale upcycling ideas Festival showcases healthy choices

36 Drones revolution in agriculture

44 Sound and vision

39 Graffiti in Johannesburg

45 Culture coming up 66 Tech for safaris

Is published by: Land & Marine Publications Ltd 1 Kings Court, Newcomen Way Severalls Business Park Colchester, Essex, UK, CO4 9RA Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Email: publishing@landmarine.com www.landmarine.com Advertising: Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Cell: +44 (0)7769 110343 (WhatsApp) Email: ATCL-inflight@landmarine.org Printed by: Jamana Printers Ltd.

Twiga

As ATCL adds Jovi to its network, here’s our pick of where to stay How avocados have overtaken coffee as Tanzania’s biggest food export New venture transforming the business supply chain in Lusaka The Taifa Stars make the competition for the first time in 39 years Lusaka’s newest club where you can work, rest and play

32 Zimbabwean traditional food

44 Blogger Faysal Film, book and music reviews

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Tanzanian drone pioneer Rose Funja Why city is a sanctuary for street art

46 Osse Greca Sinare

The Dar vlogger turning living into an art form

On behalf of:

Air tanzania information 68 68 70 72

Travel information Air tanzania fleet Air Tanzania destinations Air Tanzania contacts

Follow us on:

@AirTanzania Air Tanzania Company Limited (ACTL) ATC House, Second Floor, Ohio Street, Dar Es Salaam.

Toll free: 0800 110045 Office (JNIA) Telephone: +255 222113248 Email: info@airtanzania.co.tz

@airtanzania airtanzania_atcl For the latest flights, information and to book online, visit:

www.airtanzania.co.tz

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor, or any other organisation associated with this publication. No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions. ©2019 Land & Marine Publications Ltd.

Twiga online:

Read Twiga online: qrs.ly/jpa8lsc

CEO foreword

A giant step forward for ATCL and Tanzania ABOUT THE COVER STORY ISSUE 2 of Twiga coincides with Air Tanzania’s momentous return to Mumbai, with the airline’s 787-8 Dreamliner flying three times a week from Dar to the city known as The Front Door of India, opening up a fascinating new continent to its passengers.

The flights open business and leisure links with a globally influential city. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the heart of India’s prolific film industry as well as the country’s commercial capital. It’s home to movie stars, billionaires – including tycoon Mukesh Ambani and his US$ 2 billion house with three helipads in Cumballa Hills, possibly the most expensive home in the world – and around 18 million other Mumbaikars.

For those travelling to Mumbai for the first time thanks to Air Tanzania’s connection, we have an introductory guide to the city inside this issue as well as a look at the innovative ideas some of its residents have hatched to deal with the city’s notorious waste problem.

Mumbai here we come!

www.airtanzania.co.tz Follow us on:

@AirTanzania

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you onboard your Air Tanzania flight and to the second edition of our inflight magazine, Twiga.

The magazine arrives at a very exciting time for the airline, with new destinations announced that open up exotic avenues for Tanzanian business and leisure travellers as well as opening up our wonderful country to massive international markets.

The new flights to Johannesburg, in South Africa, in June and Mumbai, in India, in the following month are major steps in our network expansion programme and will be followed later in the year by more long-haul international flights to Bangkok, in Thailand, and China’s Guangzhou.

To get passengers to these far-flung locations in unrivalled comfort we have our two factory-fresh Airbus A220-300s and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with another to come before December. The Dreamliners offer both business class and economy travel.

The improved seven-strong fleet and network expansion make us confident that we can regain our position as a serious competitor in the air transport market, be a source of pride for Tanzania and offer top-quality, affordable air travel for customers worldwide.

Air Tanzania’s growing community of destinations is reflected in Twiga, which aims to give passengers a sense of the vibrant people and places to be uncovered throughout our network of 10 Tanzanian and seven international destinations.

We hope it gives you plenty of ideas on what to do and visit when you touch down and your flight crew today will ensure you enjoy getting there as much as arriving. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and our well-trained staff are all here to help.

It just remains for me to wish you a pleasant flight and to thank you for flying Air Tanzania. We hope to see you again soon.

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi Managing Director and Chief Executive Air Tanzania

@airtanzania airtanzania_atcl airtanzania.co.tz

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Air Tanzania news

Air Tanzania expands its presence in Europe Air Tanzania has positioned itself to take advantage of the increase in tourist numbers to the country from the European market by teaming with global airline travel and tourism representation organisation TAL Aviation’s sales teams.

The partnership will provide wider opportunities for the growing number of passengers from Europe wishing to travel within Tanzania, East Africa and beyond.

The agreement, finalised in April, will see TAL Aviation’s European sales teams covering France, Ireland and Sweden, acting on behalf of the carrier to build Air Tanzania’s brand in these territories. TAL Aviation will provide sales, marketing and distribution services to generate more awareness of the region as well as travel opportunities available to East Africa.

The 2018 annual report from the United Nations Tourism Organisation shows Africa

is experiencing the largest worldwide growth in tourist numbers, with an increase of nine per cent, and much of that travel is from Europe. With its growing fleet of modern aircraft – a new B787-8 Dreamliner is coming before the end of the year – and network expansion programme, Air Tanzania is confident it offers the levels of comfort and convenience to profit from this growing market.

Air Tanzania sees its partnership with TAL Aviation, which has over 35 offices covering some 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Americas, as a key part of its revamping programme.

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, chief executive of Air Tanzania, said: “We are very proud to sign a contract with TAL Aviation, who will provide sales, marketing and distribution services to the mentioned markets where we can’t reach easily. We believe that TAL Aviation will offer

a total attention and maximum dedication to Air Tanzania. I am delighted to work with an established and well-respected organisation who is ready to enhance our effort from now and onwards.”

Nissim Sagis, vice president commercial of TAL Aviation, said: “We see huge potential in the African market. Only earlier last month the International Air Transport Association announced the global passenger traffic results for 2018, with African airlines enjoying a rise in traffic by 6.5 per cent compared to 2017.

“With demand rising in both incoming and outgoing traffic, we are seeing African carriers taking great measures to provide a safer, more comfortable and convenient journey for their passengers. Air Tanzania is a great partner to work with and we welcome our new partner in Europe.”

JO’BURG AND MUMBAI GET READY

Air Tanzania is truly stretching its Wings of Kilimanjaro in June and July with the introduction of flights to Johannesburg, in South Africa, and Mumbai, in India.

The airline begins its four times weekly flights from Dar es Salaam to Jo’burg on 28 June while its

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three-times-a-week flights between Dar and Mumbai start on 17 July.

– takes over on 16 July. Until 15 July these flights are available for just US$ 299 return.

The flights to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport see Tanzania’s national carrier return to South Africa’s business capital for the first time since February 2009. Air Tanzania’s fleet-heading Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which offers 22 business class seats and 220 economy seats, will initially serve the route before the company’s Airbus A220-300 – the only aircraft of its type owned by an African carrier

Air Tanzania’s chief executive and managing director, Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, says: “As we continue extending the wings of Kilimanjaro over Africa and beyond, we believe that investment, trade and tourism opportunities presented by our expanding network will add value to both countries as we strive to offer affordable and improved connections between Tanzania and South Africa.”

The network expands further with the flights to Mumbai. These mark

the first Air Tanzania connections with ‘The City of Dreams’ since May 1992. The Dreamliner will serve the route, finally let loose on the long-haul flights it was designed for after a period flying domestically between Dar and Mwanza.

As well as linking Air Tanzania’s hub, Dar es Salaam, to Johannesburg and Mumbai, the flights will allow connections to these routes from the rest of the airline’s domestic network.

To book flights, visit www.airtanzania.co.tz

Mumbai

24 hours in…

MUMBAI Air Tanzania is delighted to be returning to Mumbai, with three direct flights a week from Dar es Salaam from 15 July. However, choosing from the wealth of wonders in India’s largest city can be tricky, especially when you’re short on time, so Twiga has created an itinerary for a fun-packed day that gets to the heart of the ‘City of Dreams’.

MORNING Start your day early. Mumbai gets incredibly crowded – 22 million people call it home – so to beat the crowds it’s wise to be up with the coppersmith, a beautiful, brightly coloured bird you’ll see all over the Hanging Gardens, you first stop.

This verdant and tranquil spot is perched on the top of Malabar Hill, one of Mumbai’s most exclusive residential areas, in the south of the city. It’s a great place to start the day – it opens at 5 am – and offers fantastic views of the Arabian Sea. An early-morning stroll will also give you the chance to visit a roadside stall and get a ‘cutting chai’ (essentially half a cup of tea). It’s what most of the city wakes up to.

After such a serene start, it’s time to embrace the chaos of Mumbai and take a local train. Millions of people use the service daily and it’s a ‘must do’ for visitors. Probably best to buy a first-class ticket – they have also separate compartments for men and women – if you want some breathing room, but this is a fast and affordable way to get about the city.

The train will take you to the glorious Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, a restored and elaborate 19th-century building packed with rare collections of fine and

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decorative arts documenting the city’s history.

From there, grab a taxi and head across one of the city’s most iconic modern landmarks, the BandraWorli Sea Link, an eight-lane bridge, built at a cost of US$ 240 million, that curves across Mahim Bay to connect Mumbai’s central business district with its western suburbs.

Once you’re across, leafy Bandra offers another side of the city. It’s a great place to explore on foot along the promenade of Carter Road and to ‘people watch’. You may spot some Bollywood celebs at the tucked away Taj Mahal Tea House, which offers a huge range of tea for the connoisseur as well as delicious snacks and occasional traditional Indian live music.

AFTERNOON Time to head back into the city centre for some retail therapy.

The Colaba Causeway Market is a vibrant area filled with shops and street vendors selling handmade jewellery, clothes and handicrafts.

There are big bargains to be had if you’re prepared to haggle.

Shopping with an arts and culture influence can also be had in the nearby Kala Ghoda precinct. It’s dotted with trendy boutiques such as Kulture Shop, which sells the art,

Take a break at the Taj Mahal Tea House

The Kala Ghoda precinct is Mumbai’s contemporary arts centre

/ 24 hours in… Mumbai

CRS PHOTO / Shutterstock.com

The Gateway of India, a colonial-era arch standing proudly at the mouth of Mumbai harbour

fashion, stationery and decorative accessories of over 100 Indian designers. The area is also the centre of Mumbai’s contemporary arts scene and hosts the multicultural Kala Ghoda Arts Festival every February. Galleries abound, both indoors and out on the pavement.

The Jehangir Gallery, a hub for contemporary art activity, is free to enter and always has an interesting work exhibited. You’ll also find local artists spreading their work out on the street at the Kala Ghoda pavement gallery.

From here, it’s a short walk to the Gateway of India, a colonial-era arch standing proudly at

the mouth of Mumbai harbour. It was built to celebrate British rule, which outlasted the building of the arch by just a few decades. This is an excellent spot for a souvenir photograph. It’s also the departure point to Elephanta Island, with its Unesco-listed network of cave temples chiefly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

EVENING A short taxi ride takes you to Marine Drive, with its spectacular sunsets, while a few streets back from the beach you’ll find the Revival Indian Thali restaurant, famous with locals for serving the best thali – a

The Jehangir Gallery and (top right) the BandraWorli Sea Link CRS PHOTO / Shutterstock.com

selection of curry, vegetable and rice dishes served on a platter – in Mumbai. Bring your appetite, because waiters will keep piling your plate high should you wish it.

For a far less formal eating experience, you could join hundreds of other Mumbaikars on neighbouring Chowpatty Beach enjoying the sand and sunset while drinking and eating local delicacies from street sellers.

For the evening’s entertainment, a short walk from here takes you to the Royal Opera House, the only remaining building of its kind in Mumbai, recently restored to its original Baroque splendour.

If opera is not your scene, you’ll also find an on-site live music venue, The Quarter, which has regular jazz nights.

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One Bike

CYCLING TO RECYCLE WITH THE MOSHI MOUNTAIN BIKERS Social enterprise One Bike provides two-wheel adventures in Moshi and Kilimanjaro for tourists while building an environmentally aware cycling community among locals.

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/ One Bike

One Bike co-founder Hillary Matemu

One Bike donates bikes to those who need them most in the Moshi area

J

udged by topography there are few places more dissimilar than Amsterdam, the pancake-flat capital of the Netherlands, and the north Tanzanian town of Moshi, which stands 950 metres above sea level in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The two places do have one growing similarity, however: bicycles.

They are the health and environment-friendly transport of choice of Amsterdammers and, thanks to community-based social enterprise One Bike, they’re gaining popularity in Moshi, too.

Hillary Matemu, who co-founded One Bike along with managing director Goodluck Minja in February last year, says: “We want to be like Amsterdam one day, with bicycles everywhere and just part of everyone.”

Cycling culture It’s a grand aim, but One Bike has already had quite an impact in the short time it has been running, promoting responsible tourism and a cycling culture in Moshi. Its office and workshop in the town’s Market Street now houses a fleet of quality second-hand bicycles bought through another social enterprise, Arusha Bikes Centre, which receives used models from Europe. The bicycles, which are maintained by One Bike’s six-strong team of volunteers, can be bought or hired; or they’re donated to a deserving use.

The workshop is also the starting point for the cycling adventures that One Bike runs for tourists. These range from single day jaunts around Moshi to two-to-three-day trips into the Maasai land of West Kilimanjaro.

The income from these trips is used to fund a growing number of

social projects that address the most pressing needs in the community, such as education and empowerment. Every week One Bike invites local youths to its workshop to learn about bicycle maintenance. “The aim is to give young people here an opportunity to develop a professional skill, bring in an income and serve the community where they live,” says Hillary.

Members of the bike maintenance team also broaden the reach of their skills sharing by taking their tools to a different village in the region each month to offer free bike repair and maintenance. “Bikes are an important mobility equipment in the villages and sometimes serve to many people at once,” says Hillary. One Bike will often go further and donate bicycles to students who live a long way from their school or to people in remote areas who are out of work due to lack of transport.

The first social project One Bike introduced has already had a

far-reaching effect. Taking place on the first Saturday of each month, the Re-Cycling Tour is a free-for-all cycle trip in which riders are encouraged to pick up and bag any items of rubbish they spot along the way.

Antibacterial gloves, a backpack made of recyclable material and even a bicycle – if one is available – are provided for those taking part. The number of riders is growing month on month and the event is playing a key role in spreading environmental awareness among the next generation, with offshoots of the tour stopping off at local schools to lead plastic collections.

Re-Cycling Tour Hillary has seen the event adopted on a grander scale this year. He says: “One Bike and the Re-Cycling Tour were recognised as the official cleaners for the Kilimanjaro Marathon [in March] and we were also contacted

by United Nations Environment Tanzania to collaborate on the World

‘The aim is to give young people here an opportunity to develop a professional skill, bring in an income and serve the community where they live’ airtanzania.co.tz

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Environment Day event [on 1 June] to reproduce a Re-Cycling Tour in Dar es Salaam to celebrate the date.”

Hillary’s hope is that One Bike will not only entrench planet-rescuing lifestyles but will also reveal to others the freedom and adventure he first felt discovering bike riding.

“I was always passionate about the sport,” he says. “When I was kid I didn’t have my own bike, but I used to ride a lot on my friends’ bikes.

After finishing my graduation in Wildlife and Tourism Management I couldn’t find a job, so while I as at home I did a lot of research and started playing host to international visitors. Knowing people from diverse cultures was inspiring and at some point I decided to get a bike and start cycling. That was life-changing. I become a cycling guide and One Bike was conceived almost naturally.”

Cycle Kilimanjaro The global network of travel and cycling enthusiasts Hillary has built up has provided a bank of volunteers to offer support and expertise as One Bike takes shape. The enterprise is also dependent on the income from international visitors signing up for cycling tours. Hillary admits the numbers here are still quite small and the more challenging trips – such as exploring Arusha National Park and

the West Kilimanjaro three-day trip – bring their own expenses, with One Bike having to hire mountain bikes to take on the dirt roads and ascents.

