Air Tanzania, TWIGA issue 06

Issue 06 / July to September 2020

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 ST E / TALEN T

Twiga A I R TA N Z A N I A Issue 06

Simba spokesman

The inspirational story of Haji Minara

Mjue Mtunzi Festival spreads word on Tanzanian writing talent

Back in the skies

Safely keeping us all connected

contents 9

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32

Regulars

Features

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9 Haji Manara

CEO foreword Working towards a brighter future

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Air Tanzania news

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Twiga’s Tanzania Dr Jane Goodall – marking 60 years since her arrival in Gombe

29 Twiga competition Win Simba SC tickets and tops

44 Air Tanzania staff profile Meet ATCL project manager Paul Soloka

50 Tech Quiet appliances 54 Blogger Faysal 54 Sound and vision 55 Arts column 57 Kids fun and puzzles 58 Wheels car review Ford Ranger Raptor

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: Head Office: +44 (0)1206 752902 Catherine O’Callaghan: +44 (0)7944 212063 (WhatsApp) Godfrey S. Urassa: +255 (0) 686 118 816 (WhatsApp) Email: ATCL-inflight@landmarine.org Printed by: Jamana Printers Ltd.

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37 A new wave of Swahili style

The Simba SC spokesman on fans, football and facing prejudice

14 Navy Kenzo

Tradition with a twist in music, beauty and dining

42 Zaidi Recyclers How recycling plant saved its business by creating face shields from discarded plastic bottles

The musical couple talk about finding their sound and new album

17 Mjue Mtunzi The new festival spreading the word on Tanzanian writers

21 Swahili story ‘Rafu’ by Fadhy Mtanga

22 Street style

47 Legal eye Why unit title properties are the way forward in major cities

48 24 hours in… Arusha 52 Fred Uisso recipe Chef Fred on why mackerel is the fish to keep you fit

Dar es Salaam captured by artist NgairaM

24 The African Touch The fine art of furniture making

30 Make It Matter Work by women artisans

32 Hotel review: White Sands Luxury villas create a paradise on Paje beach

On behalf of:

Air Tanzania information 60 60 62 64

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

Twiga online:

Read online: qrs.ly/qdbooco

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. ©2020 Land & Marine Publications Ltd.

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CEO foreword

EDITOR’S NOTE

Working towards a brighter future

The writer Maya Angelou once said: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

The world has been forced into many attitude overhauls in recent months. While the covid outbreak has brought hardship and tragedy for many it has also spurred many others down new avenues of creativity to meet the needs of the public.

The Covid-19 outbreak has been one of the greatest challenges to face the world in a generation. We all share concern for our families, loved ones and businesses in the wake of its impact.

Air Tanzania is among those who have had to get inventive – with repatriation flights and air cargo services – while putting plans in place to return to passenger flights. Twiga has more stories of Tanzanians driven to detour on their visions such as Zaidi Recyclers, which switched from paper to plastic recycling to make face guards and pop band Navy Kenzo who used lockdown to finish their new album.

We have also never forgotten our responsibilities as the national carrier and have provided charter repatriation flights to return our students and overseas workers who have found themselves stranded by international lockdowns back to their families. Continuing with the cargo flights is also playing a significant role in supporting the recovery of the Tanzania’s economy and supply chain.

I’m sure Angelou – who has a CV that includes stints as a dancer, actor and the first black tram cab conductor in the US – would approve of the drive of Haji Minara, who features inside and, still a young man, has already had a career that involves football commentary, radio presenting and politics. markedwards@landmarine.com

www.airtanzania.co.tz Follow us on:

@AirTanzania @airtanzania airtanzania_atcl Air Tanzania ATCL

2 / Twiga

The aviation industry has been particularly hard hit, but Air Tanzania has been running for more than 40 years and has faced and overcome many challenges. During this unprecedented time, we have made huge efforts to continue as a viable business by keeping essential goods moving across the country with air cargo flights and carefully reintroducing passenger flights on our domestic network.

Already, there are positive signs of recovery. We are week by week increasing the scope and frequency of our domestic flights and are gearing up to travel to foreign countries once again when international borders reopen.

With all these flights passenger safety and confidence is paramount, which is why we use hospital-grade filtering systems in all our aircraft that recirculate air in the cabin every three minutes from top to bottom. Passengers can be reassured we have also enhanced the cleaning and disinfecting of the fleet used for domestic and repatriation flights and our frontline staff have been briefed on established health and safety protocols.

So, Air Tanzania is ready to return to full operation as soon as it is safely possible. People love to travel and business people need to travel. We will again take to the skies together as we did before. Thank you for your support today and enjoy your flight.

Eng. Ladislaus Matindi Managing Director and Chief Executive Air Tanzania

Air Tanzania news

Air Tanzania’s Covid-19 pandemic response

The global air industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the locking of international borders, but challenging times call for creative solutions. Air Tanzania has adapted to the situation and has found new ways to serve its customers and communities in Tanzania. We have been working non-stop to arrange cargo-only flight options for our customers, repatriation flights to return Tanzanian citizens stranded abroad by lockdown measures and to return with an ever-growing schedule of domestic flights to support our people and keep them connected.

Here Twiga takes a closer look at how Air Tanzania has adapted to the crisis.

REPATRIATION FLIGHTS During the Covid-19 outbreak, Air Tanzania has been called on to carry out the government’s repatriation policy and bring back stranded Tanzanian nationals from Mumbai on two occasions.

We worked in collaboration with the Honourable High Commissioner of India to Tanzania Sanjiv Kohli to organise the flights and get all the passengers safely back to Julius Nyerere Airport and their families.

After returning 249 passengers in May, Air Tanzania again sent on June 15 its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, guided by Chief Pilot Raymond Musingi, to Mumbai to pick up another 202 Tanzanian nationals stuck in India.

Air Tanzania also ran three charter repatriation in May to the Comoros to return our brothers stuck here in Tanzania to their homes and families. In total, 364 passengers were flown home over the three flights.

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Air Tanzania news pandemic response

CARGO SERVICES During the outbreak, Air Tanzania has been making use of its grounded aircraft amid the global drop in passenger volume by providing air cargo services to all its domestic destinations to keep supply chains and business moving.

This valuable service has proved most crucial of all in maintaining supplies to the Comoros, which is not self-sufficient in food production. Air Tanzania has safely delivered cargo to the Comoros every Thursday since the Covid-19 crisis began.

The service has been operated by the Air Tanzania fleet’s Bombardier Q400, which has the capacity to carry up to seven tons of cargo. These cargo flights to Hahaya airport on Ngazidja will provide immense relief.

For more information on our cargo services, call 0735 787225 or 0759 646454.

ENSURING SAFETY FOR PASSENGERS ONBOARD OUR FLIGHTS You do not need to worry about your safety on board. All our planes are fitted with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) modern air filtration system that purifies the cabin air every two to three minutes, getting 99.9 per cent rid of bacteria and the Covid-19 virus.

Our aircraft are also cleaned after each and every flight using a high-grade registered disinfecting product tested to be effective against viruses. Air Tanzania cabin crew are all kitted out with PPE and are provided with pre-packaged cleaning supplies, such as gloves, disinfectant and cleaning wipes, to ensure cleanliness is maintained throughout the flight.

All these measures will guarantee you have a comfortable and safe flight to your destination.

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DOMESTIC FLIGHTS ARE BACK June saw the return of daily flights between Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Bukoba and between Dar, Mbeya and Dodoma. There are also now flights from Dar to Mpanda and Tabora every Tuesday and Thursday. Those days also see flights between from Iringa to Mbeya.

To book a place on any of these flights, go to www.airtanzania.co.tz or call 0800 110045.

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Air Tanzania news

THE TWIGA TEMPERATURE TEST We take a look at who and what is hot right now in Tanzania.

Macabe5387 | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-4.0

Miner millionaire Small-scale miner Saniniu Laizer has become an overnight millionaire after selling two huge Tanzanite stones – one weighing 9.2kg and the other 5.8kg – thought to the largest rocks of their kind ever discovered.

Laizer, 52, from Manyara, in northern Tanzania, sold the gems to the Tanzanian government, through the mining ministry, for a total of 7.8bn Tanzanian shillings (US $3.4m).

During a ceremony in Manyara, President John Magufuli, congratulated Laizer, saying: “This is the benefit of small-scale miners and this proves that Tanzania is rich.”

Diamond platform Video-sharing platform YouTube has analysed its own music charts and found that Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz is among the continent’s most watched stars.

In the year leading up to May 1 2020, the Bongo Flava artist’s channel on the site had more than 291 million views, putting him second only to Nigeria Burna Boy among African acts. Fellow Tanzanians Harmonize and Rayvanny also made the top 15 in the continent.

Fingers crossed for festival The Covid-19 outbreak has seen the widespread cancelling or postponing of live events due to public health concerns, but organisers of one of the biggest – Zanzibar’s annual Sauti za Busara – are still hopeful it will go ahead from 11 February 2021. The four-day festival is already inviting applications from music acts across the continent to take part.

Budding festival acts have until 31 July to apply at busaramusic.org

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BOOK SOME TIME IN BUKOBA With Air Tanzania now offering additional flights from Dar to Bukoba, Twiga selects five attractions you need to see during your time in the bustling town on the banks of Lake Victoria.

Kagera Museum Housing a fascinating collection of tribal items, including many from the Haya people, who were some of the earliest inhabitants of the area.

Nyakijoga Around 30 km outside Bukoba is this Catholic pilgrimage site that has become the African Our Lady of the Lourdes. Thousands flock to this grotto by the small Nyakijoga stream where a host of miracles are said to have been witnessed.

Musira Island You can take a boat ride out from Bukaba to this offshore rock, which was once a prison island, but now is home to a small fishing community and is an unusual getaway for visitors.

Mater Misericordiae Cathedral This landmark building with its towering glass steeple looks like the lost set of a science fiction film. It is possible to look around at service time.

Bukoba Co-op Hotel One of the best places to stay and eat in town with its location on the banks of Lake Victoria offering magnificent views and a choice of fabulously fresh fish at its beachside restaurant.

Air Tanzania now flies from Dar to Bukoba every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Book your ticket at www.airtanzania.co.tz

Tanzania

J

uly 14, 2020, marked the 60th anniversary to the day that Dr Jane Goodall first arrived in the untamed forest of what is now Gombe Stream National Park, in the Kigoma region of Tanzania, to begin her trailblazing study of the wild chimpanzees living there.

Then only 26 and carrying little more than a pair of binoculars and a notebook, Goodall began field observations of the primates that would go on to reveal valuable insights into the day-to-day behaviour of chimpanzees, such as that they display unique personalities, use and make tools and have their own complex language of communication.

That the work still continues to this day under the auspices of the Jane Goodall Institute makes it the longest-running continuous scientific study of all time. The institute has expanded the legacy of the work to include community-centred conservation in Gombe to protect the chimpanzees’ habitats and wildlife conservation projects across the world.

Leading the way

has led to an increase in women pursuing careers in science and technology subjects.

Now 86, Dr Goodall shows no signs of slowing down. She still spends around 300 days of the year travelling the world spreading the work of the institute.

Twiga joins in celebrating this special anniversary and thanking Dr Goodall for all she has done for Tanzanian people and chimpanzees – humans’ closest cousins in the animal kingdom.

Air Tanzania flies from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma twice a week. To book, visit www.airtanzania.co.tz

Ferenc Szelepcsenyi / Shutterstock.com

More than 250 researchers, many of them Tanzanians, have followed in Goodall’s footsteps to continue the work in Gombe and Goodall’s prominence and pioneering work

Kelleher Photography / Shutterstock.com

Marking 60 years of Dr Jane Goodall’s pioneering work with primates in Gombe

More than 250 researchers, many of them Tanzanians, have followed in Goodall’s footsteps to continue the work in Gombe airtanzania.co.tz / 7

Haji Manara

How Simba SC spokesman has shown heart of a lion in

CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS ALBINISM Simba SC fans call Haji Manara ‘De La Boss’ and as the premier league club’s media officer he has been in integral in making the Red Lions one of the best-known teams in East Africa. He also has albinism – a condition that can be a death sentence in Tanzania – but has used his position of prominence to celebrate diversity and spread understanding in the country. Mark Edwards meets him.

