IT SERVICES
In addition to concrete infrastructure, Tanzania has to add network infrastructure to its list of must-haves in order to create a flourishing business environment in the country.
How has the company grown since its establishment?
Eric Mwenda We started when ICT was in its infancy. Telecoms were just arriving in Dar es Salaam, and service providers were still lacking focus. Wia's ambition was to integrate with existing network facilities, becoming a pioneer in that realm and focusing on data and connectivity, as that was where more volume in terms of customers was to be found. We started primarily as an enterprise corporate service provider, with a strategy focused on the need to address true connectivity beyond city borders and provide full-unified communication. We have become the first ISP to integrate with a mobile network operator (MNO) in Africa. This is a substantial achievement, allowing us to be a major regional player. Now we have developed cross-border relationships with other companies as well.
Jameson Kasati Maxcom Africa is an ICT integration company that was incorporated in Tanzania in 2008 and became commercially operational in 2010. Our first service was processing pre-paid electricity payments, and from there we grew and diversified into other sectors including water, telecoms, airtime, financial services—specifically mobile and agency banking, government-related services, healthcare, and public transport. We started commercial operations in Tanzania and shortly after entered the Rwandan market in 2013. In 2016, we began operations in Uganda. We have plans to expand to Zambia and Kenya in 2017.
What sets the company apart in the market?
EW Our focus on building mission-critical facilities has transformed us into the biggest player in Tanzania today. Over the past few years, we stepped into a strategy underscoring ICT as an enabler for businesses, specifically when it came to edging competition. We needed to participate in mission-critical services, not only in connectivity, if we wanted to drive this strategy forward. Now we are looking elsewhere in a bid to diversify and solidify Wia's prospects for success.
JK We are unique in Tanzania because we provide technical services close to the people. Our system is made up of a unified payment platform connected to a number of point-of-sale terminals. Typically, our agents own small corner stores or grocers. Our network of such agents exceeds 15,000 people, spread out across the entire country, giving us a unique position. However, there is now increased competition emerging in this space. The landscape is changing and there are now other players that provide similar services, including banks and MNOs.
What is your vision for the company in the medium term?
EM In the past, we have been self-funded; however, now we have reached a point based on our size, growth, and achievements, at which point our funding structure will have to undergo some changes. The economic and administrative changes enveloping Tanzania at the moment also impact the business community, and these changes will be a huge enabler for people like us to provide more services. We see many organizations, enterprises, corporates, and SMEs holding back a little in terms of spending, with people reluctant to invest heavily in IT and instead focusing on their core services. Because of this, more companies are outsourcing ICT services, and Wia is responding to this with major projects this year to address the fully outsourced IT-model. We will launch the largest cloud in Africa this year, as well as the largest data center that will act as a catalyst for SMB, corporate, and enterprise. We are working with partners to drive 4G/5G services. Finally, we are working on providing state-of-the-art cyber solutions, which is becoming more and more vital for businesses.
JK Our vision is to become the leading ICT system integrator in Africa, providing the most consumer-centric e-solutions that exist on the market. In terms of what we have been able to achieve in Tanzania in comparison to other countries in the region, we see similar challenges and therefore similar potential to achieve. Whatever success we have been able to achieve in Tanzania can be replicated elsewhere, and this is not just theoretical, as we have the market research to prove it. In most cases, we find that our solutions would be relevant. We have received visitors, such as local municipalities and local governments from other countries, who have seen what we can do and want to transfer our expertise to their countries.
IT SERVICES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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