Still, the potential is there, says Hillary. The trips offer an intimate appreciation of the wildlife and terrain you won’t get packed in a 4x4; and they’re led by knowledgeable guides who love what they do.

He says: “The cycling tours are not very popular yet, but they have major potential as an activity to be combined with safari and climbing (Tanzania’s most popular tourist activities) and for those who come here to specially cycle Kilimanjaro and Tanzania. When you tackle the mountains and roads of our country on a bicycle you get a proximity with nature, the culture and the people that would not be available otherwise.

“We have local trips of just a few hours, full day trips and multi-day expeditions. We can customise tours for any wish, physical condition and cycling skills. One of our newest tours, the Moshi Experience, is ideal for all. It’s a mix of sightseeing and cycling. After only three hours you will know your way around town and have tips to enjoy the best of your time here.”

Hillary one day wants to take on Tanzania’s greatest cycling challenge – “To cycle all the way up to Kibo

Hillary one day wants to take on Tanzania’s greatest cycling challenge – ‘To cycle all the way up to Kibo is my greatest dream’ is my greatest dream. I just need a good mountain bike,” he says – and has set his ambitions for One Bike similarly high. He hopes the enterprise will soon have its own fleet of mountain bikes and will be able to take the next step in its Re-Cycling Tour by purchasing its own recycling machine to work on the material collected and transform it into bike parts or even full bikes. “It costs around one thousand US dollars,” says Hillary.

One Bike will carry on bringing the Moshi community together through cycling and creating a new Amsterdam in Africa.

Need to know For a full list of cycling trips offered

by One Bike and to find out more about being a volunteer, visit www.onebiketz.com The Re-Cycling Tour starts every first Saturday of the month at 10 am at the One Bike offices in Market Street, Moshi.

The One Bike workshop is a place to buy bikes, get your bike serviced and learn bike maintenance skills

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competition

WIN A NIGHT FOR TWO IN JO’BURG

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hanks to the wonderful people at Curiocity – a hotel and social hotspot in the seriously cool inner city neighbourhood of Maboneng – we have a night’s stay for two, including a guided inner city tour, up for grabs.

Johannesburg’s inner city has been transformed in recent years and is now a hip haven packed with wonderful restaurants, bars, art galleries, music venues and independent shops.

Last issue’s

WINNERS Congratulations to Annette Chingandu and Paul Kadonya, who each win a Scrubba wash bag – branded as the ‘world’s smallest washing machine’ and ideal for keeping your clothes clean on your travels. Well done to you both and thanks for flying Air Tanzania.

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Curiocity is one of the best places to soak up the soul of the inner city.

Its bar, The Hide Out, attracts as many locals as hostel guests and you’ll find a host of activities and guided tours – one of which the winner will enjoy included in their stay – organised each day that give a fantastic flavour of this vibrant city.

Curiocity brings a new level of luxury to hostel accommodation with the winner staying in one of its stylish en-suite double rooms.

To celebrate Air Tanzania’s new flights to Johannesburg, Twiga has a fantastic prize to give away to one lucky passenger and their guest. To be in with a chance of winning this prize, answer the three questions below and send them, along with a photograph of yourself holding Issue 2 of Twiga, to: competition@landmarine.org Good luck!

1

What landmark offers the highest bungee jump in Africa?

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What is the name of the litter pick-up cycle rides that One Bike runs in Moshi?

What is the name of the room at the Emerson Spice Hotel inspired by a film starring screen legend Greta Garbo?

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Closing date is September 12th. Photographs should be sent along with your entry. One entry per person. Entrants must be 18 or over.

The winning entry will be selected by Land & Marine Publications Ltd. This competition is not open to employees of Air Tanzania, Curiocity Pty Ltd or Land & Marine Publications Ltd.

Tanzania’s treasures new national parks

NEW NATIONAL PARKS to boost Tanzania tourism

Across the continent, Tanzania is now second only to South Africa in the number of national parks within its borders. We now have 19 thanks to the recent upgrading of five game reserves in the west of the country. Tanzania Tourist Board reveals the work ahead to boost tourism numbers in the country’s unspoilt Western Circuit.

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hree new national parks are set for development to boost tourism in Western Tanzania, renowned for the richness of its untouched wildlife population.

The government has upgraded five game reserves under the management of Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) to create three national parks to be managed by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA).

The newly upcycled game reserves are Kimisi, Biharamulo, Burigi, Ibanda and Rumanyika-Origunduin Western Tanzania’s tourist circuit near the shores of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria.

The Kimisi, Biharamulo and Burigi game reserves will be merged to form Burigi National Park, while Ibanda Game Reserve will become Ibanda National Park and Rumanyika Game Reserve will now be known as Rumanyika National Park.

Boost tourism The three proposed new national parks under TANAPA’s trusteeship will take Tanzania’s tally to 19.

Development of these three new national parks is expected to boost tourism in Western Tanzania, already famous as a sanctuary for thousands of chimpanzees. The new parks are

also expected to boost regional tourism business between Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Establishment of the new three parks will add some 5,000 square miles to TANAPA’s workload, with 61,952 square miles now under its jurisdiction. After the formation of the new parks, Tanzania will rank second only to South Africa, which has 22 tourist wildlife protected parks, among countries in Africa with the most national parks.

Currently, Tanzania has four tourist zones: the Northern, Coastal, Southern and Western circuits. Only

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/ Tanzania’s treasures new National Parks

the Northern Circuit is relatively developed with key tourist facilities that pull most of the tourists who visit Tanzania each year.

Government strategy Tabling a parliamentary bill seeking approval for the new parks, Dr Hamisi Kigwangalla, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, said: “The three new wildlife reserves will be a part of the government strategy to increase the number of tourists from the current 1.3 million to 8 million visitors in coming years.”

Angeline Mabula, the Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Settlement Development, said the new park would be a solution to the poor contribution of revenue observed from the game reserves.

In a bid to attract more visitors to wildlife parks and other tourism sites, Tanzania has focused on such emerging markets as China, India, Israel, the Pacific Rim and South America.

The new parks add to Tanzania’s

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diversification of tourism products and are key tools in the vigorous marketing drive led by Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) to attract foreign investors. China has already signalled its willingness to invest in tourism with hotels, air transport and tour operations.

Tanzania is now targeting Chinese tourists and investors after launching marketing campaigns in five key Chinese cities, aimed at business travellers and tourists.

Boost for Southern Tanzania Senior officials from the TTB, the Ministry of Tourism and various tourism-related companies, including Air Tanzania, visited China late last year to market Tanzania in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong. Coordinated by TTB, the trip to China has been organised to attract Chinese tourists, banking on the much-awaited Air Tanzania flights to Guangzhou via Bangkok (Thailand) and Mumbai (India).

Sanctuary – a chimpanzee in Mahale National Park, Western Tanzania

About 131 million Chinese nationals travelled to other countries last year, including 30,000 who travelled to Tanzania – a considerable advance on the 13,760 who had made the trip over the preceding five years.

In September last year the World Bank approved US$ 150 million to finance tourism development in Southern Tanzania.

The Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth (Regrow) project will run for six years. The project’s mission is to use tourism to boost growth in the Southern Circuit. A key part of this will be the promotion and conservation of national parks and game reserves within the circuit.

The new parks add to Tanzania’s diversification of tourism products and are key tools in the vigorous marketing drive

trends

ETHICAL PRODUCTS

Looking for products that not only look amazing but are kind to the planet, too?

Check out these ethical gifts – each available wherever you are in the world – made from sustainable materials by artisans you can be sure have been treated fairly.

Bamboo and cornstarch bowl, plate and cup (made from durable 100 per cent biodegradable bamboo fibre and corn powder with natural colourants) yourssustainably.com US$ 23

Fairtrade handwoven banana yarn long scarf (made from sustainable banana yarn fibre from the Terai region in the south of Nepal) yourssustainably.com US$ 28 Bolga fan (made entirely from straw by weavers in northern Ghana) lolaandmawu.com US$ 40

Recycled glass beads lolaandmawu.com US$ 49

Recycled blanket theshopfloorproject.com US$ 312

Senegalese warming basket (made from millet grass and recycled PVC by artisans in Senegal) nataliawillmott.co.uk US$ 49

Organic cotton sweatshirt (individually hand screen-printed using eco-friendly, water-based ink) thenumbersuk.com US$ 57

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Reversible tote bag (individually handmade in Ghana by an all-female sewing cooperative) lolaandmawu.com US$ 38

interiors

Spicing up interiors of historic hotels When two historic Stone Town buildings were purchased to become hotels, their colourful past – owners have included the last Swahili ruler of Zanzibar and the richest man in East Africa – inspired a dramatic refurbishment. As a result, Emerson Spice and Emerson on Hurumzi are now among the most atmospheric places to stay on the island.

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ister hotels Emerson Spice and Emerson on Hurumzi, which steeple over the sun-bleached buildings of Stone Town to offer views across its jumble of rooftops, are steeped in the history of Zanzibar.

Both of these mid-19th-century buildings have been owned by some of the richest men in the Swahili empire. Emerson Spice was originally built for Muhammad bin Ahmed, the last Swahili ruler of Zanzibar, as a palatial pied à terre

for his visits to Stone Town from his palace in Dunga. In the 1870s parts of the building were also used for the business ventures of Tharia Topan, head of customs in Zanzibar, believed to be the richest man in East Africa at that time. It is said that, such were the vast salt-water-soaked piles of cash brought in by Topan’s maritime trade, he would cover the plaza between what is now Emerson Spice and the small mosque opposite with rupees laid out to dry. Topan also had a towering home built just

The opulent Semele room at Emerson Spice Images: Maaike Van Esch Fotografie

five minutes away, in Stone Town’s Hurumzi Street, from which he could watch his vessels and precious cargo arrive in the nearby port of Malindi.

That home is now Emerson on Hurumzi.

Evidence of this gilded history still echoes around the buildings today. Both Emerson on Hurumzi and Emerson Spice are the result of years of dramatic renovation work – initiated when the buildings were bought by United States entrepreneur Emerson Skeens in 1994 and

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2006 respectively – but the aim was always to retain as many of the original architectural elements and interior fixtures as possible. The results are a sumptuous palimpsest, with period features still visible and influences drawn from a melange of Arabic, Indian and Swahili styles and placed amid the colour and comfort of the 21st century.

Retained original features include the baraza (stone benches) outside the heavy, ornate doors of Emerson Spice, which you’ll see flanking many of Stone Town’s labyrinthine streets and which have provided a meeting point for all sections of Zanzibari society for centuries.

Skeens was also keen to retain other ingenious features of Zanzibari architecture such as the high ceilings, alcoves and courtyards that maintain air flow through the building and naturally cool the hotels’ interiors away from the sweltering heat outside. The marble floors of the Emerson Spice’s reception area and the ornate wooden doors also date from the late 19th century.

The retained laced wooden balconies and colourful stained-glass windows are typical of grand Indian residences from this period, as is the swinging ‘pembea’ bench in the Emerson Spice reception.

Passion project Renovating the hotels was a passion project for Skeens, who fell in love with Zanzibar and made it his home.

He carefully curated the furniture and fittings, either restoring what was present in the buildings when he bought them or scouring the island’s antique shops for treasures of a similar vintage and origin.

Each room has an authentic four-poster ‘tausi’ bed. The name means ‘peacock’ in Swahili and the beds, with their ornately carved wooden frames and headboards,

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are as ostentatious as the bird’s fan of feathers. They’re also very high – supposedly to encourage air flow beneath them and keep the room cool – and require the use of a kasha, a wooden chest that once held a family’s treasures, for a step-up when it’s time to sleep.

Authentic touches The authentic touches extend even to the antique brass trays and Swahili coffee pots used to serve guests at the Tea House Rooftop Restaurant at Emerson on Hurumzi.

Despite the care taken to source fixtures and fittings in keeping with the hotel’s history, Skeens was not after a perfect recreation. Instead, he used the historic features as the jumping-off point for some huge flights of fancy that could be appreciated by, as he put it, “all the mad romantics that remain among us in a digital age”. The film enthusiast Maaike Van Esch Fotografie

/ Twiga interiors

Glamour and opulence are everywhere you look

Exotic flair – Farouque Abdela Image: Allan Jenkins

Stained-glass windows and a laced wooden veranda cast prisms of light across the suite’s oriental rugs and velvetcushioned furniture Maaike Van Esch Fotografie

– Skeens was instrumental in setting up the Zanzibar International Film Festival – would see each room as a play or film taking place before him.

The Emerson Spice website has him explain: “These stages present themselves for me to play on and, for even more fun, to play with.” The results are some of the most magical and atmospheric rooms in Zanzibar.

Among the 11 rooms at Emerson Spice there is one called Camille, inspired by the 1936 George Cukor film, which starred Greta Garbo. The room’s lofty second-floor position, with a veranda looking down on the streets below, for Skeens brought to mind the “I want to be alone” remoteness of Garbo and the decor, including a 1930s Victrola cabinet, is Zenji Deco, an adaptation of Art Deco by Zanzibari craftsmen prevalent here at the time the film was released. Other rooms are paeans to screen legends such as Dorothy Lamour and Katharine Hepburn; and Violetta is a suitably opulent courtesan’s boudoir in shades of violet and blue dedicated to the lead character in Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’.

The hotel has also provided inspiration for contemporary Zanzibari artists. The Lamour room has walls painted by local talent Aussy and the

terrace at Emerson on Hurumzi is used as exhibition space for contemporary East African artists.

Sadly, Skeens, the man who did so much to champion the cultural life of Zanzibar, died of cancer in 2014. Emerson Spice and Emerson on Hurumzi live on as a legacy of his lavish artistic vision and playful imagination.

While Skeens set the tone for the hotels, their look will continue to evolve. The job of overseeing design updates has been passed to fashion designer Farouque Abdela. The Zanzibari made his name in London and built a global A-list client list that included Princess Diana before returning to his birthplace in 2004.

As you’d expect from a designer who has participated in fashion shows around the world, Abdela

has got involved in designing the wonderful flowing robes the staff at the Emerson hotels gracefully swish about in; but he also brings an exotic flair to interiors here.

Latest refurbishments Abdela shares Skeens’ love and knowledge of local heritage – Emerson Hotel’s marketing manager, Katia Wellving, describes him as “a nestor of Zanzibar fashion” – and his love of screen and stage, having been a costume designer in the film and theatre industry.

He has been instrumental in the latest refurbishment for Zenana, one of the most popular rooms at Emerson on Hurumzi. The zenana were women’s quarters in Indian houses and Abdela, who as a tailor makes bespoke pieces customised for elegant women, was inspired to create a harem-like sanctuary.

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/ Twiga interiors

Here, stained-glass windows and a laced wooden veranda cast prisms of light across the suite’s oriental rugs, velvet-cushioned furniture and floorto-ceiling chiffon curtains. Swooping across the plum-blue colour-washed walls of the bedroom you’ll also see a mural of floating lovers painted by a local artist and inspired by the work of early modernist Marc Chagall. It’s a magical space.

Intimate dining space Abdela’s eye for statement furnishings can be seen in the work he has done to decorate the hidden courtyard, which provides the intimate dining space of Emerson Spice’s The Secret Garden restaurant and live music venue. As you approach the restaurant down a dark corridor of jagged, unfinished stone walls,

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the only suggestion of the lushly landscaped delights to come is a single chandelier hanging from wooden beams. Such playful use of contrast continues in the restaurant, with large marble-topped tables amid the pot plants and natural light, ideal for group bookings, while the courtyard’s darker corners are smokily illuminated and have antique tables and chairs and artfully placed ceramics for more intimate get-togethers.

Abdela’s designs are the latest stages in the protean development of the iconic hotels that goes back more than a century. For all the changes and grand, romantic visions of its owners over the years, one thing has stayed constant: the buildings are soaked in the soul of Zanzibar.