Images courtesy of Poetic 360

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/ Haji Manara

H

aji Manara has always loved football. He was born into the game. His father is Sunday Manara, the Tanzanian midfielder who gained 43 caps for his country in a decade-long international career and the young Haji loved his globetrotting upbringing while his father played for top-tier club teams in the Netherlands, Austria and the US. “His love for football, made me love football even more because I could see him play and admire him,” he says. “He would travel the whole world with me, and I loved it so much.” Haji also proved to be a skilled player, but there were barriers to his progress that his father never had to endure.

“I remember when I was a young boy in Dar es Salaam, I was taken to join one of the football teams,” he tells me. “One of the teachers there refused to have me, saying I shouldn’t be in the team because of being an albino.”

There are more people with albinism in Tanzania than anywhere else in the world, yet while the government appears sensitive to their plight the country can be an unwelcoming and even dangerous place for those with the condition, which is marked by an absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Many of its citizens believe albinos are cursed or have magical power and persecution – which can include murder or mutilation – is common.

Kariakoo kid Today, Haji is the spokesperson and head of communications for Simba SC – who were crowned this season’s Tanzanian League champions with six games to spare – and attracts a devotion usually reserved for those that take to the pitch on match day.

He has experienced prejudice as an albino, but from the time he was a self-confessed “troublesome” young boy growing up in Dar’s rough-edged Kariakoo district, Haji has had the street smarts to deal with it. From

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childhood as he has done to this day, Haji has met many obstacles stemming from his skin tone head on and won over his detractors, including the teacher who didn’t want him in the school football team, with his abilities.

He says: “Luckily, the other teachers did not side with this guy and when he saw me practicing in the team, he was very shocked to see my prowess in football and the wins I used to get.”

Promising footballer Haji went on to play in tournaments across the mainland and Zanzibar and was selected for the national under-16 side. That was as far as his playing career took him, but Haji could also talk a good game and his links to football would continue once he left school.

He studied journalism and began his working life as a radio presenter.

He hosted shows, including one on Dar flagship station Uhuru FM, on politics as well as football. Haji’s love and understanding of the game, which was clear to listeners, made him an ideal candidate to take the microphone when live broadcast football match commentaries first arrived in Tanzania.

He says: “I was the second person in Tanzania to ever start football commentaries, the first one being Dr Leakey Abdala. I did commentaries for almost all TV and radio stations in Tanzania and I remember I even used to do commentaries on the World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations and the English Premier League.”

Haji was also developing marketing skills – he did the publicity for Tanzania’s ruling political party CCM and was head of marketing and branding for Sportex – which led to him securing the Simba SC post.

The job means a lot to Haji. As a Kariakoo kid he has supported Simba FC since he was a small boy, despite the fact that his father used to play for the team’s arch rivals, Yanga (Young Africans) SC.

I believe through my work with Simba I have helped to change the narrative and people’s thinking by showing albinos can also do massive projects

/ Haji Manara

Haji is working to build the team’s reach and renown within Tanzania and beyond its borders and says huge progress has already been made.

He says: “I can proudly say that, we are the only club in Tanzania that’s doing very well in East Africa in terms of social media, and communications. I can confidently say that we are top 10 in Africa.

Fan favourite – Haji is loved by Simba supporters

“A lot of international media houses like the BBC in the UK come to us when they want to talk about anything related to football in East Africa.”

Fervent fanbase

Haji is working to build the renown of Simba SC beyond Tanzania’s borders

Simba SC’s fervent fanbase can be unforgiving of anything less than a victory as the team looks to defend the league title for the third consecutive time this season. While Haji would also love to see blanket victories, he has used his role to spread understanding that sport is unpredictable in nature.

“Simba fans are crazy about their team,” Haji says. “They will do anything for the club. One of the challenges though that we experience is that fans can’t tolerate losing.

I saw the need to educate them that there are three types of results: a win, a loss or a tie.”

The fans love of Simba can sometimes manifest in an equally driven dislike of their opponents. But having grown up with a father who played

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/ Haji Manara

for Yanga and a mother who knew Simba SC’s chairman as “Dad”, Haji is familiar with the banter such rivalry generates and sees little cause for concern.

“In Tanzania we love hard jokes that only we can relate to, we tease each other about football, but at the end of the day, we take it as jokes,” he says. “That’s why my parents were OK being in Yanga and Simba. I also think this increases the love, rather than the hate.

“There is no hate among Tanzanians, we are a very united country. Some fans like bullying online, but it remains online. At the end of the day, we always help each other in many aspects outside football.”

Simba fans certainly love Haji. To them he is ‘De La Boss’ and attracts the kind of screaming adulation normally reserved for the team’s star players. “The love from the fans is so immense that I can’t even have the freedom of taking my kids out because the fans always want pictures, but I take it as a good challenge,” he says.

Haji was brought up in a loving family where his lack of pigmentation mattered not at all. “My parents say nothing about it, even today. I think they see it as normal, as I do,” he

says. However, the Simba spokesman is aware the position in life he has reached and the following he has, as an albino, is significant. He intends to use his platform to inspire others.

Haji took home the Best Motivator and Best Influencer awards at the Simba SC prizegiving

Changing perceptions He says: “I believe through my work with Simba I have helped to change the narrative and people’s thinking by showing that albinos can also do massive projects. We are seen differently now.”

This work to raise awareness has included the launch of the Haji Manara Foundation, which along with tackling stigmatisation of albinos has come up with a low-cost sun protection lotion for melanin-missing albinic skin.

Haji is well aware that he is not fighting this battle alone and credits the Tanzanian government with ushering in a more enlightened view on albinism that he is happy to be a small part of.

He says: “The Government has really taken up measures and

To fans he is ‘De La Boss’ and attracts the kind of screaming adulation normally reserved for the team’s star players

awareness to show that albinos are also normal human beings. I am not the main reason for this change.”

In 2007 Haji was made the CCM’s publicity secretary and the following year Tanzania had its first albino member of parliament in Al-Shymaa Kway-Greer. Both were appointed during the tenure of fourth president Jakaya Kikwete in an effort to give a voice to the country’s albino minority.

Haji recalls facing discrimination in his efforts to win the government position. “Some people were against it because of me being an albino so I turned it to my advantage and told people not to vote for me because of my albinism, but because of what I can do for the people. I got the win.”

Simba SC is Haji’s main focus now, but the government still makes use of his talents. His ability to rally fans to pack the National Stadium for matches – this season the Simba vs Yanga derby attracted 58,400, a Tanzanian Premier League record – prompted the government to appoint him as chairman of publicity for the national team.

The league season risked being cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Haji applauds the decision by President Magufuli that games should continue with social distancing measures in place.

“At first the world didn’t understand the decision that the President was taking, of telling people to carry on with their work, but with caution, but everyone can now see the results.”

The ever-ambitious Haji is not finished with politics and has his sights on a place in the Tanzanian assembly before the year is out. He also has plans to return to education in the new year to get his masters in marketing. He continues to blaze a trail and show that no colour is better than another – unless of course it is the red lion on the badge of Simba SC.

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Navy Kenzo

IT TAKES

TWO

Music duo and real-life couple Navy Kenzo talk love and music

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/ Navy Kenzo

Real-life couple Aika Calvin Mareale and Emmanuel Mkono also make beautiful music together. The couple started out in Tanzanian band Pah One before teaming up as duo Navy Kenzo to record a string of hit singles such as ‘Chelewa’, ‘Fella’ and latest hit ‘Why Now?’ Twiga caught up with Aika and Nahreel – the couple’s stage names – to talk about falling in love at first sight, high profile collaborations and new album, ‘Story of the African Mob’.

Q: What is the story behind the name Navy Kenzo?

A: Navy comes from Navy Seals [the US primary special operations force] while kenzo is a Japanese word meaning a group of healthy, wise and talented people. Together we are an army of those characters.

But our fans prefer to call us Navy Mob. All Twiga readers are welcome to join the Mob! Q: I believe you first met as students in India in 2008. Can you remember what your first impressions of each other were at that time?

A: It’s hard to express, but we never took our eyes off each other.

Q: You share writing credits on the songs. Do you each have your own strengths you bring to the tracks?

A: Aika does most of the songwriting in collaboration with other writers.

Nahreel, however, is the melody guy.

He creates most of the melodies and he is on top of the beat production.

Q: Looking at your Instagram page, it seems you’ve been enjoying the opportunity to spend more time together during lockdown with video clips of you exercising and dancing together. Has this period also been a creative time?

A: Haha! Funnily enough that’s our daily life, not just during lockdown.

If you really want to see us express our lifestyle even more, you should see our TikTok posts. It certainly has been a creative time for us recently, giving us more opportunity to work on our upcoming album.

Q: You are a couple in a long-term relationship and some of your songs (I’m thinking of ‘Bajaj’, in particular) talk about cherishing and respecting your partner. Is this a message you are keen to spread?

A: A woman always deserves it all.

She is a girl, a lady, a mother, a wife, what would the world be without her? So, yes, we insist that it’s very important not to take her for granted and to be surely respected.

Q: Are there challenges that come with being a couple who work together? If you have an argument at home can it affect the atmosphere in the studio?

A: Of course, sometimes it does, but we have a code to respect our work and separate it from our personal issues, we put on a smile and give our music 100 per cent. We have mastered a simple formula to resolve a misunderstanding, that is to raise and speak about the matter and work on resolution and not just finger pointing at each other. So that’s how we get by such challenges.

but music is music. The language does not really matter. As long as it is good music, you will attract the music fans.

Q: There are elements of dancehall, afropop, rap and even some South American salsa on the single ‘Katika’. You seem to have a wide range of influences. What or who are some of your musical inspirations?

A: Our inspiration is from African beats in general. There are a lot of vibes that come from African instruments. They all combine to make our music fun.

Q: You sing and rap in English. Is this down to wanting to appeal to international markets?

A: We grew up in an Englishspeaking environment so we have found the best way to express ourselves is in English. That’s an advantage in the international market,

We are happy to keep inspiring as many people as we can with our music and the way we conduct our lives airtanzania.co.tz / 15

/ Navy Kenzo

‘The Melody Guy’ Apart from his work with Navy Kenzo, Nahreel is renowned for his production skills, recording for his company The Industry Studios with some of the biggest names in Tanzanian music. Here’s five tracks to look out for all with the Nahreel touch.

‘RiziOne’, by Izzo Bizness.

The track that first brought Nahreel’s beats to everyone’s attention and made Izzo the star of 2009.

‘I Wanna Get Paid’, Pah One. Nahreel teamed up with Aika and a couple of friends to form Pah One and this is their hustling anthem.

‘Game’, by Navy Kenzo featuring Vanessa Mdee.

One of the duo’s many collaborations with the rapper and TV star. This one includes a sample of ‘Informer’, the 1992 hit for Canadian rapper Snow.

Q: You’ve collaborated successfully with artists such as Vanessa Mdee, Diamond Platnumz and Nigeria’s Patoranking? Do you enjoy the chance to team up with others and who would be the dream artist to work with in the future?

A: Our collaborations are usually based on the connection we have with those particular artists, which we believe brings out the best in ourselves. We have a list of a thousand talented artists we would love to work with, it’s hard to select which one to begin with.

Q: You are a power couple within Tanzanian music. Do you have ambitions to be the next Beyoncé and Jay-Z? A: We’re not sure about how accurate that Beyoncé and Jay-Z comparison is! However, what we believe is so far, we have many people looking up to us and we continue to learn a lot. We are happy to keep inspiring as many people as we can with our music and the way we conduct our lives.

NEW ALBUM Navy Kenzo new album, ‘Story of the African Mob’, is released on July 24. The 12-track album includes two versions of latest single ‘Why Now?’ and a host of collaborations with artists such as King Promise, Tiggs Da Author, Mugeez, Nandy and Mzvee. It is available to buy on all major music streaming platforms.