Image: Allan Jenkins

EMERSON HOTELS For more information on the rooms and restaurants at the Emerson hotels, visit: emersonspice.com or emersononhurumzi.com

Adrenalin junkies

Adventures for

ADRENALIN JUNKIES Are you bored of beaches, calcified by city breaks and fed up following tour guides?

Well, here are some adventures set across Air Tanzania’s network of destinations that are sure to appeal to thrill-seekers and get the pulse racing on holiday.

Diving with sharks South Africa

Bungee jumping

Zambia, Zimbabwe The Victoria Falls Bridge may not offer the highest bungee jump in Africa (South Africa’s 709 ft high Bloukrans Bridge leads the way), but it is has to be its most scenic.

The bridge spans the no man’s land between Zambia and Zimbabwe and offers spectacular views of the mighty waterfall, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.

Whether you’ll have time to take in such majesty in the four seconds it takes for you to plummet the 364 ft before your cord recoils is doubtful.

Bungee pros looking to spice up their fall can choose from a range of jump styles, including the very scary Elevator Drop.

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Coming face to face with one of the ocean’s most feared predators, the great white shark, is an adventure not to missed for adrenalin junkies.

Operators in Gainsbaii, on the south coast of South Africa, run cage-diving trips to Dyer Island, known for having one of the world’s largest populations of great whites, brought there by the island’s menu of 60,000 fur seals. You’re almost guaranteed to see great whites on your trip, especially when the diving operators scent the water with fish blood.

The shark cages – oddly named, when they contain people – have bars spaced widely enough to afford a clear view, but narrowly enough to prevent the sharks getting too close. The sharks may give the cage an occasional bump – sight is not their strong point – but that’s all part of the fun for thrill-seekers.

Hiking

Kalsubai Peak Trek, India

White water rafting Zambezi River The Kalsubai Peak, which stands at 5,200 ft above sea level, is the highest point of the majestic Sahyadri Ranges, about 150 km from Mumbai.

The peak is also known as the ‘Everest of Maharashtra’ although, unlike Everest, it is hikable in around three hours from the village of Bari. The ascent is anything but easy, though, and will test even the most experienced hikers, especially in monsoon season.

There are now man-made iron stairs that scale vertical rock faces to reach the peak if you don’t wish to trek; but for thrill-seekers the route via Indore is relatively unexplored, with just stone steps and a huge iron chain for support at the dangerous patches. Those who make it to the top are rewarded with wonderful views of surrounding forts such as Harihargad, Harishchandragad and Ratangad and the top also houses a Hindu temple.

Victoria Falls is known as the adventure capital of Africa and white water rafting is just one exciting way to explore this spectacular part of the world. The Zambezi is a big, wild river. After it has tumbled over the falls it squeezes through a narrow gorge for more than 100 km, boiling up into a series of rapids. The rapids have names to strike fear into novice rafters – if you’re going to fall off the raft, probably best not to do it while navigating the Devil’s Toilet Bowl – so you know it’s going to be a thrilling ride. Still, with experienced guides and quality equipment anybody can take them on.

You can raft from either the Zambia or Zimbabwe side of the river. Thrill-seekers would do best to go between August and December, when water levels are lower and the rapids become more defined and the drops even deeper.

/ Adrenalin junkies

Paragliding

Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Waterfall rappelling Pune, India

During monsoon season, the waterfalls of Pune, a thriving university town 74 miles from Mumbai, are at their peak. These breathtaking cascades can be abseiled or rappelled down for a unique and challenging experience. Hear the roar of the water as you descend and the spray beating against your face as you conquer your fear with each slippery step. There are companies offering rappelling expeditions to waterfalls in the region, from the ideal-for-beginners Bekare Waterfall at Bhivpuri to the leg-trembling 150 ft descent of Vardayini Waterfall near Roha.

This lush, jungle-clad range of mountains, often referred to as ‘Tanzania’s Galapagos’ for its diversity of exclusive flora and fauna, has some wonderful jumping-off points and ideal thermals in the morning and afternoon for cross-country paragliding. Once you’re up, the views of the rolling landscape, dotted with picturesque villages, are truly something to behold. The town of Lushoto within the mountains provides a good base and offers options for four-wheeldrive adventures through the mountains – especially fun in the wet season.

Mountain biking

Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania No adventure holiday feature would be complete without including Africa’s tallest mountain. There’s talk of a cable car system being built, which will get day trippers to its 29,000 ft peak without leaving their seat, but a more adrenalin-fuelled alternative to the three/four-day hiked ascent is to go mountain biking. You may not reach the very top, but the trail around Africa’s tallest mountain and highest volcano is 230 miles long and involves 16,000 ft of climbing.

Cyclists will find their surroundings change from solitary rainforests and fertile fields of crops to wild, dry, acacia-rich savannah, the home of the Maasai people.

Mountain biking packages usually include a night’s stay at a Maasai cultural village en route where riders will get a taste of customs, songs and cuisine.

Abseil off Table Mountain South Africa

If hiking or catching the cable car up Table Mountain isn’t exhilarating enough, there is a way to give your descent some extra frisson. Abseiling down the sheer cliffs gives you an uninterrupted view of Camps Bay, the Atlantic Seaboard and the Twelve Apostles peaks at your side.

The Abseil Africa team, who are on the mountain most days, will get you strapped into your harness and then it’s just a matter of leaning back and hopping your way down 1,000 ft.

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Zimbabwe familiarity tour

TANZANIA TEAM FALL FOR ATTRACTIONS OF ZIMBABWE In March, Air Tanzania flew 10 travel agents along with the airline’s social media influencer to Zimbabwe to soak up some of its sights, including the majestic Victoria Falls.

The five-night familiarity stay was hosted

by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, which got to showcase some of the stand-out attractions within reach of Air Tanzania passengers touching down at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

These included a city tour of Harare, sampling its fine dining, museums, craft markets and bars, as well as excursions to the Heroes Acre national monument and Harare Gardens. The latter is just moments from the Monomotapa Hotel, the group’s accommodation in the capital.

The group also flew from Harare to Victoria Falls Airport, which of course gave members a chance to take in the world’s largest waterfall and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls.

Some of the braver members of the group got to see Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘the smoke that thunders’) – as the falls are known by the Kalolo-Lozi people – up close by bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls Bridge, which spans the gorge between Zimbabwe and Zambia. These daredevil experiences were arranged by adventure tour operator Wild Horizons.

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A more leisurely appreciation of the Zambezi River, the fourth-longest river in Africa, was provided that evening with a sunset cruise.

Accommodation was at the Elephant Hills Hotel, which laid on a boma dinner and drum show, with plenty of dancing and activities. Guests got to try traditional drumming and to sample local cuisine, with those game enough to eat a mopane worm being awarded a certificate.

For more information about flying with Air Tanzania please visit our website at

www.airtanzania.co.tz

On a game drive in Hwange National Park Taking in the view of Victoria Falls

Guests also stayed at the Kingdom Hotel during their time at Victoria Falls and embraced the great outdoors with a night at Hwange Safari Lodge. The lodge gave the group a chance to experience a late-afternoon game drive in Hwange National Park, the largest reserve in Zimbabwe and home to 107 species of animal and 405 bird species.

The amazing time the team had during their stay is evident in the photographs they came back with, which Twiga is sharing with you here.

The park is home to one of the largest elephant herds in Africa

A concert of traditional Zimbabwean music at Elephant Hills Hotel

If these pictures have whetted your appetite and you fancy zipping to Zim for an adventure like this, visit airtanzania.co.tz to book your flight. We fly from Dar to Harare three times a week.

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Mumbai recycling women

WASTE WARRIORS THE

OF MUMBAI

M

umbai, India’s ‘City of Dreams’, has lured people from all corners of the subcontinent in search of a better life. As a result, the home of Bollywood and India’s economic hub now has a population of over 21 million. While the opportunities are huge here, so are the problems – and chief among them is rubbish. Every day the city produces a veritable mountain of more than 10,000 tonnes of solid waste.

Some Mumbai citizens are taking a stand by devising their own upcycling initiatives. Twiga meets two of these waste warriors hoping to inspire others to each do their bit to protect the planet.

Rita Maker In this age of barely-out-of-school YouTube stars amassing huge online followings, it’s refreshing to find a 66-year-old Mumbai mum getting in on the ‘influencer’ act to spread her innovative plastic upcycling ideas.

Rita Maker creates mats, coasters,

lunch bags, clutches and bags out of plastic waste and shows others how to do the same through step-by-step video guides on her website.

Plastic, once regarded as a wonder material for its durability, is now seen as a menace for the same reason.

The accumulation of these virtually indestructible products is a threat to life on land and sea. Rita decided to take on Mumbai’s ‘plastic menace’, a mounting problem she had seen choking the city’s drains and rivers and adding to the 180 ft mountain of waste at its notorious Deonar landfill.

Now retired and with time on her hands, the former social science teacher was after a way to do something for the environment from her airtanzania.co.tz

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/ Mumbai recycling women

‘Walking the talk is the best way to set an example.’ Everything gets upcycled in the Maker household – not just plastic, but also dresses

Rita’s upcycling display at the BMC Expo

own home. She found it watching a video in 2016 on Facebook of a woman making mats from plastic bags.

“I was already making handicrafts from wool, thread and jute so I had the skill and raw material was already there,” she says. “The plastic menace had been making headlines for a long time and if I could do it I would be part of the solution of a problem that was fast becoming an evil.

Without giving it a second thought, I got started.”

Plastic yarn Rita grabbed all the plastic bags and food packaging she could find in her home, flattened them and arranged like with like. Cutting the ends off each item, she was left with a series of plastic hoops, which she then knotted together to form a sort of yarn of plastic. She then began to crochet these yarns together.

Her first creations were mats, as they were simple in shape. Once they were mastered, Rita moved on to more complex items such as shoulder bags, baskets, tea coasters, dustbins and gift boxes. Soon the home Rita shares with her daughter in a Mumbai apartment block was packed with these functional and funky plastic products, each in its own small way reducing the amount of ‘new’ plastic in circulation. When her supply of plastic ran out, her

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neighbours in the complex were keen to help out.

“After exhausting all the plastic bags at home I requested my friends and people in the complex to give me the plastic bags and they all willingly became part of my venture.

And they continue to do so to this day,” says Rita. “Such is their enthusiasm that I have to request them to press a finger on pause button. Else it would become too difficult for me to handle all from home.”

A couple of her neighbours have even been moved to make their own plastic yarn and get crocheting and Rita has also shared her skills with a group of children in the complex.

Friends and family have even taken some of the products with them overseas to spread the word. In order to globalise her message, however, Rita realised she would have to embrace the internet. She wanted to

get into as many homes as possible to reach those people who felt there was little in their power to affect the global plastic problem.

“Today most people have mobiles and access to YouTube,” says Rita.

“Since I had been inspired by a video on Facebook, [I thought] the best way to spread awareness through my work would be to post a video online.”

More versed in crochet than computers, Rita was helped by her son and daughter in creating an online platform for her work.

Inspiring videos

Latest idea – Rita’s upcycled plastic wine bags

“My family and friends rose to the occasion to make the three videos posted on YouTube, which were shot on mobile phones. The website, which also includes the videos, was created by my son. When my videos were put on air people did get inspired, specially young girls. I know there will be someone who will take it up and that makes it worthwhile.”

The reach of the videos has led to Rita being asked by a teacher at a Viennese international school to give a lesson in bag making on Skype. In Mumbai, ideas such as Rita’s were part of a climate of change that this year saw the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the governing civic body of Mumbai, ban single-use plastics in June last year.

Rita has some sympathy for the BMC in the scale of the problem it faces and says it’s paramount that the people of Mumbai do what they can to help – not easy when so many of the population are more focused on their own day-to-day survival than a distant threat to the planet. When the plastics ban was announced, Rita showed her support by showcasing her products at the BMC Expo.

“How to handle all the plastic waste from an overpopulated city?

/ Mumbai recycling women

Just as I couldn’t have achieved all without the support of family and friends, how do we expect the government to do the same?” says Rita. “When the BMC imposed its ban on the use of plastic bags it was the first time I showcased my products outside the complex at the expo. I wanted to spread the message that plastic will cease to be a menace if handled with care.

“Awareness is spreading and change is taking place. Looking broadly, a visitor might see plastic and filth strewn all over, but if you look closely you will be able to see the steps people are taking to control it. One has to take into consideration that a part of our population is struggling to earn two meals a day.”

Certainly, Rita’s commitment is absolute. As she puts it: “Walking the talk is the best way to set an example.” Everything gets upcycled in the Maker household – not just plastic, but also dresses.

Rita will crochet a new bag from an old and tattered sari or make dresses from left-over cushions and bedspreads.

Such sustainability is epitomised in the Hindi phrase that heads the home page of her website and has become a guiding light for the cause: ‘Jo plastic ghar aaye kutchh bunkar baahar jaaye’, meaning ‘Whatever plastic comes home should go out as a product’.

Soumya Annapurna Kalluri As a student working towards her degree in mechanical engineering, Soumya Annapurna Kalluri admits she was part of the throwaway culture, giving little thought to what she bought and disposed of in the bin. The 27-year-old woke up when she entered the workplace and was part of the team on consumer conglomerate Godrej & Boyce’s upcycling project.

She was moved to go it alone as an entrepreneur and set up her own social enterprise to combat the waste produced by the notoriously fickle world of fashion, which creates around 13 kg of fashion waste for every person on the planet every year.

She saw a way in with denim – a staple in most people’s wardrobes, but also in most landfills – which is a durable fabric and, she believed, could be upcycled to make trendy and multipurpose bags​and jewellery.

The result is Dwij, which literally means ‘twice born’ and which has, so far, given a second life to 3,000 pairs of jeans and 500

metres of post-industrial denim fabric.

The enterprise has been able to produce over 2,500 upcycled items such as bags, clutches, pouches and accessories, available to buy on its website.

Soumya’s team choose their materials carefully and put them all through an industrial wash before they’re cut and designed. Each item is fresh and funky-looking and comes with a tag naming the tailors who have made and designed the product for that personal touch.

Zero waste organisation Soumya says: “We strive to be a zero waste organisation and an ethical brand.”

Unlike in her student days, nothing goes in the bin mindlessly. The shredded pieces of waste generated while making the products is further used to make small items such as accessories and jewellery.

In the future, Soumya has plans for Dwij to expand to create other utility products like school supplies and yoga mats.

To browse and buy the range of products available, visit dwijproducts.com. The site also has information on how to donate your own waste denim to the project.

Personalised – each Dwij product comes with the name of the artisan who made it

A small-scale model None of Rita’s products are available for sale. It would kill the essence of the move, she says, which is to show a small-scale upcycling model achievable for anyone.

“It is for both women or men who are sitting at home and wanting to do something with their time. Not everyone can set up an industry to recycle plastic, but upcycling is something that anyone, if they have the will, can do. We have created the problem and the onus lies on us to solve it.”

To watch Rita’s videos, visit ritamaker.com airtanzania.co.tz

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Zimbabwean traditional foods

Healthy food at heart of

Zimbabwe In September the Traditional and Organic Food Festival comes to Harare. The processed-food-free event showcases a selection of healthy and tasty dishes inspired by traditional Zimbabwean cuisine and with an ingredients list full of fresh produce. Ahead of the festival, Cecilia Kamuputa selects some favourite traditional Zim dishes, including protein-packed insects as snacks – stink bug, anyone? – and reveals the best places in the capital to try them.

T

here’s an old Shona saying: ‘Ukama igasva hunozadziswa nekudya’ (‘Relationships are incomplete until you partake of a meal together’). And many friendships will be forged at the Traditional and Organic Food Festival at the Harare Botanical Gardens on 14 September from 9 am to 4 pm.

Now in its seventh year, the event showcases the diversity and health-giving properties of traditional Zimbabwean foods.

Food, together with language, is one of the greatest exhibitions of culture. Eating local food when one travels to a new place enriches the experience of travel and Zimbabwe has a wide array of traditional foods to offer local people as well as tourists to enhance their experience.

National dish The national dish is sadza or isitshwala, a maize-meal-based pap eaten with relish or sour milk. The more traditional versions of sadza are sadza reZviyo (finger millet based pap) and sadza remhunga (grounded bulrush millet), whose health benefits are said to include lowering blood cholesterol levels as well as regulating blood sugar levels

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– crucial in a country where many people suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure.

Sadza is usually eaten for lunch and dinner but some people have it for breakfast, too. Sadza can be served with various relishes.

Although traditional food is typically associated with rural Zimbabwe, the cities – including Harare – have restaurants serving up traditional Zimbabwean and African cuisine to local and international clients. One such restaurant is Gava’s, located at the Belgravia Sports Club. The restaurant, whose buffet menus include white sadza, mupunga une dovi (peanut butter rice), muboora (pumpkin leaves), muriwo une dovi (collard greens in peanut butter), huku yechibhoyi (free-range chicken), zvinyenze (goat intestines tied around tripe and stewed), zondo (beef trotters), guru (tripe), matumbu (cow intestines) and mabhonzo (beef bones), is open Monday to Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm. Each Sunday afternoon, from 1 to 6 pm, there is live Afro Jazz at no extra charge.

According to Gava’s own description: “We focus on providing fresh, healthy and tasty traditional Zimbabwean

Nuts at a street market in Zimbabwe

Collard greens

cuisine in a relaxed and comfortable setting.”

Vegetables, fresh or dried, are the second relish option, the most common being a vegetable stew of rapeseed, tsunga (Indian kale) and covo (African kale). There’s also derere rechipodzi (okra) fried or boiled, derere remashizha (leafy okra) boiled with bicarbonate of soda, munyemba (cowpea leaves), mutsine (blackjack leaves), mujakari (spider flower leaves), mowa/ bonongwe (poor man’s

/ Zimbabwean traditional foods

Zimbabwe has a wide array of traditional foods to offer local people as well as tourists to enhance their experience spinach) and nyevhe (spider flower).

Restaurants serving these traditional relishes include Kapoto in Avondale; Paddy’s Hotpot in Murandy Square, Newlands Shopping Centre; Dende at 32 Harvey Brown Avenue, Milton Park; and Garwe in Eastlea, where meals are eaten the traditional way, with diners using their hands.

Traditional dishes Sadza is also served with hohwa (wild mushroom), mbeva (mice), small birds and tsuro (rabbits), while edible insects are consumed as a crunchy snack or as relish with sadza. Insects include ishwa (flying termites), harurwa (stink bugs), mandere (chafer beetles), hwiza (grasshoppers), madhumbuzhwa (locusts), matsambarafuta (African thief ants) and makurwe (crickets).

Kombahari Restaurant at Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare, is excellent for traditional African foods and you’ll find madora (mopane worms) on the menu. Madora are eaten in great numbers in Zimbabwe,

especially in areas with a lot of mopane trees. They are usually sold dried or smoked.

In addition to the usual sadza dishes, on the lunch menu you’ll find manhuchu (samp), mutakura (maize, beans and nuts cooked together), nhopi (mashed pumpkin), mapudzi (bottle gourd) and rupiza (roasted cowpea dish), while for snacks there’s nyimo (round nuts), nzungu (groundnuts), maputi (roasted maize grains), magaka eminzwa (horned melons) and tsenza (Livingstone potato).

The forests and markets always have traditional fruit, depending on

Chicken peanut stew with sweet potatoes and okra and basmati rice

the season. My favourite is hubva/ tsubvu (smelly-berry fingerleaf), a small purple-black fruit with a big stone. Other common types of fruit at the markets include masawu, yellow when fresh and brown when dry); mazhanje (sugar plums) with a brown rough skin and sweet yellow interior; mawuyu or umkhomo (baobab fruit), with white powder and stones covered by a hard skin; myii (bird plums) that look like a smaller version of masawu but with a cloying sweetness; matohwe (snot apples), with sweet, chewy and gooey insides; and matamba (monkey oranges), with a yellow hard covering and a yellow-brown inside.

In the bushes, one can also find hacha (mobola plums), tsombori (wild grape), mususu (Lantana camara), hute (waterberry), madhorofiya (prickly pear), masekesa (monkey bread), nhunguru (governor’s plum), matunduru (granite mangosteen) and nhengeni (sour plum).

Popular drinks

The Traditional and Organic Food Festival will be held at the Harare Botanical Gardens

As any meal needs a drink to make it complete, various traditional beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are available. The most popular is maheu or mageu, a traditional non-alcoholic maizebased drink that is fermented. Lately, Zimbabwean beverage companies have been mass-producing the drink, made from maize meal, sorghum, sugar, milk solids, lactic acid and preservatives.

Among alcoholic beverages, there is hwahwa (beer) which is thick, gritty and opaque. The traditional beer has malt added on the third day of its preparation. It is sold under the name of ndari.

With such a rich diversity of food and dishes to choose from, the nation’s Traditional and Organic Food Festival is an ideal primer for visitors and a great opportunity to make friends and enjoy a meal together.

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Health and fitness

LOOK GOOD FEEL GOOD

Traditional seaweed bath Seaweed is packed with anti-oxidants and is known to repair the skin and to tackle ageing, cellulite and arthritis. sirgordonbennett.com US$ 22

Debby Wong/Shutterstock

‘For me, exercise is more than just physical, it’s therapeutic’

– Usher

DFree/ Shutterstock

– Michelle Obama

‘If you take care of your body, it’ll take care of you’

Built Pureflow stainless steel tumbler Leak-proof and with a 360degree lid, which means no spills while hydrating during your workouts. creative-tops.com US$ 18

Punching bag laundry bag Big enough to hold a heavyweight load of washing and tough enough to take a beating. yellowoctopus.com.au US$ 30 Saturn Hoppit Keeping fit can start young with this easy-to-master bouncing toy that provides excellent balance stimulation and muscle exercise for your child. Ages five to nine. yellowoctopus.com.au US$ 20

In-flight yoga

Zanzibar yoga instructor Marisa van Vuuren suggests some simple exercises you can do in your flight seat to ensure you have a relaxing journey and disembark the aircraft with a spring in your step.

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Ujjayi pranayama is sometimes referred to as ‘ocean breath’ because of the sound being initiated from the back of the throat. It’s a great way to boost your mood, calm the nervous system and increase blood circulation. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide. Try it for two to five minutes in silence to feel the benefit.

1 Sitting with a straight spine,

hands on the knees, draw the shoulders back and down, open the chest, contract the pelvic floor and draw the lower belly in and up. Tuck your chin slightly under to lengthen the back of the neck.

Close your eyes and relax the facial features.

in all directions, creating the sound from the back of the throat. Then exhale slowly.

2 Inhale – deeply and slowly.

3 Exhale through the mouth,

creating the sound ‘aaaaahhhhh’ as if you’re whispering it.

Feel the sound and sensation from the back of the throat.

4 Inhale deeply through the nose. Exhale slowly through the mouth, creating the sound.

5 Repeat three to five times.

6 Now, keeping the mouth closed on the exhalations, inhale deeply, chest expanding

7 Start to notice right at the top of your inhalation there’s a slight natural pause.

8 And as you exhale right at the very, very end, again there’s a slight natural pause. Focus on finding that point of silence and stillness between the inhalation and exhalation.

For more information on Marisa’s work, which includes yoga retreats, yoga teacher training, scuba diving and tango dancing, visit www.yogazanzibar.com

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Rose Funja

Sky’s the limit for drone technology in

AGRICULTURE Rose Funja, founder of the Agrinfo on-line database, is at the forefront of drone use in Tanzania. Here, the entrepreneur and ICT specialist reveals how the flying gadgets could revolutionise the country’s agriculture sector.

I

nnovative ideas often stem from a new way of seeing the world.

For Tanzanian entrepreneur Rose Funja, her epiphany came imagining the view from a drone hovering 100 metres above ground. She believed the detailed aerial imaging from that vantage point would “revolutionise” the lives of arable farmers in Tanzania and the country’s huge agricultural industry.

The ITC specialist had already made strides in hand-held GPS technology to help small-scale farmers map and manage their land with Agrinfo, the award-winning online database start-up she founded.

However, the moment she first saw drones in flight – as part of an exhibition she attended in Ghana in 2013 – she knew the flying gadgets could take the company’s work in improving agricultural practices to another level.

“I realised there was going to be a revolution in this space and I wanted to be a part of it,” says Funja.

She had already identified “missing links” of information in Tanzania’s agricultural sector which, if fixed, would help fulfil the huge potential of an industry that contributes more

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than a quarter of the nation’s gross domestic product and employs over 65 per cent of the population.

Agrinfo had been able to provide a quick, accurate and affordable online document of a farm’s location, size and produce using global positioning system (GPS) technology. For many small-scale Tanzanian farmers, this would be the first proof they had of their land ownership and would be invaluable in providing collateral for loans and other financial services as they sought to expand.

Bringing drones to Tanzania – entrepreneur Rose Funja

Providing a ‘prehab’ for crops

A ‘third eye’ for farmers The Dar es Salaam-born Funja saw that drones could not only increase the scale and speed of this work but, fitted with agricultural sensors, could reveal information – unnoticeable by the human eye – on soil productivity and the health of the crop. This would give farmers an early warning of the need to intervene and help boost yields.

“The drones coupled with the agricultural sensors work in the visible and invisible spectra,” says Funja. “They record the level of sunlight which is used by the plant for photosynthesis and reflected by its

leaves. The sensor picks this up, but it’s invisible to the naked eye. We are providing a third eye on what is happening. We use proprietary software to analyse the images. Depending on the strength of the reflected energy, we can see whether the plant is healthy or not.”

Recording data on the maize farms of Dodoma

These multispectral images provide what Funja calls a “prehab” for a farmer’s crops. Once the images are analysed using proprietary software, health issues can be spotted early and farmers can apply and monitor remedies more precisely.

Keen to put her ideas into practice, Funja started drone flying lessons with the French company Airinov and the not-for-profit training programme Tanzania Flying Labs.

Tanzania’s regulations on the flying of drones are nothing like as strict as countries like Kenya, but organising Agrinfo’s first flights did require notifying the Ministry of Defence, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority and the local authority – and it had to be by post.

Once she had the green light, Funja headed to the maize farms

/ Rose Funja

of Dodoma’s Chemba district to become the first Tanzanian to incorporate drone technology in her business. She piloted drones over 300 farms in the villages of Mapango, Mrijo and Chandama to collect data that would provide insight into the loss of maize crops in the fields.

In just two days, the drones were able to capture detailed images across 4,000 hectares of farmland.

The data once analysed revealed to the individual farmers how many of their crops were failing and, thanks to the GPS also carried by the drones, exactly where these crops were.

Previously, assessment of farms of five hectares or less in size would have been done on foot by an extension officer – a much slower and far less forensic process. There would be no record of the officer’s advice beyond his or her conversation with the farmer.

Agrinfo’s work produces maps that are made available online and to the local authority. Suddenly, smallholder farmers have a visibility and details of their crop and yield that make it far easier to do business along the value chain to the final customer.

The success of the pilot project has galvanised Agrinfo to pack these drone-gathered data, analysis and published results into a single, affordable product to serve independent farmers in Tanzania. Funja hopes this will attract both national and global investors.

Such are the accolades and investment Agrinfo has already generated through its farm mapping, Funja can

afford to feel “very excited about the future”.

Agrinfo grew out of its success at the CTA Agrihack Challenge, where it was runner-up, and has gone on to win awards at the UN Women Share Fair in Nairobi. It has also won funding from the Costech Buni Innovation Hub, a joint Tanzanian and Finnish venture, and been given technical assistance by the innovation challenge Data For Local Impact.

Funja learned how to pilot drones with Tanzania Flying Labs

Pioneering drone use That Funja, who in 2014 spent six weeks in New York after being selected for then US President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, is leading a company at the sharp end of technological advancement and can lay claim to being the first person in Tanzania to incorporate drones in her business is quite an achievement. When I ask whether that achievement is even more admirable for a woman, I can almost feel the rolling of the eyes down the phone line. It’s a question she has been asked many times and over time, says Funja, she has become “immune” to the conversation.

What she will say is that she has personally never felt any prejudice throughout her extensive education and career and has, in fact, only ever felt encouraged and respected by those around her.

“At high school in Dar I was one of just two girls in my class; and studying for a degree in computer engineering at the University of Dar es Salaam it was the same,” she says.

“I’ve gone past looking at gender as

In just two days, the drones were able to capture detailed images across 4,000 hectares of farmland

I have never had a problem with it.

Friends never put me down and I’ve always been in places where it has been easy to voice my opinion.”

This continued into the workplace.

After finishing her masters degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, she was offered a job providing technical solutions for clients with the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, soon moving up the ranks to senior product manager.

“I was the only African and the only female there,” says Funja, “but I was always listened to and given the same chances. I have been very lucky.”

She not only went on to form Agrinfo, but also heads the ITC and Research Department at the University of Bagamoyo. If she has had any luck, it’s that she has always known what she wanted to do with her life. Ever since she attended a short course in computer programming at high school, she was hooked.

She’s aware that many other intelligent young woman are not so sure of their career path and many are put off by science and ITC subjects.

Digital gender divide This is where Funja has engaged in the gender conversation. She is co-founder of the She Codes For Change social enterprise, which encourages girls to enter STEAM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers, and was a consultant on a two-week ITU and UN Women camp in Pretoria aimed at finding ways to bridge the digital gender divide.

The world of technological solutions still fascinates Funja and drives her mind. Drones may be her latest project, but she’s also looking beyond with plans to incorporate satellite mapping and scale up services across Tanzania.

“I am in the tech world now and I see how many opportunities there are. There are so many problems around the world that can be solved by science.”

For more information on the work of Agrinfo, visit agrinfo.co.tz

Jo’burg graffiti

A sanctuary for

STREET ART

Jo Buitendach, owner of urban tour operator Past Experiences, explains why Johannesburg is known as the graffiti art capital of Africa, while two leading artists of the scene reveal their inspirations.

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ohannesburg has become known for its thriving art scene and its biggest canvas is the city itself. Graffiti abounds here, with bold works stretching storeys high brightening up apartment buildings, bridges and shop fronts across the central business district (CBD) and inner city.

The outsider art form once provided an outlet for political dissent during South Africa’s shameful apartheid rule and in the 1990s, when soaring unemployment and rising crime left the CBD a ghost town, artists with little else to do were left with the crumbling, abandoned buildings to cover with larger mural-style pieces.

In recent year, however, graffiti has been largely legitimised and encouraged, with artists playing a large part in the regeneration of downtown areas such as

Braamfontein, Newtown, Maboneng and Jeppestown. The government has, for the most part, been on board, commissioning large-scale works and solidifying Jovi as a haven for street art. Now, as well as its home-grown talent, the city attracts some of the best graffiti artists in the world to add their signature style to the urban artscape.

“Johannesburg is the graffiti art capital of Africa,” says Jo Buitendach, owner of Past Experiences, the first inner city tour operator in Jovi, one of this year’s winners of the Vanity Fair UK Changing Your Mind Awards for her efforts to change the negative image of the city. The tours, which have been running for 10 years, aim to offer more than just photo opportunities for tourists; they reveal how graffiti art is a positive symbol of the resilience and regeneration of the inner city.

“We focus on detailed city tours – most of them on foot – for travellers, schools, universities and corporate events,” says Jo. “The business comes from a deep passionate love for the inner city. We have the most amazing local artists and many big international artists are also coming here to paint. My favourites around here include Tapz, Mars, Bias, Mein and Empty.”

Artists make expert guides Jo can count many of these artists as friends. Both Mars and Bias have joined the Past Experiences team of expert guides who lead the tours. Bias was even moved to create a graffiti tribute to Jo’s pet dog when it passed away.