To be notified of the release of the duo’s latest videos, subscribe to their YouTube channel. Keep up with the latest Navy Kenzo news and events on Instagram @Navykenzoooficial and Twitter @Navykenzo

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‘Gere’, by Weusi.

Nahreel has produced many tracks for the Arusha rap collective. This is a classic coming together of two of the most influential names in Tanzania hip hop.

‘Nusu Nusu’, by Joh Makini.

This hugely popular hip hop party track includes the memorable, if mystifying, refrain, ‘Bump the cheese up’.

Mjue Mtunzi

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE ON

fiction writing in Tanzania With the Covid-19 outbreak continuing and many of us left with little option but to seek our entertainment at home, reading for pleasure is undergoing a resurgence. Members of Uwaridi, an association of ‘visionary’ contemporary Tanzanian authors, are hoping that more people will be reaching for works in Kiswahili by homegrown writers. Mark Edwards speaks to Uwaridi president Hussein Tuwa about how this year’s Mjue Mtunzi (‘Meet the Author’) festival aims to increase the visibility and validity of Tanzanian fiction writers.

H

ussein Tuwa has always loved reading. He devoured books from a young age and each one made him more determined to become a writer himself. The good books made him want to emulate the authors who wrote them while the bad ones convinced him he could do better himself. As it turned out, he could.

“I started writing when I was studying at the University of Dar es Salaam,” he tells me.

“My first published story, Mtuhumiwa [‘The Suspect’], was a hit from the first day in appeared in a local tabloid newspaper. This told me that I indeed could write and so I have kept going for the past 17 years.”

Prolific writer Tuwa has gone on to publish 12 books, among them ‘Mkimbizi’ (‘Refugee’), which is now a set text within the Tanzanian school curriculum, and ‘Temporary Orphan’, his

sole work in the English language so far and winner of the 2014 Burt Award for African Literature that came with TSH 7,000 (US$ 3,000) in prize money.

Lucrative paydays like this for writers of fiction in Tanzania are rare, however. Despite Tuwa’s thrilling tales having all the elements of classic bestsellers – crime, intrigue, romance and mystery – as well as being packed with the kind of cliffhanger false endings that make them such a hit when serialised in daily newspapers, the financial returns for his writing fall well short of that needed to support a family. Luckily, Tuwa’s ‘day job’ as a human resource manager at the Dar es Salaam office of an international company takes care of that while writing remains a passionate side project.

Writing may not have built Tuwa a living, but it has brought him renown. Tanzanians know him as “Bingwa wa Taharuki” (Master

of Suspense) for his gripping tales and, writing in Swahili, he has built a readership across the region through social media, newspaper serialisation of his works and self-publishing all of his novels.

Self-publishing That last fact is key. Publishing houses in Tanzania rarely offer book deals for anything beyond educational works. That fiction writers often have to raise the funds to publish their own work is not a reflection on the quality of the content, it’s just that other options aren’t available right now.

Tuwa says things are improving, but if it’s tough to get a book published, it’s even tougher to get people to buy it.

Tuwa says: “There currently is an increasingly growing market for these books, as opposed to before. There is however a notable gap between a growing market and airtanzania.co.tz / 17

/ Mjue Mtunzi

an existing fan base for the works that we write – meaning that not all those who like to read are also buyers.

“We need to make those who read by borrowing books from others or through free stories posted on social media see the importance of actually buying the books of their own and thus supporting their favourite authors.”

Tuwa is far from alone in this predicament. There are many homegrown writers producing work in the suspense, romance and supernatural genres that so appeal to Tanzanian audiences yet who struggle to see their talent translate into sales.

However, things are improving and it is the writers who have taken it upon themselves to change the narrative.

With the understanding their position is

18 / Twiga

strengthened by working together, a group of Tanzanian writers set up Uwaridi, the ‘Association of Visionary Authors’, in 2014, to promote Swahili literature and improve the welfare of authors.

Writing in Kiswahili Tuwa, the Uwaridi president, says: “We all write in Swahili as we believe it high time we promoted our own language. Equally important, is the ever-expanding role of Kiswahili in Africa and the world at large currently. We see it as an opportunity for expanding the market for our works beyond the borders.”

The association was officially recognised by the Tanzanian government in 2016 and it now has 45 members, with each supporting the progress of the others through initiatives such as the Uwaridi Riwaya Fund that collectively finances publications.

The books are then distributed across the country through Dar outlets Kona ya Riwaya Bookshop – where the association has its headquarters – and the Elite Bookstore.

“It’s a revolving fund publishing our works,” says Tuwa, who is Uwaridi’s president. “All our authors contribute a small amount of money. The fund takes care of all the costs for editing, lay-outing, cover

designing, printing and marketing of the book, widely.

“Once the money spent is collected back from the sales of the book, it is used to publish yet another author’s book. So far the fund has issued four titles in this way: Mpatanishi by Richard Mwambe; Hatinafasi

by Lilian Mbaga; Kiroba Cheusi by Laura Pettie and Rafu by Fadhy Mtanga.”

Festival launch The association has also built a broader readership for its members, posting short stories and novel excerpts online. It has been crucial to Uwaridi’s aims of engendering a reading culture in Tanzania with more than a million readers having registered to get free access to the stories.

This year has seen an important development in Uwaridi’s bid to increase the visibility and respect for fiction authors with the launch of festival Mjue Mtunzi (‘Meet the Author’), which gives readers the chance to interact with their favourite authors and buy their work.

/ Mjue Mtunzi

As Tuwa can attest to, there is nothing better to inspire a love of words and to improve your writing than to read

The launch event took place in February at the University of Dar es Salaam’s College of Information and Communications Technologies with more than 300 people in attendance. Each entrant paid TSH 10,000, which entitled them to a free book from their pick of the Uwaridi authors such Joseph Shaluwa, whose new release ‘Chotara’ (‘Half-breed’) was launched at the event.

Shaluwa, who has self-published 19 books, uses the Uwaridi distribution network to get them out to his readers.

He tells me: “Being a member of Uwaridi, which is government registered, makes me immediately trustworthy to readers. It is a mark of competence and professionalism.”

Centrepiece of the festival was the Ngao ya Mtunzi (‘Author’s Plaque’) awards ceremony, which rewarded three authors for longstanding service to fiction. Uwa was recognised along with Lilian Mbaga, who has published works for adults and children, and Lello Mmasi, whose book ‘Mimi na Rais’ is in the running for the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature.

Mjue Mtunzi was intended as a quarterly festival, but in a plot twist few authors could have seen coming, the Covid-19 outbreak

has meant an uncertain wait for the second event.

Tuwa is in no doubt the festival will be back after the success of the launch event. “It is a wonderful way for authors to connect with their readership and share their journeys as writers,” he says.

Book sellers, publishers and venders also attend Mjue Mtunzi, which, Tuwa says, makes the festival integral to Uwaridi’s efforts to make authorship a fully-fledged career. “This will be achieved once the reading culture is well developed in our country and other actors like literary agents and entrepreneurs join hands with such associations as Uwaridi to promote and support the reading culture.”

It also follows that the more people reading in this country, the more writers Tanzania will produce. As Tuwa can attest to, there is nothing better to inspire a love of words and to improve your writing than to read. “My biggest inspiration was the writings that I was reading as a young man.

They made me the writer I am today.”

Prizewinners and authors at Mjue Mtunzi

INFORMATION All Uwaridi member titles can be found at Kona Ya Riwaya Bookshop (Call: 0655 492055) and the Elite Bookstore (Call: 0754 767 336) in Dar. Either store will arrange delivery if you live outside the city.

For the latest on Mjue Mtunzi, visit its Facebook or Instagram pages. airtanzania.co.tz / 19

Swahili story

BASHRAFU YA RIWAYA YA “RAFU” To coincide with our feature on contemporary Tanzanian fiction in this edition, Twiga – in collaboration with Tanzanian writers collective Uwaridi – is launching a regular feature in which we print an excerpt in the original Kiswahili from a recent novel by a homegrown writer. We begin with February 2020 release ‘Rafu’ (‘Clouds’) by author, photographer and graphic designer Fadhy Mtanga.

About the Author Fadhy Mtanga Fadhy Mtanga ni mwandishi, mshairi, mhariri na mpigapicha aishiye jijini Mbeya. Amekwishachapisha vitabu vitano katika lugha ya Kiswahili. Mfuatilie Instagram fadhymtanga na Facebook facebook.com/fadhy.mtanga.

Kitabu cha riwaya hii kinapatikana kwenye duka la Kona Ya Riwaya lililopo jijini Dar Es Salaam (0655 428085).

R

iwaya ya Rafu imeandikwa na Fadhy Mtanga. Inamhusu Lina aliyekuwa akiishi mjini Iringa na mumewe, Ken. Siku moja, Ken aliondoka nyumbani kwenda mahali kutazama mpira wa miguu wa Ligi Kuu ya Uingereza. Lina alibaki nyumbani akimsuburi kwa shauku kubwa.

Kumsubiri kuliendelea kwa muda mrefu. Hadi kulipopambazuka kesho yake, mumewe hakuwa amerudi. Jitihada za Lina kumtafuta kupitia simu na mitandao ya kijamii ziligonga mwamba kwa kuwa hakukuwa na majibu kabisa kutoka kwa Ken. Lina akiwa na wifi yake, Edna, waliamua kwenda kuripoti kituo kikuu cha polisi. Baadaye, polisi waliwapa sababu za kwa nini Ken hakurejea nyumbani. Lina hakukubaliana na sababu alizopewa. Pamoja na kutiwa moyo na ndugu zake, hususani wazazi wa Ken, kuwa akubaliane na kile alichoambiwa, Lina alikataa. Alitilia msimamo wake kuwa Ken alipata kumfundisha masomo mawili muhimu maishani mwake. Kwanza, ni muhimu aziamini hisia zake. Na pili, lazima ahoji kila kitu.

Hivyo, Lina aliamua kuhoji juu ya usahihi wa sababu alizopewa kwa nini Ken hakurejea nyumbani siku ile. Wakati hayo yakiendelea, Lina anakutana na Geofrey, aliyepata kuwa mpenzi wake hapo awali. Urafiki wao unarejea kwa kasi kiasi cha Lina kutegemea ushauri wa Geofrey kwenye harakati zake za kuchunguza sababu za Ken kutorejea.

Katika kuhoji juu ya kutoreja kwa Ken, Lina alianza kufuatilia mawasiliano ya barua-pepe ofisini kwa Ken. Mawasiliano hayo yalimfanya kufahamu michezo michafu iliyokuwa ikifanywa. Ingawa awali aliufanya uchunguzi wake kuwa siri, baadaye alilazimika kumshirikisha wifiye, Edna. Kwa pamoja walianza kushirikiana kupekua hili na lile na kupanga mikakati yao.

Wakati hayo yakijiri, mshukiwa mkubwa wa Lina na Edna, Edgar ambaye ni rafiki mkubwa wa Ken alikufa kwa ajali katika mazingira yenye kutatanisha. Hiyo ilikuwa baada ya nyumba yao kuvunjwa na nyaraka muhimu alizozikusanya Lina kuibwa.

Hali hiyo, iliwapelekea Lina na Edna kuwa wakimbizi mjini Iringa, wakihama malazi kutoka sehemu moja hadi nyingine. Na hatimaye, kusafiri hadi mjini Morogoro ambako Lina alihitaji kukutana na mfanyakazi mwenziye Ken. Lina aliongozwa na falsafa yake kuwa ‘timu inapochezewa rafu huamua jambo moja; ikubali kufungwa kizembe, ama, nayo icheze rafu.’ airtanzania.co.tz / 21

NgairaM

Street style in Dar es Salaam Tanzanian artist Ngaira Idd Mandara (top left), also known as NgairaM, has captured the architecture and street scenes of his hometown Dar es Salaam in his latest project. His digital art and animations bring landmarks known mostly only to locals, such as the Kivukoni and Kariakoo markets, Mamboz Corner BBQ and the Askari Monument, to artistic life.

The Streets of Dar es Salaam Project is, says Mandara, an attempt to show “every corner of Dar has a story to tell”. It’s art you can wear too with Mandara working with Tanzanian fashion designer Ally Rehmtullah to produce a range of merchandise such as T-shirts, water bottles, mugs, laptop bags, iPhone covers and tote bags featuring the prints.

All are available at Rehmtullah’s store in Chole Road, Masaki, Dar es Salaam. Call +255 746 279 870. To see more of Mandara’s work, visit his Instagram page @thestreetsofdsm

22 / Twiga

airtanzania.co.tz / 23

The African Touch

THE FINE ART OF FURNITURE MAKING The distinctive handcrafted furniture created by Zimbabweanowned company The African Touch has been key to creating the aesthetic of many of the country’s finest lodges and restaurants. Cecilia Kamputa talks to managing director Richard Lowe about how the company has drawn on its Victoria Falls location for raw materials and design inspiration.

Images courtesy of Kevin Hogan

T

he graceful arc of the table’s stretcher beam is built from cuts of Zambezi teak, which are then carefully placed one layer at a time over a frame and compressed for 48 hours. The angled leg trusses are hand-crafted and connect to the table top – a magnificent slab of heartwood – by a uniquely designed joint.

These are the steps to be followed in the creation of the Victoria Falls Bridge Table, a signature piece among the collection of Zimbabwe handcrafted furniture company The African Touch. The table, inspired by the world-famous bridge that crosses the Zambezi, has proved a popular choice to uplift the dining areas of the country’s top lodges and restaurants.

Richard Lowe, managing director at The African Touch, designed the table and while it is the company’s bestseller, he is just as proud of many of his other creations.

“How does one determine which

24 / Twiga

design is best? I love them all,” he tells me. “Certainly, The Bridge Table inspired by the Victoria Falls has a big impact. I sometimes walk into a home of an old client or complete stranger and recognize a piece from 20 or more years ago, a design we have long since discontinued, and it looks magnificent still and I wonder why we stopped making it.”

Inspirations It’s unsurprising that the Victoria Falls Bridge proved an inspiration as it can be seen spanning the Zambezi from The African Touch studios in the resort town of Victoria Falls, which lies on the southern banks of the river close to the gigantic waterfall that shares its name.

The company used to be called Savanna Wood, but it was found that the name caused some confusion with its international customers.

“We found that people did not make the name’s association with Africa easily,” said Lowe.

The African Touch managing director Richard Lowe with designer Kevin Hogan

/ The African Touch

“Many Americans associated us with the city of Savannah in Georgia [in the US] hence the decision to change to The African Touch to identify more closely with Africa and the influence of Africa on our product.”

The African Touch was started

by Lowe with a couple of helpers under trees in an open yard using hand tools and working on pieces commissioned by his architect friend Troels Ritzau. When they had built enough furniture to load a small pick-up truck, Lowe’s wife, Sue, would drive the truck the 900

kilometres from Victoria Falls to Harare to sell to friends and clients who had commissioned pieces.

Beginnings of a business “One day an English gentleman came to visit us and I think he was quite amused at our efforts,” Lowe says.

“It turned out that he had a big business selling second hand wood working machinery in the UK. He said if I could get there, he had some ancient solid machinery that no modern factory was interested in and he would let me have the machines

Great attention to detail

at a very good price.”

This, Richard Lowe duly did and those dated machines form the basis of production in the business today.

He says: “When I returned, we needed somewhere to house these machines so we got hold of some canvas and rigged up tent structures and so began our workshop. As we could we replaced the tents with open steel sheds.”

Richard, 60, was born in Wedza, a district in the Mashonaland East Province, but has been living in Victoria Falls since 1984.

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/ The African Touch

Each piece of The African Touch furniture is hand-crafted

He says: “I am trained in animal sciences and I initially came to Victoria Falls to help rescue a crocodile farm that was facing severe challenges.

“We turned it into a very successful venture. However, the business was not mine and I had enjoyed working in wood from an early age.”

He added that Victoria Falls is surrounded by the most magnificent Zambezi teak forests and he had a dream of working in these forests and producing something valuable and durable from this wonderful timber, which had previously been mostly used for railway sleepers.

Though the hospitality industry is the African Touch’s major clientele, they also ship to clients all over the world, often interior decorators looking for singular pieces for their clients.

Attention to detail Lowe attributes the distinctiveness of their furniture to the attention to detail in the crafting of each piece.

He says: “The parts you don’t see easily, the carefully made joints using traditional joinery that ensure the piece lasts and lasts, the solid wood instead of plywood or hardboard used in places you don’t normally notice such as drawer bottoms or the back of a cabinet, using solid brass fittings instead of brass coated and so on.”

He adds that his inspiration comes from identifying the needs of his customers – largely safari lodges and guests enamoured by the furniture during their stay – and coming up with beautiful yet functional solutions.

Lowe has seen the economic turmoil in Zimbabwe over the last 20 years make things tough for businesses. He has always looked to The African Touch to play its part in giving back to the community.

He says: “The biggest impact probably comes from the 80 people

26 / Twiga

we employ who in turn support 80 extended families in the true African tradition.”

Apart from the Victoria Falls Bridge Table, the Matetsi boardroom table, the Tonga dining chair, bedroom furniture, coffee tables and more, The African Touch has also developed a very simple stove that anyone can make out of an old five-litre tin and is fired by Zambezi teak sawdust which burns for hours with a clean, hot fire.

They offer the sawdust free to ladies in Victoria Falls, saving them on energy costs and trips to gather wood from the surrounding bushes.

Lowe and his team are currently working on projects for camps and lodges, which they started before the Covid-19 pandemic and though delayed by the shutdown, they are back finishing them off.

Keeping creative Lowe has been keeping creative during the enforced period of isolation. He says: “I took this time off to redesign and build our website and to come up with 20 new products so that has given us lots to work on in the workshop and we are building some stock for when things open up again.”

/ The African Touch

The biggest impact probably comes from the 80 people we employ who in turn support 80 extended families in the true African tradition

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competition

WIN

Richstar / Shutterstock.com

SIMBA SC MATCH TICKETS AND JERSEYS

JUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS To be in with a chance of being the one lucky winner who claims this prize, answer the three questions below. You’ll find all the answers in this edition of Twiga. Email answers along with a picture of yourself holding Twiga 5 to competition@landmarine.org

by September 28. Good luck!

1

What is the name of the traditional musical style that the Dhow Countries Music Academy helps to promote?

2

3

In which country did the two members of Navy Kenzo first meet?

What is the name of the Tanzanian literary festival organised by Uwaridi authors?

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Prizes dependent on availability.

One entry per person. Entrants must be 18 years or over. The decision of the organisers will be final. The competition is not open to employees and their relatives of The Kariakoo club, Simba SC, Air Tanzania or Land & Marine Publications Ltd. The prize does not include flights or travel to and from the destination.

C

alling all football fans. This edition’s Twiga competition is for you. We have an amazing prize to give away courtesy of the newly crowned champions of Tanzania, Simba SC. The Kariakoo club has kindly offered two tickets to a Simba SC home game next season as well as two Simba SC jerseys to show your support in the crowd.

Last issue’s

WINNER Congratulations to Eliaichi Manga who wins a meal for two at Club Afrikando, in Dar es Salaam. Well done and thanks for flying Air Tanzania.

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Lust list

MAKE IT MATTER Make It Matter showcases and supports the work of more than 1,500 artisans and crafters from across Tanzania. While the work is contrasting – you’ll find cosmetics, fashion accessories, kitchenware, books, rugs, furniture and much more – there are commonalities: it’s all handcrafted and almost all made by women. In fact, 95 per cent of the products available to buy from its flagship store in Dar es Salaam’s Oyster Bay neighbourhood are created by female artisans. Here’s just a selection of what is to be found.

Sisal wall hanging TZS 68,00

Soap bars Coffee and cinnamon, lemongrass and turmeric TZS 12,000

Maasai beaded earrings TZS 45,000

Brass bracelets TZS 45,00

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/ Lust list

Woven basket TZS 63,000 Woven wall hangings TZS 68,000

Leather and canvas unisex wash bag Available in safari green, beige and grey TZS 81,095

Silk Head Scarf TZS 30,000

MAKE IT MATTER For more information on products, art workshops events, visit the Make It Matter Facebook page @make.it.matter.tz and Instagram page @ makeitmattertz or visit the website at makeitmatter.org

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Hotel review

SPACE TRAVEL…WHY A STAY AT WHITE SANDS GIVES YOU SO MUCH ROOM TO ROAM Just footsteps from its private portion of Paje’s pristine beach and a stretch of the Indian Ocean renowned as a paradise for watersports, this luxury eco-friendly resort gives its pampered guests room to roam inside and out.

32 / Twiga

/ Hotel review

Paje paradise – views out to the Indian Ocean are simply stunning

Location

Style

Paje’s stretch of sugar-fine white sand on the eastern coast of Zanzibar is arguably the best among the island’s beach riches and the White Sands resort has commandeered its own prime strip of sand and fringed it with a sprawling luxury resort camouflaged among swaying palm trees and lush gardens.

Thanks to the steady side-shore winds, waist-deep waters and long sandy beaches the spot is ideal to learn kitesurfing – a coral reef two km out to sea creates the lagoon-like conditions, but there are waves beyond it to challenge more experienced riders. The centre offers lessons and equipment for kitesurfing as well as snorkelling, scuba diving and fishing for an all-action package. You can also hire bikes and explore the fishing village of Bwejuu further up the coast or just pedal around the extensive resort. Also, within reach is Jozani forest with its rare red colobus monkeys as well as the Instagram-worthy dining experience The Rock, a restaurant perched on the top of a tiny coral island you can only reach by boat at high tide.

Style meets space at Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa. Just as at low tide here the sands stretch out at paddling depth for hundreds of metres so the resort revels in its spaciousness. A stay here is all about enjoying the natural beauty of the setting whether it’s a candlelit dinner on the beach, some sundowner bubbly on the rooftop champagne bar or a dip in one of the resort’s two swimming pools. Each of the 11 villas commands a plot of 1,500 metres divided by the verdant foliage of more than 20,000 plants that runs throughout the resort. Much of this is outdoor space with a private garden, plunge pool, outdoor bath and shower and roof terrace so guests can soak up the natural beauty of the setting.

Sliding glass doors let the outside into the villa interiors, which accentuate their spaciousness with elegant, minimal designs and rafters of locally sourced wood in the vaulted ceilings of the living room. There are more Afrocentric touches in the wooden spiral staircases that access the villa roof terraces as well as in the ceramics and paintings by local artists that pepper the interiors of the villas.

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/ Hotel review Coastal comfort – the spacious villa bedrooms

Rooms

Watersports, luxury villa living and classy dining at White Sands Resort

34 / Twiga

The 11 available villas – which all face the seafront, with the majority of them just footsteps from the private beach – range from one-bedroom, through two-bedroom family villas to the five-bedroom Presidential Villa that accommodates up to 10 people and has its own pool, home cinema and butler. Even the onebeds comprise two buildings: a day room with a lounge and dining area and also a bedroom with adjoining dressing rooms and bathroom, plus a roof terrace. Some of the 11 villas can be rented as separate first- and ground-floor apartments. While they are plenty big enough to withstand being split up in this way – and it brings a stay within more people’s budgets – it does compromise on privacy.

Each villa faces the seafront and consists of two units connected by a garden with a terrace and private pool. The main part of the villa is a day area with a stunning high-ceiling lounge and dining section. The second part is a resting area including bedroom with kingsize bed, dressing closet, and bathroom with rain shower as well as outdoor bathtub.

/ Hotel review

Food and Drink

Facilities

Sustainability

Once you arrive at Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa, there is very little that is not taken care of for you – and this includes food and drink. Standard packages are half board – inclusive of daily breakfast and dinner – while this can be upgraded to three meals and free drinks (you can even raid your villa’s mini-bar guilt-free). There are two restaurants on site: a beach barbecue with seating for guests that stretches out onto the sand and the à la carte Doors to Zanzibar. The food couldn’t be much fresher with the catch of the day from the Indian Ocean teamed with fresh herbs and vegetables from the resort’s organic garden.