This insider’s knowledge allows the tours to share some graffiti slang and look beyond the large-scale commissioned

‘We have the most amazing local artists and many big international artists are also coming here to paint’

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/ Jo’burg graffiti

public art to unearth smaller hidden gems that trace the development of artists within the graffiti culture here.

Those on the tour will get to see the nascent ‘tags’ (a quick, one-colour signature) of some of the scene’s biggest artists when they were getting started and follow them to more advanced ‘throw-ups’ (where the signature is embellished with shading and extra colours) to larger ‘pieces’ that reveal how the artists have honed their illustrative skills.

Street art festivals These large-scale works are hard to do illegally – Jovi still has its anti-graffiti bylaws – because of the time and effort involved, so almost all are the result of commissions. The Gauteng provincial government is behind many of them and has also sanctioned festivals on the street art calendar. Among them is April’s Back to the City, which sees Jo’burg and Soweto’s leading and upcoming crews and artists giving the underpass pillars in the Newtown precinct an annual wild new look.

October’s City of Gold Festival extends the invitation to international graffiti writers for a week of painting. Past Experiences is the festival’s official tour guide, leading visitors to the best of the new works.

As well as the government’s regeneration projects, big businesses such as Nando’s, Strongbow and Ray-Ban are injecting large sums of

money, commissioning pieces as a way to support street artists and ally themselves with the trendy urban scene. The tribal art-inspired mural

by Spanish artist Remed that runs the height of student accommodation block Remed’s View in Maboneng was the result of a commission by Adidas.

The corporate affiliated pieces seem a long way from the voice of protest graffiti represented in the fight for democracy. However, Jo – who for her master’s degree in archaeology wrote her thesis on the historic political graffiti found at the old ‘Number 4’ prison in Constitution Hill where inmates have included Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi – sees the majority of these commissions still as an important form of outsider expression. While it’s clear her heart lies with the more informal work to be seen in the inner city areas rather than the massive murals of the CBD, she sees all the colourful creations as indicative of the power of the human spirit in the city.

“Graffiti shows the city is alive, energetic and living,” she says. “It’s a positive force bringing art into the city, for everyone, not just in a gallery.”

To book a graffiti tour with Past Experiences, visit pastexperiences.co.za If you would like to try your hand at graffiti art under the tutelage of one of Past Experiences’ partner artists, email past.experiences@hotmail.com

‘I’m inspired by nature, the city, even traffic’ BIAS Q. How did you get started with graffiti?’

A. I used to walk home from school and see tags and I liked the way letters could be bent and written so I gave it a try.

Q. What are the inspirations behind your work?

A. I’m super-inspired by traditional letter writing but mainly nature, the city and sometimes even traffic. I experiment a lot with colours so I always try and make my works extremely vivid.

Q. What do you consider when choosing a place to add your art to?

A. Location, location, location!

Q. What do you think your work adds to the neighbourhoods where you put it up?

A. Colour, life and happiness.

Q. What is your favourite example of your work?

A. I have painted tributes for deceased friends and even my boss’s dog.

Q. I believe you like to tag tunnels and subways. What’s the appeal here? Do you like the idea of people stumbling across your work?

A. In truth no-one stumbles across it. I just like the solitude and large amount of wall space.

Q. Do you see your work as part of the city’s rebuilding process after its troubled past?

A. Definitely! It’s the freedom of expression that never existed and the collaboration with many different people that I enjoy.

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/ Jo’burg graffiti

‘I get to give the wall a re-do and a lot of the public will see it’ MARS Q. How did you get started with graffiti?’

A. As a teenager, through skateboarding and hanging out with older kids [who were] doing it. In the beginning it had nothing to do with art, just being rebellious and vandalising stuff. Over the years I started taking it more seriously until it now takes up most of my life.

Q. What are the inspirations behind your work?

A. There are two sides to my art. The graffiti side, where I do traditional graffiti letters, forms and characters – here I’m inspired by the lifestyle and my peers in the graffiti community. The other side is the art side, where I’m inspired by people, life and love and I like to focus on portraits and do a lot of fine art, too. In both areas I am constantly inspired by my need to keep progressing, learning and doing new things.

Q. What do you consider when choosing a place to add your art to?

A. I usually look for a big wall that’s in bad condition, in a spot that a lot of people usually move through and around. That way I get to give the wall a re-do and a lot of the public will see it. I mostly paint my outdoor walls in downtown Johannesburg as it’s usually well received and easier to get permission for derelict and old walls.

Q. What do you think your work adds to the neighbourhoods where you put it up?

A. I hope that it brings some little bit of joy and wonder. A lot of the paintings I do are in downtown Johannesburg, where people appreciate the little things like some extra colour to their world.

Q. What is your favourite example of your work?

A. I try not to get too attached to my work. It’s difficult to have a favourite.

Maybe the time that I do it is more memorable and impressionable to me. I have had some of the best and worst times painting graffiti.

Q. I believe you have been able to make a living from street art. Where have commissions for your work taken you across the globe?

A. Yes, I am a career artist. It’s a huge juggling act and I do a lot of corporate art for income. I have done paintings in Europe, Mexico, Bangkok and Israel. Some trips have been paid for and some I have self-funded.

Q. Were you born and raised in Jo’burg?

Which area do you live in now?

A. I was born in Sofia in Bulgaria and I moved here with my family 25 years ago.

Since then they have gone back to Europe but I have stayed. For the lifestyle I live, Johannesburg is perfect for now.

Q. Street art in the city seems tied in to regeneration of certain districts such as Maboneng. Do you see your work as part of the city’s rebuilding process after its troubled past?

A. To some degree yes, but mostly no. Yes, because everything is rooted in history – for example, it’s because Johannesburg had a difficult past that it’s a playground for artists now. But no, because I was painting in these areas 10 years before they started getting regenerated and developed.

Q. Do you feel part of a thriving art community here?

A. Yes, definitely. There are a lot of talented artists doing some amazing things in South Africa, from fine artists to sculptors and street artists. They are showing the world what Africa has to offer.

Street art by Mars in Johannesburg

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Sound and vision

Faysal blogger

When I first started blogging, in January 2017, I was not really sure of what I was getting myself into. I knew it wouldn’t bring in much of an income initially.

Most companies in Tanzania do not reach out asking bloggers to promote their products and services unless you are a big celebrity or have a very big fan base. This tends to discourage bloggers because we know, at the end of the day, we are not benefiting anything from the hard work we put in our content.

Content creation requires not only dedication and effort, but also enough funds – the government just recently imposed a new law that requires bloggers to pay a licence fee upon registration as well as an annual fee. Though the law is aimed at stopping moral decadence, it is tough on up-and-coming bloggers who are currently not earning revenues from their blogs.

With all the above being said, I do believe that if these challenges can be overcome, our country will have so many bloggers who can bring change in our community.

We can change the way people see and address things such us educating locals on the importance of gender equality, best health practices, how to conserve their environment and, lastly, bringing forward causes that will eradicate poverty and support the underprivileged, eliminate illiteracy and open up employment opportunities.

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FILM REVIEWS

Faysal Alao is a vlogger from Tanzania currently living in Dubai. He uploads videos roughly every other day about his experiences and everyday lifestyle on his YouTube channel, ‘Lifestyle of Faysal’. You can also keep up with him on Snapchat @faysal_alao and Instagram @callmefays

BOOK REVIEWS

Challenges of being a vlogger in Tanzania

MUSIC REVIEWS

BY MARK EDWARDS

DJ KHALED / ‘Father of Asahd’ Super producer DJ Khaled is not shy about sharing on social media – he once sent Snapchat into meltdown with increasingly frantic videos of getting lost at sea at night on his beloved jet ski – although fans have had to wait some time for posts on a new album. But, two years after his last long player, ‘Grateful’, comes ‘Father of Asahd’. DJ Khaled’s 11th album is packed with A-list collaborators as we’ve come to expect. Power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z turn up on ‘Top Off’ while Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Quavo combine on ‘No Brainer’.

Those lending a hand elsewhere include John Legend, Lil Wayne and Cardi B. Most affecting of all is a linctus of a rap from Nipsey Hussle on the single ‘Higher’. The rapper and community activist was shot and killed in Los Angeles just weeks after the recording session and close friend DJ Khaled has promised all proceeds from the track will go to Nipsey’s two sons. Image: Jamie Lamor Thompson / Shutterstock.com

ALADDIN It’s a case of Lock, Stock and One Smoking Lamp as British director Guy Ritchie is given the reins to bring a live action version of Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ to the big screen. The Mouse House has released plenty of reimaginings of its classic animated movies over the last several years – such as ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ – and they have been largely successful.

This one has faced some early criticism – even before its release – with many unconvinced by Will Smith’s Avatar-like whole-body blue rinse as the genie, but he has the brashness to carry the role. He gets to rap his big number ‘Friend Like Me’, memorably performed by the late Robin Williams in the original – and it works. There’s less star power in other key roles, with newcomers Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine, but they’re a perky pair with real chemistry in their scenes together. Ritchie brings the cheeky caper tone of his earlier films such as ‘Lock, Stock and Sherlock Holmes’ and helms some wonderful action sequences such as Aladdin’s early parkour-powered escape from the authorities and Bollywood-inspired street dances.

Mouth Full of Blood / Toni Morrison Covering four decades, this new collection of essays and speeches by the Nobel Prize-winning author includes her thoughts on Martin Luther King and author and playwright James Baldwin, who took on the injustices of the black experience in America. Morrison’s political essays make plain that racism, tribalism and bigotry are entrenched in the nation’s history, but also looks to how a less unjust, less hateful future can be achieved. The power of words to charge this change is examined, with Morrison taking a forensic look at her own work and admitting, in hindsight, there are changes she would make, including rewriting the last line of one of her best-known novels, ‘The Beloved’.

Culture coming up

PINK / ‘Hurts 2B Human’ It’s been 19 years since Pink released her debut album, ‘Can’t Take Me Home’, but her brand of me-against-the-world ballads and empowerment pop/rock bangers is still hugely popular. Her last album, ‘Beautiful Trauma’, was among the world’s best-selling albums of 2017, with sales only the likes of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran could match. There’s little reason to veer from the template here and ‘Hurts 2B Human’ plays to the 39-year-old singer’s strengths with her powerhouse voice at the fore of the title track and the tearjerking album closer ‘The Last Song of Your Life’. The singer born Alecia Beth Moore also shows, in tracks such as ‘Circle Game’ and ‘The Last Song’, that she still has a knack for crafting anthemic pop songs from material such as growing up and becoming a parent that are not obvious inspirations for a singalong chorus.

Agnes-Senga Tupper, marketing and business development manager at Nafasi Art Space, rounds up the latest events in arts, music and film.

ART AND FASHION D’Art Club / 3 July, 6 pm to 7.30 pm / at Nafasi Art Space Join others in a community of art enthusiasts to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of art. Questions addressed will include ‘Should all art be beautiful?’ and ‘What is beautiful?’

Artists Hangout / 2 to 3 July / at Nafasi Art Space Meet artists Option Nyahunzvi, from Zimbabwe, and Mozambique’s Butcheca. The artists, who will be exchanging ideas and collaborating with other at Nafasi Art Space throughout July, here share their work and techniques with the public.

JOHN WICK 3: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM Keanu Reeves once again racks up the bad-guy body count as John Wick, the hired killer reluctantly returned from retirement. This third instalment of the franchise takes up the action moments after its predecessor ended with Wick being given a one-hour head start before all the world’s most ruthless assassins get a message in their in-box that the man in the black bespoke bulletproof suit now has a bounty of US$ 14 million on his head. Wick has gained such unwelcome attention by breaking the rigid rules of The High Table, the governing guild of contract killing, by spilling blood on the sacred grounds of the Continental, a five-star assassin’s sanctuary. What follows is an around-the-world-in-80-fights cavalcade of beautifully choreographed violence. Wick dispatches a dizzying array of enemies with bloodthirsty insouciance – including a memorable speeding motorcycle sword fight and an epic showdown in a Moroccan market – using whatever weapons come to hand, including guns, knives, fists and, at one point, a horse. While the franchise shows no sign of stopping here, there’s an element of full circle as Wick, whose return to killing ways began in avenging his beloved puppy’s death, gets to wreak more carnage with Halle Berry’s ex-assassin Sofia and her two loyal attack canines.

EXHIBITIONS AND FILM Option Nyahunzvi and Butcheca

6 August to 10 Sept / At Nafasi Art Space A joint exhibition by two world-class artists from Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Otherworldly / 28 Sept to 28 October / At Nafasi Art Space An exhibition showcasing the work of Dar artists of all genres sharing their out-of-this-world imaginations.

Film Nights – Tanzania Film Lab / 9 July, 14 August, 11 Sept from 7 pm to 10 pm / At Nafasi Art Space Screening of award-winning films from Tanzania followed by a Q&A with actors, directors and crew.

LIVE MUSIC AND MORE Slow Sessions / on Thursdays from 6 pm to late

Black Leopard, Red Wolf / Marlon James This gory fantasy adventure, which its Jamaican author has described as “an African Game of Thrones”, centres on the efforts of Tracker, a hunter who can literally sniff out trouble, to find a mysterious lost boy. As part of a search party of fantastical misfits – among them a giant, a shape-shifting leopard, a witch, a buffalo and a water goddess who periodically melts into puddles — Tracker travels across an ancient continent encountering all manner of strange creatures, including bush fairies, dirt mermaids and vampire lightning birds. This epic tale from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’ is wildly inventive, creating its own fantasy world of memorable characters and involving them in a quest that only gets more mystifying as it progresses.

at The Slow Leopard in Masaki Kick back to laid-back jazz and lounge music.

Marafiki Night Live / 5 July, 3 August and 7 September from 7 pm to late / at The Slow Leopard Bring your friends, dance and make new friends.

Tumaini La Maisha Festival / 31 August from 3 pm to late A celebration of hope and life through the arts and music of the cancer fighters of Muhimbili.

Ongala Music Festival / 23 to 25 August at Tasuba, Bagamoyo A music and culture event to celebrate the much-missed music legend Remmy Ongala. Tanzanian music and performances of all genres.

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Osse Greca Sinare

The Dar vlogger who’s turning living into an

ART FORM Osse Greca Sinare is not just a commercial photographer who makes hotels, restaurants, pop stars and landscapes look unforgettable; he’s also responsible for inspiring more Tanzanians to follow their creative path through his vlogs. Mark Edwards meets him.

C

ommercial photographer and filmmaker Osse Greca Sinare dispenses a wealth of advice across his social media platforms to inspire the burgeoning community of vloggers, bloggers and content creators in Tanzania; but if he had to pare his message down to its essence it would, he says, come out as: “Be yourself.

That’s the secret weapon.”

Following his own counsel has helped him shape a career and a lifestyle doing what he loves – travelling, meeting new people and creating beautiful film and images that

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bring alive the projects and places he shares a connection with.

Lifelong passion for art Recently this has included the coffee-loving vlogger – rare is the YouTube video of his that doesn’t start with Sinare firing himself up with a caffeine hit – working with Long Miles Coffee Project, spending 10 days in Burundi capturing atmospheric visuals of this season’s harvest. He has also been taking food photographs so mouth-watering they make you want to lick them for Dar eateries Central Park

Café and the Two O’Six and could recently be seen hanging out at the commercial capital’s swanky Serena Hotel creating content for its website.

At one time, pursuing a business computing degree in Malaysia, Sinare looked destined for a far more traditional career, but his passion for art could not be ignored.

“Art has been a strong passion of mine since I was in primary,” says Sinare. “Whether it was painting, drawing or sculpting I would always be up for it. I knew it was what I wanted to do when I noticed myself spending time focusing more on my art career than my degree. I would find myself staying up editing images until 3 am and it was my first thought the moment I woke

/ Osse Greca Sinare

Mouthwatering food photography

up. That’s when I knew I needed to follow it through.”