If you prefer a more intimate dining experience, the four-strong team of butlers here can arrange a meal in your dining room or by candle light in your garden.

There are also three bars to choose from, including one whose rooftop location offers the perfect spot to savour a sundowner.

The resort has an all-action package if you want to make use of the watersports playground that this stretch of the Indian Ocean offers, but it also makes a good argument for not leaving the confines of the complex at all during your stay. After all it has two large pools set back from the beach alongside a rather lovely collection of thatched buildings that house its spa – including a hot tub, sauna, steam room and treatment tables – and outdoor gym. One of the pools is shallow and aimed at families. Young guests can also take advantage of the range of outdoor games such as table tennis and pétanque as well as daily organised guest activities. There’s also a shop in the grounds selling sarong-style African kangas and Tanzanite jewellery.

Relaxing in this haven of luxury is made a lot easier by the peace of mind that comes of knowing the resort ensures it treads lightly among this beautiful coastal environment.

Single-use plastic and drinking straws are banned here and the daily drinking water provided for guests is filtered through the resort’s desalination plant. Plastics and other pollutants are also picked up during beach cleans every morning. Other green-themed community initiatives the resort is involved in include carpentry workshops. Guests can see the results in the imaginative woodwork that fills the resort.

NEED TO KNOW Prices start at US$ 395 per night for a double room half-board.

For more details and to book, visit whotesandvillas.com

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Swahili style

A new wave of

SWAHILI STYLE

Zanzibar’s historic quarter of Stone Town has become a crucible of Swahili culture over the years. As a flourishing centre of trade in the 19th century, linking Arab, Persian, Indian and European merchants with towns along the Indian Ocean, it drew on its unique mixture of influences in its architecture, music and cuisine. Nowadays its mostly tourists who make up the influx of visitors, but there are plenty of efforts being made to ensure the Stone Town they discover is building on its cultural riches rather than eroding them. Here, Twiga takes a look at three examples of how Swahili style has been retained and given a modern twist.

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/ Swahili style Mrembo Spa is a palace of pampering in Stone Town

Health and beauty Spa treatments on the island go back a long way. In Stone Town you can take a look at the Hamamni Persian baths, which was built by Sultan Barghash in the late 19th century, and Swahili culture is renowned for using flowers and spices for health purposes. There are a number of spas on the island that tap into those traditions for their treatments to refresh body and mind, but Mrembo Traditional Spa is the oldest and the best. Mrembo is the Kiswahili word for a beautiful, sophisticated woman who likes to pamper herself – which offers massages, scrubs, facials and henna adornments using 100 per cent natural ingredients sourced from the Spice Islands.

Time-honoured treatments Owner Stefanie Schoetz arrived on the island 20 years ago and began learning from locals about traditional Zanzibari beauty treatments. The relationship was a symbiotic one with Stephanie able to showcase these time-honoured treatments at Mrembo and give the 10-strong team of Zanzibari ladies she employs the latest beauty therapy training from international professionals. The results are a salon that grew out of the community with a clientele that includes locals buying their favourite natural remedies and ingredients for ceremonial treatments as well as tourists and expats who want to be pampered in true Zanzibari style.

Treatments that have passed down through generations here include the ‘singo’ scrub, which is usually a ritual for Swahili brides to be, but here is offered as a cleansing treatment even for those not getting married.

“This is not just a scrub to cleanse and purify the body but also a ritual for the mind and to celebrate the beauty of the occasion and make marriage even more special by anticipating for the big day,” Stefanie says.

“The singo is still traditionally done in a group of women who are related mostly but also can be friends. All come together

38 / Twiga

and prepare some local snacks. There is plenty of music and dance and of course lots of gossip and laughter. The bride to be is scrubbed but also others may apply the scrub and it’s a wonderful gathering for all.

“The ingredients vary from region to region and on availability. A combination of fragrant flowers like jasmine, rose and ylang ylang combined with clove and sandalwood is usually the base.”

Kidonge scrub Another Mrembo highlight is the kidonge scrub. Originally used to boost male energy, the treatment – which make use of the leftover buds and twigs from distilling clove oil on Pemba – now provides a warming finale to a massage for any client.

“The buds and twigs are dried, ground and rolled into a little ball,” says Stefanie.

“Then rosewater is added to make it into a paste and apply as a scrub as well as packing for a wonderful heat sensation resulting in a new energy boost.”

For more details on treatments at Mrembo, visit mrembospa.com

/ Swahili style

Food and drink The diptych of boutique hotels in the heart of Stone Town, Emerson Spice and Emerson on Hurumzi, embody an unconventional continuance of Swahili culture. Both buildings were once affluent merchants’ homes and have been lovingly restored with a décor that couples authentic Zanzibari furniture and Arabic architecture with more modern touches inspired by the hotels’ flamboyant founder Emerson Skeens’ love of cinema and opera. The playfulness extends to the cuisine served to guests at the hotels’ restaurants, which offer some of the most unforgettable dining experiences on the island. The sister hotels’ respective top-floor tea houses offer views across the ramshackle rooftops and minarets of Stone Town – beyond beautiful at sunset – and Emerson Spice’s Secret Garden is a lushly landscaped hidden ruin to dine in under the stars.

Head chef at Emerson Spice is Edina Chongola. She was born in Iringa, but has been living on Zanzibar for the past 20 years. During that time, she has embraced the seafood and spices of Swahili cuisine

and at Emerson she has been encouraged to experiment and take some traditional dishes in new directions.

“We don’t follow rules here,” she says.

“We look to history and the culture, but we take classic Arab and Indian dishes that are part of our heritage and reinvent the contents.”

Innovations include a tartar made with fresh avocado, baobab oil and moringa leaves picked from Edina’s own garden as well as a goat or vegetarian biriyani cooked in a clay pot with a disc of dough acting as a lid. In standard Swahili cuisine the dough is discarded once cooking is complete, but here it is retained to be used as an edible spoon to mop up the biriyani with.

The biriyani is an aromatic dish and a good example of the feast for the senses Zanzibari cuisine provides. Edina says: “Spices here add aroma rather than heat to dishes,” she says. “Black pepper and rock salt from Pemba are integral then we can add sesame seeds, cinnamon leaves, lemon zest, ginger, fresh turmeric, lemongrass,

garlic and cloves. We get the majority of our dried spices from 1001 Spices, a Stone Town spicery which has won international awards and gets all its stock from small organic farms on the island.”

Edina may hail from the mainland, but she has become a seasoned pro when it comes to creating complex flavours with the stockpile of spices available on Zanzibar. It’s a skill that has been noticed by Emerson’s head of marketing and cuisine, Katia Wellving. “Edina’s understanding of the balance of all these spices is exquisite,” she says.

Signature dishes Since 2010 the pair have been coming up with inventive spins on Swahili classics for the Emerson Spice menus. “It’s a way of bringing fun back into the kitchen,” says Katia, who created one of the hotel’s most singular signature dishes, ‘bamia caviar’ in which white okra pearls are split from the pod and coloured with squid ink to use as a garnish.

For her part, Edina has reinvented the content of classic pre-revolutionary dishes for the Tea House menu. Diners will find Swahili favourites such as white bait fried with onions, garlic and tomatoes as well as King Rolls, but with the traditional fish filling replaced by goat flavoured with coconut, turmeric and cardamom seeds that pop in your mouth. Delicious.

To book at a table at the Emerson Spice restaurants, visit emersonspice.com

Traditional Swahili cuisine with added tricks is on offer at Emerson Spice’s Tea House

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/ Swahili style

Music The distinctive melodies of taarab have provided the soundtrack of the Swahili coast since the late 19th century. The music is an amalgam of Middle Eastern, Indian, African and European influences which the trading crossroads of Zanzibar drew in.

Legend has it that the island was the first place in Africa to hear this style of music when the Sultan of Oman brought a taarab group from the Middle East – playing instruments such as the ganun, a 72-string zither that lies flat and is plucked like a harp to perform and the lute-like oud – at his palace.

Over time Zanzibar has put its stamp on the music by incorporating African drums to drive the beat and lyrics from Swahili poetry.

The hybrid music has continued to adapt and develop over the years. In the 1930s Sinti binti Saad, known as ‘The Mother of Taarab’, ushered in an era of female singers after taarab’s male dominated beginnings and writing and singing in Swahili rather than Arabic she was key in spreading the music from the palaces to the streets.

More recently there have been youth market dance-floor reinventions of taarab by bands such as East African Melody with lyrics that are rather more straightforward in dealing with love and relationships than the metaphor-veiled subtleties you find in traditional taarab.

Concerns that traditional taarab’s relevance to young people – won over by the beats and bravado of Bongo Flava – was fading and the genre was in danger of dying out led to the creation of the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) in 2002.

Housed in the former customs house moments from the port, the academy is Zanzibar’s first music school and was set up by the late Zanzibar hotelier Emerson Skeens, musician and writer Hilda Kiel and musician Mohammed Haji – known as ‘Matona’ – to teach taarab and preserve the music for generations to come.

Close to 2,000 young students from all over the country have studied at the academy. The majority of them focus on taarab, learning how to play the traditional instruments and getting to perform with classmates as well as visiting veterans of the genre.

Taarab revival The result has been a revival of taarab in Zanzibar. There are now many opportunities to see and hear the music being performed on the island. The academy is a breeding ground for new talent who get a chance to shine at the weekly DCMA concerts along with live shows at hotels, restaurants and cultural festivals on the island.

While preserving the traditions of taarab

is key to the academy’s work, it understands many of its youthful contingent want to take taarab in a new direction that resonates with them. Among the ensembles formed by academy graduates is Mapanya Band, who mix taarab music styles with reggae, soul, hip-hop and even some Latin with dynamic results, and TaraJazz, who, as their name suggests, find sonic common ground between jazz and taarab.

Just last month, DCMA provided the studio space for the recording of new album ‘Siti of Unguja’ by academy alumni Siti Muharam. Siti is the great-granddaughter of Siti binti Saad and while her music remains grounded in the cultural roots of her legendary ancestor there are plenty of modern touches here.

The music has an almost trance-like rhythm at times with the music made even more immersive by studio overdubs. No doubt great-grandmother would approve of the romance, passion and protest in the songwriting as great granddaughter brings taarab into the 21st century.

To find out more about the DCMA, its bands and opportunities to see live performances, visit zanzibarmusic.org.

‘Siti of Unguja’ is available to download or buy on CD from the On the Corner label. Visit onthecornerrecords.bandcamp.com

Teaching taarab students at the Dhow Countries Music Academy

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Zaidi Recyclers

Recycling plant switches from paper to plastic to save jobs and lives G

The Covid-19 outbreak has forced many businesses to adapt at speed to survive.

Tanzanian waste management company Zaidi Recyclers has shown equal parts creativity and caring in switching focus to making thousands of affordable face shields from recycled plastic bottles to protect those on the front line in the country. Twiga talks to founder Allen Kimambo about how the rethink has saved the jobs of all his employees and provided valuable protection against the spread of the virus.

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o back just a few months and Zaidi Recyclers was a thriving Tanzanian business, processing waste paper collected across the country and exporting the majority of it to paper mills in China and India.

Just a few months ago, though, was at time BC (before Covid-19) and as countries have imposed lockdowns to stop the spread of the new virus, global trade has dried up.

However, Allen Kimambo, who set up Zaidi Recyclers in 2016 and has seen it go on to become one of the leading waste management companies in Tanzania, spotted a solution that would enable him to save his business, the jobs of all its 38 employees as well as protect those most at risk from the virus.

He switched waste collection from paper to plastic bottles and began the production of face shields, a vital piece of personal protective equipment for health workers during the pandemic.

Diversifying into plastic Desperate times call for desperate measures and Zaidi Recycling was in a difficult situation. The collection of waste paper, which had been a country-wide operation with 32 centres across the country, had dwindled and its clients – a combination of local and Indian paper mills –were also feeling the pinch.

“We went from 32 to seven collection centres very quickly,” says Kimambo. “It was a very scary time. The other biggest challenge was receiving payments on time as most of our local clients were having their own challenges in selling their products such as paper bags, boxes, shipping packages and exercise books.

Making the switch With four years’ operational experience in recycling at the company’s headquarters in Kipawa, Dar es Salaam, Kimambo says the switch from paper to plastic was not that onerous, except when it came to finding the right kind of plastic bottle to make the face shields from and in the numbers required for mass production.

“There is only one brand of bottled water, Ice Drop, which works,” Kimambo says.

“Unfortunately, those bottles were not easily available so we had to find ways to get them in a large enough quantity.” The company employed a team of waste pickers in a nationwide scheme overseen by the Tanzania Recyclers’ Association to collect enough bottles to make operations viable.

When it came to the production of the face shields margins were tight. Zaidi Recyclers was faced with a situation in which there was little

/ Zaidi Recyclers

On-the-job training has been given to produce and assemble the shields and staff were among the first to wear the new product

Zaidi Recyclers switched its recycling from paper to plastic

money coming into the business, but there were extra costs to be met keeping employees making and packing the face shields socially distanced and bringing them to and from the workplace in special transport. Added to this was the desire that the selling price of the face shields had to be kept affordable for those who needed them to work in confidence in Tanzania’s health sector, offices, shops and supermarkets.

Key to balancing all the factors was finding an open-source template design for the face shield that was simple, worked with sheets of recycled plastic and was designed for fast mass production.

“The design is simple and can be made in just three minutes,” says Kimambo. “We are only using rubbers, elastic bands, staple pins and transparent plastic sheets. This has allowed us to make up to more than 1,000 shields per day.”

So far more than 6,000 face shields – priced at US$ 2 – have been

produced and distributed with costs kept to a minimum. “Our design and the choice of materials have enabled us to make each shield at a cost of less than one US dollar,” says Kimambo. “The more we make the more efficient we are becoming with costs coming down, but the quality improving.”

Working safe Zaidi Recycling’s employees, Kimambo says, have relished the challenge of their new roles. On-the-job training has been given to produce and assemble the shields and staff were among the first to wear the new product as part of the company’s Covid-19 safety measures, which have been thorough from the start.

“We renamed our WhatsApp group to Jikinge na Corona (‘click here for Corona’) to provide updates,” Kimambo says. “We provided transport to all the key and risk staff, gave face shields to all employees, taught social distancing awareness and lastly we made a

More than 6,000 of the face shields have been made so far

barrier in front of the office so that we can reduce unauthorized access.”

The face shields are playing an important role in tackling the virus in Tanzania and have been snapped up by hospitals and health centres here.

Zaidi Recyclers has also donated hundreds of the shields to charity Masks For Hope and as part of celebrations for World Environment Day on June 5.

The move to face shields has kept Zaidi Recyclers’ business relevant during the Covid-19 crisis and while international sales of processed paper are making a return, working with plastic waste is now part of the company’s long-term plan.

“We have started already as we have two containers heading to India and five others are on the way,” Kimambo says. “We are also developing a permanent and sustainable line for making personal protection equipment PPEs and other product from plastic waste.”

For more information on the face shields and on where to find your nearest recycling centre, visit zaidi.co.tz

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Air Tanzania staff profile

ATCL PROJECT MANAGER PAUL SOLOKA

‘I want to see Air Tanzania compete with other airlines in Africa’ Five years ago, Paul Soloka was all set for retirement after a career that included playing a key role in the development of another African aviation success story RwandAir. However, he’s now back with Air Tanzania – the employer who gave him his first break in the industry – co-ordinating operations as project manager. The 63-year-old Kijichi resident and father of two tells Twiga about his path to such a senior position and some of his proudest moments.

Was it always an ambition of yours to work in the aviation industry?

Working in the aviation industry was not my ambition though I was fascinated by aircraft when I was a child growing up in the Manyara Region in the northern part of the country. I was a raised in a Christian family therefore going to church was part of my life. I was playing all sorts of child games.

When growing up, playing football was my main interest and riding bicycles was part of my life.

What are the day-to-day tasks involved in being Air Tanzania Project Manager?

I am the project manager for all the new aircraft which are being purchased by the United Republic of Tanzania. I am the focal point in Air Tanzania for Boeing, Airbus and De Havilland companies which are the manufacturers of Boeing B787, Airbus A220300 and Dash 8 Q400 – the aircraft which have been purchased and operated by Air Tanzania. I deal with initial negotiations,

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configurations, the training of pilots, engineers and dispatchers, entry into service of the aircraft into Air Tanzania fleet and delivery processes.

What academic qualifications do you need to get into aviation engineering?

The minimum qualification is an Advanced Secondary School certificate with passes in physics and mathematics. Then you have to undergo professional trainings in approved colleges.

Can you tell me about the previous jobs you had before you began working at Air Tanzania?

I worked for Air Tanzania from technician level up to senior maintenance engineer before leaving the company to seek greener pastures outside the country.

I was maintenance and engineering manager/project manager for RwandAir at that time a start-up airline – and developed

it to a fully-fledged airline capable of competing with other big airlines in Africa.

I retired from the airline and came back home to enjoy my retirement. That is when Air Tanzania again recruited me and worked for a short period as an interim maintenance and engineering manager and also as a project manager. When a new

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

www.airtanzania.co.tz

I am the focal point in Air Tanzania for Boeing, Airbus and De Havilland companies

maintenance and engineering manager was appointed, I concentrated my effort on project manager tasks.

How long have you been working for Air Tanzania? Why did you take this job?

I have been working for Air Tanzania now for the past five years since coming back to the country. I took the job first out of a passion for aviation and secondly because I want to see Air Tanzania grow to a competitive level with other airlines in Africa.

What would be your advice to anyone thinking of pursuing a career in aircraft engineering?

How has your work been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak?

Around 80 per cent of my work is communicating Air Tanzania requirements and holding meetings with aviation-related companies so as to assist Air Tanzania attain its goals. Most of these meetings are held outside of Tanzania and almost all of these countries went into total lockdown [during the pandemic]. Very few meetings were being held through the internet so the majority of my work was almost locked down too.

What qualities do you think it is essential to have in your role?

Who have been your inspirations or mentors to get you where you are today?

There are a lot of people. I can’t mention them all, but they know who they are.

Paul Soloka at work at Air Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam headquarters

Communication skills within a multicultural environment, aviation knowledge especially engineering with the ability to know types of aircraft configurations and what is required by Air Tanzania.

What have been some of your proudest moments working for Air Tanzania?

What do you do away from your job? What are your hobbies?

Two stand out. Firstly, the configuration, entry into service and delivery of B787 and A220-300 for the Air Tanzania fleet.

Secondly, the recruitment of young aircraft maintenance engineers and training them to work on the new aircraft.

I enjoy listening to music, jogging and riding my bicycle.

What is favourite flight to take on the Air Tanzania network and why?

He or she should work very hard to acquire the minimum qualifications required.

All the flights on Air Tanzania network are favourite because you know you will be flown and served by competent personnel.

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Legal eye

Why unit title properties are the way forward in major cities Apartment blocks and multi-storey office buildings offer spacesaving development for a growing city and convenient living and working space for individuals. Benedict Ishabakaki, partner at Victory Attorneys & Consultants, in Dar es Salaam, takes a closer look at some of the aims and advantages of unit title properties.

They facilitate urban planning

It is backed up by its own legislation

This includes good residential infrastructures, access to shops, the smooth running of the businesses and easy access to offices.

The unit title property is supported by separate legislation and is often preferred as a stronger or more definitive title in populated urban areas like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and other growing cities.

It is easier and cheaper to organize social services For the government it becomes more affordable and straightforward to organise the provision of social services such as sewerage, electricity and health services.

In a unit title property there can be more than 100 families centered in one place, making the provision of social services far simpler. This is different from the current social-economic situation where people are more spread out as cities expand. For example, in Dar es Salaam, the urban conurbation has extended as far north as Bagamoyo, putting a strain on the government to provide all the basic social services needed.

It is a model which has worked well abroad Urban title properties have proved a successful designing, planning and archetype system in cities such as Dubai.

Property management issues are controlled by the established by-laws.

Height limits of the building are easily managed because the developer of unit title has to send the proposal for approval before the project can be begun.

It gives individual ownership of the buildings and private open spaces, with common ownership being limited to the nominated common areas, such as driveways, gardens and play areas.

How to apply and develop Unit Title Property in Tanzania To develop a unit title can be a long procedure. Here it is in simple terms Section 4 of the Unit Title Act provides the avenue for a developer to create units so that the real estate developed can be

co-owned. If someone wants to develop the property for the purpose of selling or mortgaging the units the following steps provided under the Unit Title Regulation 2009 are vital.

• A pplication to the registrar for registration of Unit Plan. The developer must attach a certificate of registered Land Surveyor Form No 10A, a certificate from a Local government authority Form No 10 B and a certificate of a registered architect.

• W hen the developer finishes the building, they will advertise the sale of each unit.

• A pplication to the registrar to register each unit.

• Issuance of certificate of a unit form.

• O wners then register their association and to employ managing agent of the unit property.

Once all the units have been sold and have their own titles, the developer is no longer liable for the properties. airtanzania.co.tz / 47

Arusha

24 hours in…

ARUSHA

As the gateway to some of Tanzania’s most famous attractions, such as Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha gets a stack of visitors, but not many stick around to check out the charms of the city itself. Here Arusha entrepreneur and Twiga columnist Faysal Alao reveals some of his favourite haunts in his hometown and puts together the itinerary for a perfect day.

MORNING You have a busy day ahead so smart to start with a hearty breakfast.

Kitamu Café is a cosy Tanzanianrun establishment in Goliondoi Street in the heart of the city.

The menu is packed with fresh healthy dishes such as chicken and avocado wraps – the chefs are very generous with the succulent avocados, sourced from the nearby Mount Meru highlands – as well as delicious home-roasted coffee straight from the Kilimanjaro foothills. The very reasonable prices, friendly staff and free wi-fi make for a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

Don’t get too comfortable, though, we have much to do.

From Kitamu, take the five-minute walk to the Arusha National History Museum. Housed inside what was an old German military outpost, the compound has three separate buildings that are open to the public. Make sure you take in the wing dedicated to human evolution. Excavations from the nearby Olduvai Gorge, available to see here, have led the way on our understanding of man’s origins.

Elsewhere there are displays on insects detailing some of the diseases they cause, the history of

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Arusha during the German colonial era, and wildlife photos and mounts. In the museum’s outdoor grounds there is a botanical garden, a mini serpentarium and an arts gallery.

Now you know more about the evolution of this city and its people, work your way to the famous Arusha Maasai Market. Located just beneath the huge clock in the center of the town, this most significant tourist attraction is the best place to wrap up your morning.

Once you are here, you will get the luxury of seeing the most affordable hand-crafted ornaments such as wooden animals, humans, and buildings sculptures, beaded necklaces, batik wall hangings, soapstone carvings, colourful sisal bags, Kikois, khangas, vitenges and much more. Stock up on souvenirs here.

AFTERNOON Just a short walk from the Clock Tower, but a world away from the traffic and noise of the city centre is George’s Tavern. Sheltered amid a canopy of trees and bushes this very quiet and calm setting is the best place to have lunch while you

The Arusha clocktower Image: Sergey-73 / Shutterstock.com

prepare for your next set of activities. The ambiance is suggestive of a classic Greek taverna with wooden tables and checked blue and white table cloths. The menu is extensive and covers both Greek and Italian cuisine, with a good selection of starters, main courses, pizzas, and desserts. With big portions, friendly and enchanting employees and affordable prices, this restaurant makes you feel instantly at home.

After enjoying a heartwarming experience of the city, it is now time to venture a bit further out. Lake Duluti, which is just a 20-minute drive away from the bustle of central Arusha, is the best place to spend the latter part of your afternoon. This volcanic crater lake is surrounded by a forest reserve that is home to very rare types of trees, many reptiles, water

/ 24 hours in… Arusha

birds and also offers breath-taking views of both Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. Once you are here you can enjoy a nature walk in the forest reserve, take a canoe ride on the lake and watch a beautiful sunset fall over the city. If the word ‘zoo’ fills you with images of cages and confined animals, this place will come as a pleasant surprise. There is more than eight km of open land ringed by rolling hills for animals such as zebra, ostrich, hyena, bushbuck and kudu to roam. There are plenty of birds, reptiles and monkeys to get up close to and the family-friendly place – it’s run by the Mbalizi Evangelistic Church – is a great afternoon out.