These late-night sessions helped Sinare build an online portfolio of work that got his name out to potential clients. His parents supported his career re-route – “All that I have been able to achieve would not be possible without their support and belief in me succeeding as a creative in Tanzania,” says Sinare – and were instrumental

in helping their son set up his own studio on his return to Dar. Building his YouTube channel at the same time gave his subscribers – currently numbering 3,700 – behind-the-scenes views of the work that goes on at OGS Studios, in Dar’s Kinondoni district. They could also find tutorial vlogs on shooting design, lighting and technique as well as insight into the apps, cameras

‘I believe the best way to learn is by teaching and sharing your knowledge.

I also think it’s my duty to share key insight and knowledge about the industry…’

and lenses he works with. His website even allows the visitor to purchase the Adobe Lightroom presets he has used on some of his successful shoots.

Sinare relies on YouTube videos and online tutorials in sharpening his vlogging and image-editing skills and hopes his videos can do the same for other budding vloggers while each one is a lesson for himself in honing his craft.

Sharing skills “I believe the best way to learn is by teaching and sharing your knowledge,” he says. “I also think it’s my duty to share key insight and knowledge about the industry and by doing so I play my small role in helping the industry grow bigger and better.”

Social media has also helped Sinare establish his own place in Tanzania’s growing creative industry.

He namechecks home-grown photographic talent such as Daniel Msirikale, Clemence Eliah, Frank Papushka and Yeyo, who, along with himself, prove the creative scene is in good health.

“Social media played a huge role in allowing me to put my name out there,” he says. “I was able to share my story with thousands of people and connect with other creators.

Coffee harvest in Burundi

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/ Osse Greca Sinare

It allowed me to grow faster than I could have ever imagined.”

Among the high-profile collaborations that came his way, once people saw how he could make pictures pop, were album cover shots for music stars Vanessa Mdee and Mwana Fa, shoots for fashion brands PSJ Brand, Mtani Bespoke and An Nisa as well as work in South Africa and in Europe.

“The projects came about because of my presence online,” says Sinare. “By consistently sharing my work online and networking with people, I was able to link up with these amazingly talented artists.

I believe the only way the industry can grow further and faster is by bringing the community together and sharing with each other. There is so much power in unity. I think there’s a lot of opportunities here in Dar since the creative scene is still young.”

‘Making living an art’ Forging this artist’s lifestyle where every day is an adventure – Sinare’s website has the tag-line ‘Making living an art’ – has taken time and brought challenges. He bemoans the reluctance by many in Tanzania to see art as a true profession that can a have real commercial impact.

“As a creative, the business challenge is in how people value our art,” he says. “I really wish art was given more value so that artists could make a proper living from their profession. However, along

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with the challenges there’s a lot of opportunities as well. I keep my head up and keep trying to push forward each day.”

Creating a brand Pushing forward has meant coming to an understanding that working on creating an identifiable brand for himself outweighed accepting work from any brand that wanted his services, in spite of the loss of income in the short term. This has meant jettisoning the wedding photographs, family portraits and baby pictures that Sinare did with his usual panache, but did not soar his spirits like the travel photography and fashion shoots he wanted more of.

Along with the streamlining of his brand, his YouTube presence is run with long-term goals in mind. The income for his channel is minimal, but Sinare is happy to defer the money in favour of returns you can’t put a price on.

“It probably takes someone three to four years to be able to actually earn sufficient money from YouTube,” he says. “I’m definitely not doing it for the money, but the bigger benefits are in changing the African narrative. It gives me control as a Tanzanian to share the true sights and scenes plus experiences of my country through my voice.

Which I find is so valuable at this day and age.”

It’s refreshing to see the young, charismatic Sinare enthusing about

A fashion shoot in Dar es Salaam

his country, sharing its attractions and capturing them in such unforgettable images.

“Art has always been my escape and my way to express how I feel and view the world around me,” he says.

“What truly attracted me to art has been my drive to create. Being able to create something new on a daily basis brings me immense joy.”

It’s this artistic drive that has led Sinare to be a creative and a global traveller and, most important, to be himself.

To see examples of Sinare’s work, visit his Instagram page @ossegrecasinare and his website at ossegrecasinare.com For photography, video tutorials and travel blogs, check out his YouTube channel.

Jo’burg hotels

BEST HOTELS IN

JOHANNESBURG

Air Tanzania now flies four times a week to Johannesburg from Dar es Salaam. The vibrant heart of South Africa is considered one of the world’s top travel destinations, with a successful urban renewal project and a buzzing arts-and-music scene helping Jozi – as it’s known here – move on from its troubled past. The sprawling city has plenty of quality hotels to suit all budgets, whether you’re looking to enjoy seclusion amid luxury and heritage or you want to be in the heart of its hip and happening suburbs.

The best rooms with a view

Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Built onto terraces on a steep ridge and standing proud among the mine-owner mansions of the leafy suburb of Westcliff sits this imposing hotel. Its elevated position takes in Jozi’s urban forest and surrounding views. The development here began as a residential estate and its sprawling eight acres can still give that impression, with winding cobbled streets for guests to jog, walk or golf-cart around. The Orient Express (now Belmond) turned it into a luxury hotel, but it reached another level of opulence when Four Seasons took over and began a US$ 56 million refurbishment, completed in 2014. Unsurprisingly, given the outlay, it looks amazing. New features include an excellent spa; while each of its 117 rooms is classily appointed with supremely comfortable Four Seasons beds – imported from Canada and dressed in Egyptian cotton – and marble bathrooms If you’re given a room with panoramic views then you, like the minted miners whose palatial homes surround the hotel, have struck gold.

Doubles from US$ 200 a night / fourseasons.com/johannesburg airtanzania.co.tz

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For Renaissance-style romance The Michelangelo Hotel

For a hipster hang-out Hallmark House

Jovi’s Maboneng Precinct, a once run-down industrial area, has been reinvented as a thriving cultural and creative community thanks largely to the efforts of Jonathan Liebmann. The prodigal entrepreneur – he was running nightclubs and coffee shops aged 15 – has regenerated semi-derelict buildings, restored historic structures, founded art galleries and encouraged creative businesses from studios and shops to a cinema. He is also owner of the area’s first high-end hotel accommodation, Hallmark House. Its high-rise building was once a diamond-polishing workshop, but has been redesigned by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye. Its look is retro-urban industrial, featuring dark walls hung with abstract art and retro touches such as tea chests for tables in the stylish coffee bar – a popular hang-out for the area’s hipster crowd. Both Liebmann and Adjaye are so pleased with the finished result that they own apartments in the building.

Doubles from £55 / newmarkhotels.co /hallmark-house

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Known affectionately around here as The Grande Dame of Johannesburg, this five-star hotel brings Italian Renaissance-inspired elegance to the central business district. Stepping into its seven-storey glass-domed atrium, with its koi pond, obliquely figurative stone sculptures, rotunda bar and rows of arches affording glimpses into cloistered corridors, is an awesome experience; one that only increases as you soar its heights in glass lifts on the way to your room. Lofty levels of luxury abound wherever you look. There’s the spa with its grass-covered sundeck, the heated indoor swimming pool, an acclaimed restaurant serving Italian and international cuisine and a piano bar. Surrounded by such old-world charm, it’s easy to forget that you’re only moments away from some of the city’s finest shopping and entertainment options in the smooth Sandton district. Closest of all is shopping and dining centre Nelson Mandela Square – the 20 ft bronze statue of the late leader may well be part of the view from your room – while next door you’ll find mega-mall Sandton City.

Doubles from US$ 275 / michelangelo.co.za

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For getting under the skin of Jozi Curiocity

This fantastic boutique hostel in the Maboneng precinct used to be the premises of Pacific Press, which published a rebel publication, ‘Black Sash’, during the apartheid era. Contributors Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are said to have sought refuge in the building on occasion. Such stories are behind the name of the hostel’s bar, The Hide Out, but also inspire owner Bheki Dube, a talented photographer as well as entrepreneur, to continue the building’s legacy of revealing the real Johannesburg. The hostel has a team of ‘city ambassadors’ who lead a host of excursions, mostly on foot or by bicycle, to explore Maboneng.

It’s an ideal place to stay for any visitor who wants to embrace the precinct’s creative spirit. As well as The Hide Out, open for morning coffee through to late-evening nightcaps, the hostel has a hot tub, twice-weekly sports classes and plenty of communal areas to chill out or catch up with new friends. Meeting new people is part of the appeal of the dorm rooms, which sleep eight in bunks, but there are lots of nice touches such as reading lights, lockers and individual changing stations so guests still feel they have their own space. There are also private rooms with shared bathrooms and premier rooms with en-suite showers available.

Single bed in dorm room from US$ 12. Private rooms from US$ 40 / curiocity.africa

For cosy comforts Morrells Farmhouse

There’s a sense of gentility about Morrells Farmhouse. Staff members wear top hats and tails and new arrivals are met with a glass of port and will find their room garlanded with fresh flowers and a box of chocolate truffles. The buildings date back to the 1800s – it was the first property in the now affluent suburb of Northcliff – and period features such as wooden floors, open fireplaces, pressed ceilings and stained-glass windows create a cosy escape. In fact, despite the undeniable attractions of urban Jovi beyond its walls, guests may feel reluctant to leave. Its seven distinct en-suite rooms come with plump Sealy beds for a restful sleep and Victorian bathtubs for a lazy soak; and there’s a supremely elegant spa for more pampering. The hotel’s lounge is a snug place for pre-dinner drinks or to take afternoon tea in a bone-china service, while the restaurant’s acclaimed meals can be enjoyed in the rose garden on one of the many fine days here.

Doubles from £109 (breakfast included) / morrells.africa/accommodation airtanzania.co.tz

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Tanzanian avocados

How avocados became the

‘GREEN GOLD’ of Tanzania With the collapse of coffee prices in recent years, farmers around Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro are finding that avocados, which thrive in the same climate, are a profitable alternative. The berry – yes, berry – has become a figurehead of the clean eating movement and commands a lucrative international market. With 31 July marking National Avocado Day, Twiga charts the rise of ‘green gold’ in Tanzania.

A

vocados have become a phenomenon. Packed with protein, heart-friendly monounsaturated fats and with a creamy texture that makes them a delicious toast topping, dessert or smoothie, they are the poster fruit for the clean eating movement.

For some millennials the berry – yes, it’s a berry as it contains a large, single seed – appears to have taken over their lives.

In 2016 young Australians were told they would have enough money saved to get on the property ladder if they stopped blowing their income on avocados. In America, social media is awash with young men and women proposing to their loved ones by presenting them with an avocado which when opened reveals not the fruit’s stone but a gemstone atop an engagement ring.

Incredibly, many of the loved ones say “yes”.

Industry Global consumption of avocados, now a US$ 3 billion industry, has doubled in the last decade. Meeting this demand is a challenge.

Mexico is the largest exporter by a significant margin but is struggling to keep up with the insatiable global appetite for avocados.

Step forward Tanzania. In its Siha district, in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, it has farmlands with rich, deep, well-drained volcanic soil and with a decent rainfall level. At an altitude of over 1,000 metres, Siha also escapes the country’s tropical climate. This all adds up to the ideal growing conditions for Hass avocados, the most commercially popular avocado worldwide.

The issue was that just over a decade ago most smallholder farmers in this region

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focused on growing just enough food to feed themselves and their families, growing either the nutrient-dense maize or bananas as their staple food.

The situation began to change when James Parson, chief executive of Africado, a 137-hectare Hass avocado farm in Sanya Juu, had the idea to bring these smallscale farmers together in an outgrowers’ programme. The project got the backing of the UK government-funded development initiative AECF and the African Management Services Company. The farmers, most owning less than two hectares, were given seedlings of a high-yield variety of avocado – one that matures and produces fruits within three years – as well as training on good agricultural practices.

Today, these orchards are reaching their prime and can be harvested for about six months of the year, between December and June. During this period the fuerte avocados grown in Mexico and Spain are not in season, so there’s a huge demand for them.

Africado and its partner Westfalia Fruit, a South African multinational with the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world, have built a state-of-the-art processing, cold-chain and packaging facility on-site to wash, grade, size and pack the avocados for export straight to international markets.

This ensures a quality of product that is attracting blue chip customers. Among them are supermarkets Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, making Africado the first Tanzanian company to export avocados to the UK. Tanzanian farmers are seeing their entire avocado crop being snapped up, bringing in a previously unheard-of income. The

success of the project has seen more than 2,000 local farmers come onboard, including former coffee growers who switched to avocados after expanded production in Brazil and Vietnam brought down coffee prices. The Africado outgrowers’ programme now extends across 137 hectares in the Kilimanjaro area.

Huge growth Since the project began in 2012 the quantity of Africado avocado exports has grown from 488,000 kg to over 2.5 million kg in 2015. That’s an increase of 428 per cent.

The expansion continues apace, with Africado last year securing a US$ 2.8 million loan from Finnish development finance company Finnfund to expand and develop its operations. There are plans to bring more than 3,000 farmers under the Africado wing. These developments have

/ Tanzanian avocados

deliciousness of these avocados is such that their renown has spread around town.

“These avocados are sold with the phrase ‘parachichi toka meru’, which means ‘avocado from Meru land’. When people read this they know they are going to be very tasty because of the good volcanic fertile soil there and they are grown naturally. Farmers believe if you take seeds from Meru and try to grow them anywhere else, it won’t give the same yield and flavour as it does in the Meru land.”

Mesula has been running for three years in Arusha. It began as a social company created by Oikos Institute, an Italian NGO, together with its Tanzanian partner, Oikos East Africa, but is now a privately owned business. Its mission remains to give willing farmers the opportunity to convert their agricultural methods to organic. The use of chemical pesticides, industrial fertilizers and hormonal assistive growth is outlawed. In their place, the farmers are trained in pest management and soil fertility conservation.

Joachim says: “We teach farmers to increase the amount of nitrates in the soil by using composite manure and allowing the residue of old crops to decompose.

In this way farmers don’t need to apply inorganic nitrates fertilizers. To lower the risk of insects and diseases, farmers are advised to rotate crops in the field or, with small garden growers farmers, use ashes as organic pesticides.”

In return for adopting the organic practices, the farmers receive 75 per cent of the income from the sale of their produce.

Farmers are often there to make those sales. Mesula keeps the supply chain deliberately short to connect customers with

raised the quality and profile of Tanzanian produce globally and helped secure the long-term future of avocado export production in Northern Tanzania.

Mesula champions organic way As well as providing a lucrative export, North Tanzania’s wealth of avocados provides a healthy, tasty treat for people living here.

The farmers’ markets, hotels, cafés and lodges of Arusha always have plenty of perfectly ripe examples, their skin dark, shiny and slightly yielding to the touch.

Many of these avocados are the result of the work of Mesula, a social company that supports local farmers to use organic methods in raising their crops. The produce is sold locally to offer Tanzanians better food, with high nutritional and health values.

Joachim Japhet, who runs Mesula’s operations in Arusha, says the company has three farmers, in small plantations in the shadow of Mount Meru, who grow avocados without chemicals and pesticides. The

the farmers. None of the fruit is exported.

Instead it is sold in Arusha at the farmers’ markets that the company organises on the first Saturday of each month and by Mesula’s weekly mobile shops at Braeburn International School and International School Moshi.

As the last two locations suggest, the enterprise is popular with expats in Arusha, but Joachim says the events and the company’s permanent farm shop at its headquarters in Haile Selassie Road are seeing more inquisitive locals turning up.

Farmers’ market Joachim says: “At the farmers’ market lots of people come to buy goods and some come to learn more about benefits of organic produce. I have seen the numbers of people shopping for organic produce increase dramatically. The markets give farmers, small processors and entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell their produce and be involved in the exchange of ideas on sustainability. We used to sell mainly to the expat community, but now we have a good number of locals.”

With new farmers signing up regularly, Joachim is hopeful of expanding the business in the future; and the promise of the best-tasting avocados in Arusha is keeping the customers coming.

Mesula’s farmers’ markets take place on the first Saturday of each month at its headquarters in Haile Selassie Road, Arusha, from 10 am to 4 pm. The mobile shops visit Braeburn International School in Kisongo every Wednesday from 3 pm to 4.30 pm and International School Moshi every Friday from 2 pm to 4.30 pm.