EVENING There’s not a huge amount of choice if you fancy a night out, but

by far the best is New City Pub & Lounge, a nightclub at the eastern end of town, which hosts regular concerts out in its parking lot.

Featured acts include bongo flava stars from Dar es Salaam. Check out its Instagram page for upcoming events. There’s also a pool table and a restaurant that serves Tanzanian food.

Arusha has many markets to explore Image: Sergey-73 / Shutterstock.com

EVENING Lake Duluti also provides an excellent option for an evening meal.

Roadside barbecues are known around here as ‘chicken on the bonnet’ and one of the best practitioners is Khan’s Barbecue, just moments from the lake. Here you can get mouth-watering tandoori chicken, beef skewers, mutton kebab and Zanzibar pizzas along with a variety of side dishes, including salads, grilled naan bread and

A tranquil Lake Duluti

French fries. The delicious food at Khan’s is no secret so be prepared to wait, but it is most definitely worth it.

On the drive back to central Arusha, stop off at the Cocoriko Club and Lounge to round off your evening. Here you can sing your night away with a karaoke session, catch a live band or a set by some of Arusha’s best DJs. This is where Arusha come to party and with smartly dressed waiters, sublime service and top-notch drinks this place is designed to make you end your 24 hours in Arusha like a proper local.

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Tech for quiet

QUIETLY

BRILLIANT

Working from home has become part of the new normal post lockdown. However, while passing the day in your pyjamas – best at least to smarten up your top half during a conference call with an important client – can be fun, houses don’t always make for sanctuaries of focus. It’s hard to get into that flow state when your washing machine is shuddering, your fridge humming, your fan blustering and your coffee machine grinding away at your last nerve.

However, we at Twiga have found a host of near-noiseless household appliances which have all been awarded the internationally approved Quiet Mark and will silence any doubt that you can get quality work done from home.

Hotpoint H7T 911T MX H Fridge Freezer If you want a peaceful home and working environment, choosing a super quiet fridge freezer is important. Your appliance will be running all the time, and the last thing you want is to hear the compressor clicking on and off at night.

Melitta Barista Smart TS Smart Coffee Machine

The Hoover Telios Extra is engineered to be extremely quiet so cleaning the whole house can be done without disturbing anyone trying to work. It also features integrated accessories stored on such as a mini turbo brush, ideal for stubborn pet hair, plus two additional floor nozzles for all-round cleaning.

This bean-to-cup coffee machine is great for those that work at home. You can control it from your smartphone so you can have the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the house encouraging you to get out of bed and start the day.

Also, despite it having an integrated coffee bean grinder – it also works with ground coffee – it doesn’t sound like workmen are tearing up the road outside when it gets going. No chance of it waking up the younger members of the household, who may not share your love of early starts.

quietmark.com US$ 186

quietmark.com US$ 939

Hoover Telios Extra Bagged Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

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Silent fridge freezers don’t really exist yet, but this model comes close. It quietly cools the family’s food, offering the perfect balance between performance, with an A+ energy rating and food preservation technology, all while boasting an impressive capacity of over 300L. quietmark.com US$ 626

/ Tech for quiet

Blueair Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier To ensure your working environment is always clean and germ free, set up this air purifier. The Blue Pure 411 provides perfectly clean air for rooms of up to 15 sq m and is also whisper silent, energy efficient and straightforward to use (it has one button!).

The entire bottom part of each air purifier consists of an advanced filter. Using both mechanical and electrostatic filtration, it catches virtually every airborne contaminant down to a virus in size: pollen, dust, pet dander, mould spores, smoke, allergens and bacteria. quietmark.com US$ 169

Dualit Classic Kettle The whistle and rattle of a noisy kettle is enough to make some people boiling mad, especially if they have work to do that requires their complete attention. However, the Dualit Classic Kettle uses the patented Whisper Technology, which markedly reduces unwanted boiling noise. The kettle, which is available in a range of finishes, also gets the boiling job out of the way in super quick time thanks to a 3Kw element. Two measuring windows with cup level and litre indicators help you to only boil the amount of water required from one cup to 1.7 litres. quietmark.com US$ 180

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Images: Emanuel Feruzi

Fred Uisso recipe

Return of the mackerel Twiga’s cookery columnist Chef Fred Uisso is back and this time he’s extolling the benefits of the vitamin, mineral and omega 3 powerhouse that is mackerel (‘kibua’ in Kiswahili).

The award-winning chef also reveals his recipe to bring all those nutrients to your plate in delicious style.

M

ackerel is full of omega-3 fatty acids and contains a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals.

This oily fish is one of the healthiest seafood options available.

Mackerel is full of omega-3 fatty acids and contains a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals. This oily fish is one of the healthiest seafood options available.

It is a fact that most adults are not consuming enough omega-3. The best way to increase our omega-3 intake is by consuming more oily fish rich in these essential fats.

Don’t worry, though, because mackerel provides a substantial hit of omega-3 on its own. Just one 200-gram fillet provides 5,900 mg of omega -3 fatty acids. This is more omega-3 than the majority of other oily fish provide and mackerel is very affordable.

Full of Omega-3 Omega-3 fatty acids have an extensive range of health benefits, including reducing inflammation within the body and improving cardiovascular health.

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Contains significant amounts of Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 deficiency affects many people especially the elderly. The vitamin is crucial to our health and a deficiency can potentially cause anaemia and also damage our nervous system. For these reasons, it is vital to ensure a sufficient intake of the vitamin regardless of dietary preference.

Rich in protein Mackerel is an excellent source of dietary protein, and a regular fillet of mackerel offers 20.8 grams of protein, including sufficient quantities of all nine essential amino acids

Very low levels of mercury Although seafood is generally nutritious and beneficial for our body, one negative point is that it can be affected by mercury contamination. Health authorities claim that we should only eat certain fish on rare occasions, due to the amount of mercury it contains.

For reference, the table below shows the mean mercury contamination of some common species of fish.

Fish Mean Mercury Species Contamination (PPM) Cod 0.111 Herring 0.078 Mackerel (Atlantic) 0.05 Sardines 0.013 Tuna (Albacore) 0.358

Excellent source of selenium Just one small fillet of mackerel provides 71 per cent of the recommended dietary intake for selenium, an essential antioxidant which also regulates thyroid health.

May improve cardiovascular health Mackerel is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals that are associated with better heart health, such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It also helps in lowering inflammation and improving vascular function.

It is high in Vitamin D Vitamin D deficiency is a significant problem in the developed world, particularly for nations with long and dark winters. Aside from supplementation, some foods are

/ Fred Uisso recipe

Chef Fred Uisso’s Barbecue mackerel recipe My Mackerel recipe is simple and straight. The secret to its success is it preserves all the nutrients while remaining soft and tasty. Follow me please.

Ingredients: 6 Mackerel 200 grams

6 Pepper and salt to taste

6 Tea spoon of Chinese soy sauce, white vinegar, and grated yellow turmeric ginger

6 One fresh lemon or lime 6 One table spoon of olive or sunflower oil

6 Two cloves of garlic (grated)

Directions: 1. Pour all ingredients in a bowl and mix them thoroughly to make the seasoning sauce to your taste

4. Put the fish on charcoal grill or gas or electric and keep on turning until the seasoning sauce begins to crisp

It’s brain food

2. Make small slits on either side of the fish to enable easy penetration of seasoning sauce

Consuming mackerel can improve brain function as it contains high levels of the Omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is said to be crucial in keeping a healthy nervous system.

3. T ake a soft brush and apply one brush of seasoning sauce all over the fish

5. A pply another brush of seasoning sauce and repeat number four until cooked as you want

naturally high in vitamin D, and mackerel is one of those foods. In fact, one regular mackerel fillet provides more than 100% of the recommended dietary intake for vitamin D.

7. There you go… a dish to steal your heart or the heart of your loved one

It’s quite cheap Mackerel is affordable and plentiful so provides a cheap source of nutrients for everyone.

INFORMATION Learn more about my recipes by downloading the Chef Uisso app from Google Play Store. To experience my tasty recipes live, visit my restaurant Club Afrikando in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam. Follow Chef Fred Uisso on Facebook @chefuisso and Instagram @clubafrikando and @freduisso People living with chronic diseases should consult their health experts about their food intake for the safety of their health.

6. Serve with fresh salad or sweet potatoes

MACKEREL NUTRITIONAL FACTS PER 100G PRINCIPLE

VITAMINS*

MINERALS

Energy . . . . . . . . . 205Kcal

Vitamin D . . . . . . 90% Selenium . . . . . . . . . . 63%

Carbohydrates . . . . . . 0g

Vitamin B12 . . . . . 145% Phosphorus . . . . . . . . 22%

Protein . . . . . . . . . . . 18.7g

Vitamin B6 . . . . . 10% Magnesium . . . . . . . . 19%

Total Fat . . . . . . . . . . 13.9g

Vitamin A . . . . . . . . 3% Potassium . . . . . . . . . . . 9% *Percentage of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances)

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Sound and vision

Faysal blogger

I can still remember the speech given by the late former Tanzanian Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs Augustine Philip Mahiga at a youth forum I attended in 2018. His concluding advice, especially, stays with me: “Don’t use social media less. Use it intentionally.”

It affected me profoundly and as one of those lucky enough to be invited to the event on social media and employment in Tanzania, I made sure it was a message I retained and shared with my online followers and the friends of mine who could not attend.

Over the recent years, the addiction to social media use has increased tremendously and become a new trend in our society. The majority of users are young adults such as myself and social media platforms have given us the ability to stay connected with our families, friends and different people around the world. It has also enhanced our knowledge, enabling us to follow experts and professionals in their fields from around the world and learn from them. With it also comes new avenues to build our businesses and make our mark as entrepreneurs.

Social media does have its downsides as well, but the minister’s speech focused on how we can steer away from these and focus on building our business online and bringing down unemployment in our country.

He emphasised how Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were the new ways to market a budding business and how they can give a helping hand to job seekers, small entrepreneurs, content creators, and artists if used the right way. Certainly, that is my intention.

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FILM REVIEWS

Faysal Alao is a vlogger and tour operator from Tanzania living in Arusha. He uploads regular videos 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

Social media, if used right, can build your brand

MUSIC REVIEWS

Mark Edwards rounds up the latest releases to stream, screen and read

I AM ZUCHU / Zuchu Label: WCB Singer Zuchu is the latest signing for Diamond Platnumz’s label WCB and this EP serves as an excellent primer of her talents, including first single and paean to love at first sight ‘Wana’ as well as recent hits ‘Kwaru’ and ‘Hakuna Kulala’ – in which she shares vocals with her label boss. The collection showcases her intimate, almost conversational vocal style as well as her song-writing abilities – all the EP’s seven tracks were selfpenned. There’s a touch of taarab in her Swahili singing, unsurprising given her mother is the ‘Iron Lady’ of taarab Bi Khadija Omar Kopa. Fittingly, mother and daughter sweetly harmonise on the EP’s closing track, Mauzaza.

JOSEPH SHALUWA / Chotara Shaluwa is one of the most popular contemporary Tanzanian authors writing in Swahili and “Chotara” – which translates as ‘half-breed in English – is his 12th published work.

As usual, Shaluwa straddles genres with elements of political thriller, love story and murder mystery present in this tale of a businessman in Tunduma who must fight to clear his name after he is accused of dealing drugs. This is not easy to do when he inhabits a world beset with abuses of power and criminal gangs operating across Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. This is the work of a master storyteller who grips the reader from the first few pages and never lets go.