Health benefits of avocado 5 Good for glowing skin Antioxidants in the fruit will help to detoxify your body and help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making your skin more supple and plump.

5 Increases nutrient absorption Eating plenty of nutrients, minerals and vitamins is only good if your body can absorb them. Avocados help that process.

5 Strengthens bones Avocados contain food amounts of copper, folate and Vitamin K – all important nutrients for building stronger bones.

5 Staying slim Despite being high in fat, avocados can help maintain a healthy weight as their high fibre content gives a ‘full-up’ feeling after eating.

5 Prevents diabetes Studies show eating half an avocado with lunch stabilises blood sugar levels.

5 Eye health Avocados contain the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, which both fight macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision impairment in the over-50s.

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Musanga

Musanga delivers on promise to transform business supply chain in Lusaka

An ingenious tech startup in Lusaka has been able to tackle two of Zambia’s most pressing problems in one hit. Njavwa Mutambo, chief executive and co-founder of Musanga Logistics, speaks to Twiga about how the company is creating economic opportunities for the country’s energetic young workforce.

T

he traditional teaching set-up of school never really appealed to Njavwa Mutambo. He dropped out of David Kaunda National Technical Secondary School in Lusaka at age 16 and became part of the daily ‘tamanga’ or hustle to make a living in the city.

Interested in technology since he was a boy, he started running a stall selling phones – and two issues soon became clear to him. One was that in the capital there were hundreds of thousands of energetic, creative young people like him in informal work and struggling to maintain a regular income. The second was that he was far from alone in struggling to find a reliable, fast and affordable way to get packages delivered to his

customers. There were hundreds of businesses in the city encountering the same problem.

An idea began to percolate in Mutambo’s mind that would go a long way to fixing the inefficient supply chains in Lusaka and, ultimately, across Africa, and create economic opportunities for the vast, untapped numbers of unemployed youth. It would use technology and smart logistics to improve efficiency and cut transport costs for businesses in Lusaka.

The idea was honed among Mutambo and a group of his similarly tech-savvy friends – “there’s a growing tech ecosystem in Lusaka,” he says – and got the backing of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Lusaka startup incubator BongoHive.

Musango CEO Njavwa Mutambo with two drivers

The result was the on-demand delivery startup Musanga – the phrase ‘musanga musanga’ or ‘fast, fast’ is often heard amid the frenetic bustle of Lusaka – which works like a sort of Uber, but with trucks. At the push of a button, shippers looking for transport of anything from day-to-day essential groceries to vital medicines can connect with independent delivery drivers looking to earn.

The app was launched in 2018 and now, Mutambo says, facilitates the shipping of about 2,000 packages a day across Zambia.

Currently Musanga has a team of 20 managing operations, with Mutambo as its chief executive, and has attracted more than 450 registered carriers or ‘driver airtanzania.co.tz

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/ Musanga

partners’ onboard. The startup’s ambitions have recently been fuelled by considerable financial backing from international organisations such as UK-based GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator and Ground Squirrel Ventures from the USA. The hope is that, once Musanga is established as a market leader in Lusaka, it will transform the way parcels are delivered in other major African cities, with Kitwe, Livingstone, Bulawayo and Dar es Salaam all mooted as potential next moves.

Mutambo says: “Our goal has always been to become a leader in Africa and with this we have raised funding. This funding will help us strengthen operations in Zambia and expand into a different country in the region this year. I think we have a good chance of building a really big pan-African business and I am excited to be working with supersmart people, growing my clientele and delivery partners.”

Musanga delivers products for some of Zambia’s largest manufacturers and distributors across the country – with blue chip clients including Pepsi and Nigerian conglomerate Dangote – and it’s easy to see why.

Deliveries arranged on the app When companies want to organise a delivery, the app will present them with a range of available drivers and vehicles, from motorbikes through lorries with a weight capacity from 1 tonne to 30 tonnes to flatbed containers and trucks with refrigerated trailers. Whichever type of transport is chosen, the shipper can be assured of its quality and reliability, since all

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‘We’ve increased incomes of some of our most active partners by 100 per cent, helping them access microloans and open bank accounts’

pursuing his business vision; but he admits he and his young team have faced challenges along the way. “For most of the early team here, including myself, Musanga was the first or second job, so most of us have had to learn on the job. We could have avoided many costly mistakes.”

Developing a network

vehicles are assessed by acquisition agents across the country once their drivers apply to become delivery partners.

Deliveries appear to be as fast as they are easy to arrange – the Musanga Facebook page is full of posts from happy customers amazed at how quickly their packages arrived – and the shipping company can track the progress of the delivery via the app.

Musanga also seems a good deal for the drivers. They get a regular supply of custom through the app, a cut of up to 20 per cent from each transaction and can take advantage of financial offerings, including loans and bank accounts, from Musanga’s partners, such as mobile telecom operator MTN. Mutambo says: “Since we started, we’ve increased incomes of some of our most active partners by 100 per cent, helping them access microloans, open bank accounts and have an increased sense of security because they can rely on Musanga to find customers. My belief that Zambians, given the opportunities, have the will to change their own lives is stronger now than it has ever been.”

Certainly, the 24-year-old chief executive has transformed his life by

Musanga handles deliveries big and small

Deliveries made easy – log in, order delivery and make payment

The steep learning curve has included coming to realise the value of education. School may have passed Mutambo by first time around, but with a vision in mind for where education could take him, he returned to high school to complete his final Grade 12 exams. As Musango took shape, he also took advantage of scholarships and entrepreneurship courses to sharpen his skills.

“I was given the chance to learn at Skyline College in San Francisco through the Mandela Washington Fellowship programme. I also have done a few entrepreneurship programmes, including an eFounder programme in China run by the Jack Ma Foundation and UNCTAD and [startups supporter] Slush GIA in Finland. The true gem in these programmes is the network you develop.”

The energetic chief executive does still wish sometimes that these learning experiences embodied the ‘musanga musanga’ pace of his own startup. “I still have a hard time sitting through lengthy presentations,” he says.

To find out more about Musanga or to register as a driver partner, visit musanga.com The Musanga app is available to download on Google Play

Tanzania Africa cup of nations

TAIFA STARS JOIN AFRICA’S FOOTBALL ELITE IN EGYPT

Logo Football Club | Clipart.info | CC-BY-SA-4.0

HISTORY-MAKING

The Africa Cup of Nations runs from 21 June to 15 July and for the first time since 1980 Tanzania’s national team have qualified to compete. Twiga reports on the Taifa Stars’ preparations for the biggest football games the country has seen in a generation – and where and when fans can cheer them on.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has already made history before a ball has been kicked. It’s the first time the event will be held in June rather than November; there will be 24 rather than the usual 16 teams competing; and – most exciting of all to Twiga readers – Tanzania’s national team have qualified for the competition for the first time in 39 years.

The Taifa Stars secured their place in the biennial tournament, which kicks off in Egypt on 21 June, by beating East African neighbours Uganda 3-0 in their final qualifying match. The goals by Simon Msuva, Erasto Nyoni and Aggrey Morris were the first Uganda had conceded throughout the qualifying matches. Uganda still went through as winners of Group L, but Tanzania grabbed second place with victory in Dar es Salaam. The two teams join Burundi and Kenya to make up the East African contingent in the four-week-long event.

The scale of the task awaiting the Taifa Stars is obvious right from the first match.

They face Senegal in Cairo on 23 June and will have to contain the goal-scoring threat

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of Liverpool striker Sadio Mane. Their two remaining group games are then against neighbours Kenya on 27 June and Algeria on 1 July. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stages.

It’s an incredible achievement for Emmanuel Amuneke and the team just to be there. Amuneke has won Afcon before, as a player – in 1994 he was part of the Nigerian team who won the tournament in Tunisia – but Tanzania’s qualification marks their first appearance at the tournament since 1980.

New coach Amuneke – a winger during his playing days for Nigeria and club sides that included Barcelona – took over the Tanzania coaching role only last year, but has overseen a quick turnaround in the team’s fortunes.

“Nobody expected Tanzania [to qualify for the 2019 Afcon] but football is changing,” says Amuneke. “You can see teams like Madagascar and Kenya among the 24 teams. That shows countries are doing a lot to improve their football and I hope it will continue to develop in the nearest future.

“Thirty-nine years is not a day. Nations Cups have come and gone. Many players have played in Afcon. So we’re going there

to improve ourselves, make sure we get some knowledge from the big boys and hopefully give a good account of ourselves.

We are happy for the people of Tanzania.

It is a great privilege to be here. We are happy with ourselves – we’re still young, we’re growing, we’re open to learn and this journey will continue to guide us to learn.”

The 48-year-old coach has not been afraid to give promising young players a chance at international level. His initial 39-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations included Kelvin John Pius, who is just 15 years old, but is already on the radar of the world’s biggest clubs, such as Manchester City and Ajax. The teenager has been nicknamed Mbappe, after the French star Kylian, for his goal-grabbing skills and impressed at the recent Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Another youngster, Claryo Boniface, has also been called up from the under-20 side to make the squad.

Experienced players Still, Amuneke is going to need his most experienced players to play a big role in Cairo. Chief among them is striker and captain Mbwana Ally Samatta (inset top left). The Taifa Stars need Samatta to

/ Tanzania Africa cup of nations

FAST FACTS

Taifa Stars at Africa Cup of Nations When is it?

The tournament runs from 21 June to 15 July.

Where is it?

The tournament takes place in Egypt. Tanzania’s group games will take place at the 30,000-capacity 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

Team spirit – the Tanzania’s Taifa All Stars

replicate his outstanding form for club team Genk, finishing this season as joint top scorer in the Belgian top flight and winning the Ebony Shoe award for the best African player in Belgium.

The goal against Uganda broke a bit of a goal drought for Samatta on the international stage; and with Tanzania not renowned as particularly good travellers, having failed to secure a win in their last six away matches and without a goal in the last three, a lot of responsibility is resting with captain and fellow striker Thomas Emanuel Ulimwengu, who plays his club matches with JS Saoura in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle.

Whatever, the results of the Taifa Stars’ games in Egypt, Amuneke believes getting to play in such a prestigious tournament that commands attention across the world can only be good for the game in Tanzania.

“Our prayer is that the tournament will

help develop our players to see if they can be involved in European leagues so in the future we can have stronger international teams,” he says.

Congratulations Twiga joins the Tanzanian people in congratulating the Taifa Stars on reaching the Africa Cup of Nations this year and will be cheering them through what we hope is a very successful tournament.

When are Tanzania’s group matches?

23 June: Tanzania v. Senegal, 8 pm.

27 June: Tanzania v. Kenya, 11 pm 1 July: Tanzania v. Algeria, 10 pm.

(All times are East African Time, one hour ahead of Eastern European Time in Egypt).

How can I watch the games on TV? Every match of the 2019 Afcon will be shown live on Eurosport 1 and 2.

Matches can also be streamed live on CAF TV live on YouTube.

Where can I get latest Taifa Stars updates?

Visit the Tanzanian Football Federation’s Twitter site @TanFootball.

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The Other Side

JOURNEY TO THE OTHER SIDE

W

hen work was taking place on a private members’ club on the grounds of the sumptuous 32-room Latitude 15 Degrees, staff at the hotel in Lusaka’s leafy Leopard Lane would refer to the developments as happening “on the other side”.

The club offers members and all

Lusaka’s newest club aims to bring people together across all ages and backgrounds to work, rest and play. No jacket required.

guests at the hotel a den of luxury in which to work, rest and play; and once it was complete, the name – which was judged to capture the club’s out-of-the-ordinary appeal – was kept.

Nicholas Best, group commercial director for Latitude 15 Degrees, says The Other Side aims to subvert the

archetypal fusty image of private members’ clubs. People choose the type of membership they want; whether it’s for work, fitness, social or all three, the club offers dining, drinking, a heated pool, a gym, a spa and workspaces and regularly hosts music, art, fashion, business and party events. However, there are

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/ The Other Side

no daft rules, stuffy dress codes and pompous committees here.

“We are certainly not like the members’ clubs of the past that were typically gentlemen only and where the lounges were filled with egos, broadsheet newspapers and lots of hush,” says Best. “The Other Side is very lively and all-inclusive.

We have an extremely wide range of supporters, from people in their early twenties to octogenarians, and a very even balance of ladies to gentlemen. You’ll find 20-something web developers mixing with more mature captains of industry, diplomats creating connections with up-and-coming musicians and artists, and investors looking for the next entrepreneur to empower.

Our aim is to create an environment where interesting people from different places can meet and stimulate connections.

“Relaxing the dress code is predominantly about allowing people to be comfortable – after all, people are more creative and more likely to interact if they are being themselves.

Some people, myself included, are allergic to suit jackets and ties.”

The club’s open-plan workspace, The Works, is the perfect spot for suit-shy creatives to pull up a bean bag and share ideas. The shared hot-desking perches also offer a handy Wi-Fi connected spot to get work done.

Food made for sharing The sharing continues in the restaurant. Although there are options for a more formal dining experience with a regularly updated menu of starters, mains and desserts, its renowned tapas dishes make for great social snacking. The Spanish-style sharing bowls are especially popular when groups gather for the club’s regular music nights. Wednesday evenings feature laid-back lounge music, while on Friday more upbeat tunes kick-start the weekend. Among the upcoming live music acts is Namvula,

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a Zambian singer with Scottish roots who is building renown for her lilting brand of Afrofolk. She plays The Other Side on 21 October.

Music is just one side to the organised events at The Other Side, which aim to be eclectic enough to appeal to the wide variety of patrons. Members are also brought together with regular Ted-style talks, quiz nights, wildlife conservation fundraisers, exhibitions, movies and book launches. A recent appearance

by Francois d’Elbee, the Zambianbased French photographer and artist workshops, drew a crowd of 200 people.

While these events are designed to stir the mind, the body gets the attention at the club’s gym, heated outdoor swimming pool and spa.

A home from home The spacious gym is open round the clock and is kitted out with modern cardio and weight-bearing machines as well as free weights for some iron pumping. Trainers are on hand to guide novices or to set more experienced members a new workout challenge.

You can pamper those pumped-up muscles at the spa, which offers Balinese, Indian, Zambian and Swedish massages along with a host of skin and beauty treatments.

With the club providing a place to eat, train, work and relax, Best jokes: “Some people never leave!

We have a very high level of regular, repeat guests at Latitude 15 Degrees that use The Other Side for almost everything. They create at The Works, entertain or wind down at The Other Side and use the gym and spa. A lot of The Works members spend additional time at the club, entertaining or working out or just chilling with each other and friends after a day at work.”

The club is certainly an attractive place to spend some serious time in.

Its look is an extension of the classic, cool interiors of Latitude 15 Degrees

peppered with quirky works by local artists and craftsmen, in keeping with the club’s whimsical, surprising nature.

“We are huge supporters of sustainable design,” says Best. “You will see everything from chandeliers created from recycled tumbled glass, copper ornaments upcycled from discarded water geysers, even lamps made from an old Land Cruiser crankshaft. The design is a key component of our brand DNA and the aim is to showcase the best of what modern Africa has to offer in creativity, with a twist.”

It is hoped in the near future members will have more than just the attractive surrounds of the Lusaka club to take in. There are plans to open another The Other Side club at the group’s hotel, Latitude 13 Degrees, in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe. Members in Lusaka will be members there too.

To find out more about the membership tiers and the facilities at The Other Side, visit theothersideclub.com

Latitude 15 Degrees and The Other Side can be found on Leopard Lane in south-east Lusaka. Both are 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre and 30 minutes from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.

/ The Other Side

The aim is to showcase the best of what modern Africa has to offer in creativity, with a twist

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Tech for safaris

SAFARI-FRIENDLY

GADGETS Yes, safaris in Africa are a privileged opportunity to immerse yourself in nature at its wildest and escape for a while from the civilised confines of urban life, but that doesn’t mean you have to go totally off-grid. A few judicious touches of tech can really enhance your safari experience. Twiga has selected some very handy gadgets you should consider adding to your backpack.

Animal-spotting smartphone apps

SunGod Renegades With so many sights to see on safari, often in searing sunshine, a good pair of UV-filtering sunglasses is essential to keep your eyes healthy and your eyesight sharp. The SunGod Renegades range is scratch-proof and will withstand plenty of punishment during your safari while being light enough to wear all day.

The lenses come in six colours so you can customise your look. Whichever colour you choose, all lenses are infused with an anti-reflective inner lens to reduce glare and an Advanced Polarised Filter that enhances precision and improves depth of field.

Sungod.co

Powerbank You don’t want to be that person who hikes to Mtae viewpoint in the Usambara Mountains to capture some amazing sunrise shots across the sprawling plains only to find their camera is low on batteries. Carrying a power pack is a saviour in such situations. The Pebble P-1 Pro has fast-charging technology so can give your electronic device a quick boost of power so you don’t miss a moment. Its lightweight, rounded shape makes it a portable and durable bit of safari tech. It can hold enough power to charge most cell phones more than twice over and its high-quality lithium polymer battery retains more than 70 per cent capacity even after three years.

Veho-world.com

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Smartphones won’t really cut it for capturing quality still or video safari footage, but they can be used to enhance your safari experience with a number of tracking apps. For those who want to be in the best place to see the Great Migration of wildebeest, the free app Herdtracker follows the animals’ progress on a Google map. As long as you have a cell phone signal, you’ll be able to track them as well as update the map for other safari-goers with your own sightings.

DiscoverAfrica.com/HerdTracker

/ Tech for safaris

Action camera

Amazon.com/gorillapod

www.zeiss.com

Magnetic tripod

Gopro.com

.com Shutterstock

Attach one of these to the side of your safari 4x4 and you’ll capture some incredible footage. If a leopard spotted, if you will, in the Serengeti’s Seronera River Valley shows interest in your vehicle and starts running alongside, you’ll have the moment saved on film. A magnetic tripod, such as the GorillaPod by Joby, is easily attachable to your vehicle and allows you to get great game shots while you keep your hands on the wheel.

Rubberised rings and foot grips enable the tripod to maintain stability on uneven terrain, ensuring shake-free footage.

What’s more, the innovative leg joins mean you can wrap it securely on wing mirrors or door handles and you can position it at just about any angle for your required shot. There are more attractive elements – quite literally – with the tripod’s powerful magnetic feet meaning it can be attached to any magnetic surface, including vehicle panels.

Binoculars are essential. Nobody’s going to miss a herd of elephants gathering at the Tarangire River to drink, but there will be plenty of other occasions on which your guide may spot a leopard on the rocks in the distance or some giraffe on a faraway plain where the right pair of binoculars will really make the difference. Even the close-up elephant experience will be enhanced with binoculars – suddenly you are focusing on their eyes and thick, long eyelashes and find yourself not just seeing the animal, but observing its behaviour. To do this well, you’ll need good-quality binoculars. Visionary experts Zeiss offer the Victory RF. It’s not cheap, but it enables one-touch Laser Ranging capability from 16 to 2,300 metres for rock-steady images at all times.

Its also nitrogen filled so stays waterproof and fog-proof, can be linked to your smart phone or tablet and will give you clarity of vision even when watching wildlife into the twilight hours.

dux / Infinitum Pro

Binoculars

This is the only kind of shooting you should be doing on safari. You can relive your canoe trip among the hippos and crocodiles in the Lower Zambezi National Park or a balloon safari across the Serengeti with an action camera.

The GoPro camera allows you to capture every moment of these adventures. They can withstand being dropped, plunged in water or being rattled around attached to a safari vehicle, all the while delivering professional-quality video up to 1080p30 and 5MP photos at up to 3 frames per second. Total camera control allows content preview, playback and sharing via its app. It can also be strapped to a selfie stick so you get to be in the foreground with African landscapes and wildlife in the background.

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Travel information

Before take-off Taking your first flight is certainly exciting, but can also become a source of stress for those who are unfamiliar with the rules, procedures and customs of flying. To prepare yourself for your first flight, it is therefore important to get information on everything you need to do before and during your journey. Here is a useful pre-departure checklist.

1

Before departing, it is important to check the airline’s website for its hand luggage rules: weight, sizes and types of objects you can take on board. For example, as regards liquids, you are advised to carry these in your hand luggage, only in transparent, reseal able, plastic containers, not exceeding 100 ml. In this section, you will find information regarding the hand luggage permitted on your flights; if you have connection flights, we advise that you also check the websites of other airlines.

2

Arriving at the airport in advance (at least two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights)

will enable you to check in and board your flight calmly, without anxiety and without unexpected last-minute issues.

3

Check in online, if possible.

If travelling with hand luggage alone, you can check in online and print or download your boarding pass which you must take with you directly to security checks. This will enable you to save precious time once at the airport and to go to the gate calmly. For further information, please visit the dedicated page.

4

Set your mobile to flight mode, as well as other devices connected to the internet that you are taking on board.

Cabin crew will remind you of this step before take-off. With flight mode set, you can still take photos of your unforgettable journey and you can also enjoy the in-flight entertainment system! To find out more, please visit the dedicated section.

5

If you suffer from motion sickness… you will only find out about it during your first flight! To prevent sickness from ruining your first flight on a plane, we advise you to take natural remedies, such as, for example, ginger tablets or gum to chew. Ginger is believed to have a anti-nausea properties. Otherwise, ask your doctor to prescribe you antihistamines with a sedative effect.

6

Enjoy the view! By choosing a seat near the window, you will see breath-taking landscapes and you can take photos of the exquisite white clouds you will be flying above.

Try to take a nap. Sleeping on the plane will make time pass faster and you will arrive at your destination calm and rested.

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Lastly, especially during take-off and landing, the change in pressure inside the cabin may cause discomfort in your ears. To prevent this discomfort, you are advised to stay awake during these manoeuvres and to chew gum or wear earplugs.

AIR TANZANIA FLEET National carrier Air Tanzania is justifiably proud of its revamped six-strong fleet. Here we take a close-up look at our aircraft with technical data and specifications.

BOMBARDIER DASH 8-Q400 Number of aircraft available: 3 Seat capacity: Business Class 6, Economy 70 Number of flight-deck crew: 2 Range: 6,112 km (3,300 Nm) Typical cruising speed: 470 knots (541 mph or 871 km/hr) Thrust per engine at sea level: 23,300 lbf. / 103.6 kN Wingspan: 115 ft 1 in. (35.1 m) Length: 107 ft 9 in (32.83 m) Interior cabin width: 99 inches (2.51 m) Cabin height: 6.5 ft

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AIRBUS 220-300 (CS300) Number of aircraft available: 2 Seat capacity: Business Class 12 and 120 Economy Class Number of flight-deck crew: 2 Range: 6,112 km (3,300 Nm) Typical cruising speed: 470 knots (541 mph or 871 km/hr) Thrust per engine at sea level: 23,300 lbf / 103.6 kN Wingspan: 115 ft 1 in (35.1 m) Length: 127 ft (38.7 m) Interior cabin width: 129 inches (3.28 m)

BOEING 787-8 DREAMLINER Number of aircraft available: 1 Seat capacity: Business Class 22 and 240 Economy Class Number of flight-deck crew: 2 Range: 13,621 km (7,355 Nm) Typical cruising speed: 488 knots (561 mph or 903 km/hr) Thrust per engine at sea level: 64,000 lbf / 280 kN Wingspan: 197 ft 3 in (60.12 m) Length: 186 ft 1 in (56.72 m) Interior cabin width: 18 ft 0 inch (5.49 m)

BAGGAGE

7 kg

Passengers also have a 7 kg allowance for free hand luggage. For each extra kilo Tsh 8000 will be charged on local flights and US$ 5 for international flights.

hours ahead of your flight time for domestic flights and three hours for international flights.

Family travel

Passports and visas A valid passport or travel document that is valid for at least six months is required to enter the United Republic of Tanzania.

Visitors will also require a valid visa upon arrival. There are a range of visas available depending on the nature and frequency of your visits, but a single entry visa can be obtained on arrival in Tanzania subject to the fulfilment of all immigration requirements. There is a US$ 50 charge for the visa.

For a full list of visas available and for countries for which special terms exist, visit the Air Tanzania website.

Check-in Check in online, if possible. If travelling with hand luggage alone, you can check in online and print or download your boarding pass, which you must take with you directly to security checks. You should check in two

Fares for infants and children As a general rule, children up to two years old are not required to have their own seat and are allowed to travel on parents’ lap.

An infant tickets costs 10 per cent of the regular fare. Depending on the destination, taxes and fees may apply. Please note that only 1 baby per adult is accepted. You can choose to buy a seat for your baby at the reduced rates for children if any children’s rate is applicable.

If your child is older than two years or turns two while you are travelling, you will have to book a separate seat for him or her and book the children fare for the entire journey. If a child travels with an accompanying adult in the same class of cabin, the child should be seated in the same seat row as the accompanying adult. Where this is not possible, the child should be seated no more than one seat row or aisle away. Reduced rates apply for children aged two to 11 on most routes, depending on the travel class. Children turning 12 years en route need to be booked as adults for the entire journey.

Expectant mothers Our priority is always your safety and that of your unborn child.

To avoid unnecessary risks to you and your baby, we recommend

that all expectant mothers consult a doctor before booking their ticket and inquire about their fitness to fly the length of the trip they intend to take.

Depending on the stage and circumstances of your pregnancy, you may be required to present certain medical forms before flying. For your own safety and the well-being of your child, Air Tanzania will not accept expectant mothers who are pregnant from their 36th week or beyond.

UMNR (children travelling Aaone) If you’re planning for your child to travel alone, we’re here to make sure they enjoy their trip and that they are well taken care of throughout their journey.

When you book our unaccompanied minor service, your child will be received at the originating airport, taken care of during transit and while on board the aircraft. He or she will be handed over to the person designated by the parents/ guardians upon arrival at the final destination.

Cost To avail the unaccompanied minor service, an adult fare needs to be purchased for the child. Please contact us to book the flight and the service.

Infant fare checked baggage allowance Infants travelling on an infant fare are allowed 10 kg as baggage allowance.

1 kg = 8000 Tshs (Int. US$ 5) EXTRA

30 kg

HAND

23 kg

BUSINESS

ECONOMY

Air Tanzania allows 23 kg in Economy class as checked-in baggage allowance and 30 kg in Business class.

Child fare baggage allowance Children and infants travelling on a child fare are eligible for the same baggage allowance as adults.

Wheelchairs If you need wheelchair assistance at the airport, you must advise Air Tanzania of this at the time of booking. You can request wheelchair assistance through our Call Centre or at Air Tanzania Sales offices.

Inflight Wi-Fi On board Wi-Fi Enable Wi-Fi on your laptop, tablet or smartphone, and select AirTanzaniaWifi You will need to launch your web browser, which will display the log-in web portal. From the portal, simply select your preferred price plan.

Portable electronic devices (PEDs) You can use your e-readers, tablets and smartphones from gate to gate – including taxiing, take-off and landing – without a risk to safety.

Note that on-board Wi-Fi is only available on certain aircraft. Please follow cabin crew instructions at all times.

For more information about flying with Air Tanzania please visit our website at www.airtanzania.co.tz

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Air Tanzania destinations

DISCOVER MORE WITH US UGANDA

KENYA

Entebbe Bukoba Mwanza

Kilimanjaro

Bujumbura

IN

Kigoma Tabora Dodoma

TANZANIA Mbeya

Iringa

A DI

N

Dar es Salaam

COMOROS ZAMBIA Lusaka Harare Johannesburg

www.airtanzania.co.tz For the latest flights, information and to book online 70 /

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AN

Mumbai

Zanzibar

Hayhaya

ZIMBABWE

E OC

Air Tanzania contacts

WHERE TO CONTACT US E-COMMERCE Location: ATC House, Ohio Street.

Email: tce-commerce@airtanzania.co.tz

CONTACT CENTRE Location: ATC House, Ohio Street.

Email: contactcentre@airtanzania.co.tz

For the latest flights, information and to book online, visit:

www.airtanzania.co.tz

0800 110045 Toll Free (Tanzania only) Tel: +255 022 212 5221

Follow us on:

@AirTanzania

@airtanzania

airtanzania_atcl

AIR TANZANIA CONTACTS DAR ES SALAAM (HQ)

TABORA

KAMPALA

Location: ATC House, Ohio Street P.O Box 543 Office (JNIA) Tel: +255 222 117 500 Email: darairport.station@airtanzania.co.tz

Email: tabora.station@airtanzania.co.tz

Location: Park Royal Mall, Room 208, Buganda Road.

Email: uganda.station@airtanzania.co.tz Email: bbesalestc@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: +256 414 289 474 / +256 393 517 145

ARUSHA Location: Boma Road Email: arusha.station@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: + 255 272 545 296

MBEYA

SONGEA Location: African Benedict Office Hanga- opposite TRA Songea Email: songea.station@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: +255 712 796 421

KIGOMA

Location: Jacaranda Road, Lupa Way Street Email: mbeya.station@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: +255 768 834 017 / +255 744 680 680

Location: Lumumba Road, opp. Mambo Leo Pharmacy Email: kigoma.station@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: +255 742 580 580

COMOROS

IRINGA

Location: Immeuble MATELEC Moroni, Grande Comores Email: com’airgsaatc@gmail.com Tel: +269 3714857 / +269 4464857

Location: Asas House, Dodoma Road, opp. TCC. Email: Iringa.station@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: +255 753 574 986

BUKOBA Location: Kawawa Rd. Block 1 Email: bukoba.station@airtanzania.co.tz

Location: Postal Building, Kijangwani Email: zanzibar.station@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: +255 785 452 585

KILIMANJARO

ZIMBABWE

Location: KIA Email: arusha.station@airtanzania.co.tz

Location: 24 Shamwari Complex, 157 Sam Nujoma Street, Ext Belgravia, Harare Email: hresalestc@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: +263 424 796 286/7 Mob: +263 773 119 462

ZAMBIA Barnetts Building, Shop 3, Hailie Selasie Avenue, Longacres, Lusaka.

Mob: +260 956 610 250

DODOMA Location: Mtendeni Street Block Q P.O Box 83 Tel: + 255 262 322 272 Email: dodoma.station@airtanzania.co.tz

MWANZA

Tel: +255 282 501 059 Email: mwanza.station@airtanzania.co.tz

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ZANZIBAR

ENTEBBE Location: Entebbe International Airport, Room no 095.

Email: uganda.station@airtanzania.co.tz Email: bbesalestc@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: +256 716 680 250

BUJUMBURA Location: Air Burundi, 13 Avenue Du Commerce, B.P 2460.

Email: harieth.rutihinda@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: +257 610 139 48.

INDIA Location: 204, 2nd Floor-A Wing, Kanakia Wall Street, Andheri East, Near Chakala Signal, Mumbai 400059.

Email: Res.tc@airtanzania.co.in Email: Sales.tc@airtanzania.co.in Tel: 022-4882-5811/12 Help Desk WhatsApp Number: +91 93158 35057

JOHANNESBURG Location: West Tower, 2nd Floor, Nelson Mandela Square, Maude Street, Sandown, Gauteng, South Africa 2146 Email: southernafrica@airlinepros.com Tel: +27 11 881 5945

Issue 02 / July to September 2019

YO U R F R E E A I R TA N Z A N I A M AGA ZINE

T R AV E L / TA S T E / TA L E N T

Twiga A I R TA N Z A N I A Issue 02

Mumbai here we come Fly with us to the City of Dreams

Creating a dream life

Dar vlogger Osse Greca Sinare

Where to stay in Jo'burg

The city's hip havens of hospitality

Scarily good

Best trips for adrenalin junkies