TENET / Directed by Christopher Nolan Director Christopher Nolan is back to blow our tiny minds with another inventive, original blockbuster. Like earlier hit Inception, Tenet plays with time travel and notions of reality in this special effects-laden international espionage thriller, which stars John David Washington – who so impressed in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman – as well as a stellar supporting cast including Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. The globe-trotting plot may have viewers lamenting their lockdown lives, but this has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year.

Arts column

THE RETURN / Sampa The Great Label: Ninja Tune Sampa Tembo, known professionally as Sampa the Great, was born in Zambia, raised in Botswana and is currently based in Australia.

The songwriter, poet and rapper documents the spiritual journey that has accompanied the nomadic upbringing across her debut album’s 19 tracks and almost 80 minutes of playing time. It celebrates the cultures and traditions of her African heritage in the tribal languages and drumming alongside more modern r ‘n’ b and hip-hop influences and the woke braggadacio rap of Tembo’s rhymes. Stand-outs along the way include the exhilarating mash-up of afrofunk, 1960s soul and rap swagger that is ‘Final Form’ and the stripped down percussion that drives mission statement ‘OMG’ in which Tembo’s inner voyage reaches a sort of epiphany as she raps: “Home is my home is my self”.

THE WORMWOOD TRILOGY / Tade Thompson Science fiction by African writers is a genre on the rise. It now even has its own prize, the Nommo Award, set up by the African Speculative Fiction Academy, to award the best in the field. The inaugural winner in 2017 was the first instalment of this trilogy by Tade Thompson, who was born in London to Yoruba parents and grew up in Nigeria. Now the trilogy is complete – garnering more gongs, including The Arthur C Clarke Award – and available to buy together. Nigeria is the setting for the books, but this is a Nigeria of the near future which has been invaded by aliens, who have established Wormwood, a biodome embedded in Nigerian soil, which sends out a light which heals the sick and raises the dead. Despite this, most humans are mistrustful of the new arrivals. This includes Kaaro, a detective with the power to read people’s minds and emotions. His concerns increase when he discovers other ‘sensitives’ like him are being killed. Thompson has created an engrossing and detailed fantasy world that carries plenty of allegorical weight.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK / Directed by Joseph Kosinski Tom Cruise revisits one of his most iconic roles in this sequel to his 1986 smash hit Top Gun. At the time, the part of fearless pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell seemed the perfect fit for the cocksure Cruise and the sequel reveals the two are still on similar flight paths. Both are now well into their 50s and in the same way Cruise shows no sign of giving up his action hero status on the big screen, Maverick is still one of the Navy’s top aviators and risk takers. However, a new role training a squad of graduates sees him confront the pains of his past when he finds out one of students – played by ‘Whiplash’ star Miles Teller – is the son of his one-time wingman and best friend ‘Goose’. A plot twist enough to take your breath away.

A huge yet humble talent who shaped the past and the future of Tanzanian art Rebecca Corey, the Director of Nafasi Arts Space in Dar es Salaam and Twiga’s arts columnist, pays tribute to legendary Tanzanian artist, curator, and critic Robino Ntila, who passed away in May. Robino Ntila was one of the most prolific and accomplished Tanzanian visual artists, dedicating his life to the promotion and advancement of the arts in the country. He was an ambassador for Tanzanian art abroad, and a guide, mentor, and teacher for young artists at home.

Robino began painting in 1975 and was for many years the chief coordinator at Nyumba ya Sanaa (House of Art), the famed artists’ association founded by Sister Jean Pruitt with the support of Julius K Nyerere. Here, Robino produced works that have come to shape Tanzanian visual culture and the generations of artists who have followed.

His exhibitions and teaching took him around the world, but her remained humble, warm-hearted, and accessible to anyone who might seek his advice and wisdom. We saw him often at Nafasi Art Space.

Despite living some distance from Dar es Salaam, he never missed a chance to attend an exhibition to support his fellow artists and share his work with the public.

Robino never tired of telling stories of his past adventures and accomplishments, but his greatest excitement was always reserved for what was to come. He curated the Legendary Artists of Tanzania exhibition in Kenya in 2019 and was passionate about helping preserve the legacy of Tanzania’s artists.

Not long after his passing, the leadership team from Nafasi and the Tanzanian National Arts Council went to Robino’s house to pay our respects and offer our condolences to his family. They graciously invited us to his home studio, where alongside many of his own beautiful and varied works, he had a large collection of artworks by other Tanzanian artists, both his contemporaries and the young and emerging artists who followed the path he had forged.

It now rests on us to carry forward his legacy and to honour his enduring dedication to the visual art and artists of Tanzania.

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Kids’ fun and puzzles

ADVENTURE MAZE

WORD PUZZLE Octopus Snail Whale Dolphin Squid Crab Starfish Seahorse Oyster Turtle

Can you help the starfish find their pearl? Help them get across the maze!

DOT TO DOT Follow the dots to finish the image of the seahorse

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Wheels car review

Ford Ranger Raptor

A RAPTOR TO HAVE YOU IN RAPTURES

In the market for 4x4 double cab? Want to get noticed and make a real off-road statement? Well, there’s just the car for you and if you have a cool US$80,000 to spare.

T

he Ford Ranger Raptor is now on sale in Tanzania and it can be found at CMC Automobiles on Maktaba Street in Dar or at the dealer’s Arusha showroom. It is an eye-wateringly expensive, aggressive looking, go anywhere double cab like no other and one that will turn heads or provoke open-mouthed stares from almost everyone.

The newly arrived South Africabuilt Raptor is fitted with a bi-turbo

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version of Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBlue Diesel engine which has been paired with a new 10-speed automatic gearbox. CMC says: “The innovative bi-turbo engine’s twin turbos work sequentially to deliver huge power and torque on demand.”

Unbeatable off-road The double-cab comes with legendary FOX Racing Suspension as standard. The Raptor is also shod with purpose-built all-terrain tyres for

The Raptor features purpose-built allterrain tyres

every condition, from towering sand dunes and thick mud, to fast moving river crossings and steep mountain roads. Perfect, then, for Tanzania.

And there are six different drive modes to maximise this off-road performance: Normal, Sport, Grass, Gravel and Snow (not sure that will get much use and unless an ascent of Kilimanjaro is planned), Mud and Sand, Rock, and for truly unbeatable off-road performance, Baja mode.

The Ranger Raptor is available with a FordPass Connect modem. The system provides a range of invaluable benefits, including up to 4G Wi-Fi for a maximum of ten devices, and

All images: The Ford Motor Company

/ Wheels car review

There are six different drive modes to maximise the off-road performance

real-time traffic updates delivered straight to your in-car navigation.

A unique high-strength, low-alloy steel chassis has been forged to meet the demands of the most extreme off-road environments.

A ground clearance of 281 mm is combined with the ability to wade through 850 mm of water, too. It seems that every feature is designed to make sure the Raptor delivers an unparalleled off-road driving experience.

In-cabin comfort In the cabin, driver comfort has not taken a back seat. And the Raptor is sprinkled with little luxuries like the dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather sports steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake and not one, but two 12V power outlets. As the Raptor comes pretty much fully loaded, the only options available to local buyers are whether or not to have decals.

But CMC can also offer tonneau or

roller covers for the load bin. These are certainly worth having.

So, is spending around US$ 50,000 more on a Raptor than would otherwise be the case for regular Ranger really worth the money? Many will think not. But if you are really serious about off-roading then the high-powered Raptor will certainly fit the bill and providing you have the funds to meet Ford’s top-dollar price tag.

The Raptor is sprinkled with little luxuries

BEST-SELLING VEHICLE The Raptor badge is borrowed from the mighty Ford F-150 Raptor pick-up truck, which is sold in the US and has some years been the most powerful version of the world’s best-selling vehicle.

The Ranger Raptor carries over many of themes developed by its highly successful North American cousin: chunky bodywork extensions, equally bulbous BF Goodrich boots and huge chassis and suspension modifications. Unfortunately, and despite its twin turbos, the Ranger Raptor doesn’t quite match the F-150’s raw straight-line power which offers US buyers a blistering 3.5-litre Ecoboost V6 engine making 450bhp and 510lb ft of torque.

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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.

7

8

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: 4 Bombardier Seat capacity: (3 Bombardier) Business Class 6, Economy 70 (1 Bombardier) Business class 10, Economy 68 Number of flight-deck crew: 2 Range: 2,063 km (1,362 Nm) Typical cruising speed: up to 360 knots (414 mph or 667 km/hr) Wingspan: 93 ft 3 in (28.4 m) Length: 107 ft 9 in (32.8 m)

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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: 2 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)

Flying between COMORO - AFRICA TANZANIA - TANZANIA AFRICA - INDIA AFRICA - AFRICA

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

Free allowance

30 kg 23 kg 2PC @ 23 kg 2PC @ 23 kg

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 alone) 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.

BUSINESS

Air Tanzania has a free allowance for passengers’ baggage across economy and business class. For full details and rates please see our website www.airtanzania.co.tz or contact booking enquiries 0800 110045

ECONOMY

FREE BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

Free allowance

40 kg 30 kg 3PC @ 23 kg 3PC @ 23 kg

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 Booking & Enquiries: 0800 110045 www.airtanzania.co.tz

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Air Tanzania destinations

DISCOVER

Regional and international routes

Bukoba Mwanza Geita Kigoma

Musoma Arusha Kilimanjaro

TANZANIA Katavi

Tabora Dodoma Iringa

Zanzibar

Dar es Salaam

Mbeya

INDIAN OCEAN

Active routes Upcoming routes

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For Booking & Enquiries: 0800 110045 | www.airtanzania.co.tz

UK

London

CHINA

Guangzhou Mumbai

INDIA

Bangkok

THAILAND

NIGERIA

Lagos UGANDA

Entebbe Kigali Bujumbura

KENYA

Nairobi

RWANDA

BURUNDI

TANZANIA

DRC

Lubumbashi

Dar es Salaam Comoros

ZAMBIA

Lusaka ZIMBABWE

Harare

Active routes Upcoming routes

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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

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

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

www.airtanzania.co.tz

Follow us on:

@AirTanzania

@airtanzania

airtanzania_atcl

Air Tanzania ATCL

AIR TANZANIA CONTACTS DAR ES SALAAM (HQ)

Email: mwanza.station@airtanzania.co.tz

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

TABORA

ARUSHA

SONGEA

Location: Old Moshi Road, NSSF Mafao House Email: arusha.station@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: + 255 272 520 177/ +255 739 787 500

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

MBEYA Location: Mbeya Mjini Email: godfrey.Samanyi@airtanzania.co.tz Mob: 0714 800 080 / 0737 800 090

COMOROS Location: Immeuble MATELEC Moroni, Grande Comores Email: com’airgsaatc@gmail.com Tel: +269 3312570 / +269 3322058

Email: tabora.station@airtanzania.co.tz

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

IRINGA

Mob: +260 956 610 250 Email: support.lusaka@airtanzania.co.tz

KAMPALA 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

ENTEBBE Location: Entebbe International Airport, Room no 095.

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

BURUNDI

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

Location: 13 Avenue Du Commerce, Romero Street, Bujumbura Email: burindi.station@airtanzania.co.tz Tel: +257 610 139 48.

ZANZIBAR

INDIA

KILIMANJARO

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

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

ZIMBABWE

Location: Ajanta Travels PVT Ltd, VN Road, Mumbai.

Email: Res.bom@airtanzania.co.in Tel: +91 224 979 0108/09/ +91 98200 61232 (cargo)/ +91 98193 65286 (reservations)/ +91 740 0084680 (staff airport supervisors)

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

DODOMA Location: Hatibu Road, Tofiki Street, CDTF Building Tel: + 255 262 322 272/ 0735 787 241 (mobile)/ 0683 776 744 (mobile) Email: dodoma.station@airtanzania.co.tz

MWANZA

Tel: +255 735 787 239/ +255 28 2501059

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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.

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 Tel: +27 11 881 5945

Issue 06 / July to September 2020

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 ST E / TALEN T

Twiga A I R TA N Z A N I A Issue 06

Simba spokesman

The inspirational story of Haji Minara

Mjue Mtunzi Festival spreads word on Tanzanian writing talent

Back in the skies

Safely keeping us all connected