With two awe-inspiring game reserves, Africa’s highest peak and the beautiful island of Zanzibar just off the coast, Tanzania is one of Africa’s most alluring destinations. The famous Mount Kilimanjaro and endless opportunities to safari amongst Africa’s magnificent wild animals bring millions of tourists to the country every year.
Tanzania Today
Although Tanzania is one of the world’s least affluent countries, for the past 20 years it has remained relatively peaceful in comparison with many of its African neighbours. The combination of a shared language and strong leadership with a lack of political or economic dominance by any ethnic group has given Tanzanians a strong sense of cohesion and national pride that is reflected in many Tanzanian practices today. If your organisation is planning to conduct business with Tanzania, it is imperative to understand how traditional systems of social organisation are still of great significance in the daily social and business cultures of Tanzania.
Tanzanian Culture - Key Concepts and Values
Time – The concept of time is quite flexible in Tanzania with even Tanzanians joking about ‘Swahili time’. Not only is punctuality not considered as vital as in some other cultures but time operates based on a 12 hour clock with 1 to 12 representing daylight hours and 1 to 12 again representing the night time hours. The daylight hours start at the hour of sunrise which is 6.00. So 6.00 in English time is 0:00 in Tanzanian time, 7.00 is 1.00, 8.00 is 2.00 and so forth. Equally, 19.00 is also 1.00. Although this may seem confusing at first, as Tanzania is close to the Equator and daylight is usually between these hours, the system does actually make sense.
Unity – Although there are over 120 tribes residing in Tanzania, the common language, Kiswahili, serves to unite Tanzanians so they identify themselves as Tanzanian first and as members of their respective tribes second. This sense of unity is further illustrated by the fact that people with similar ethnic backgrounds, especially those living in the same village, often use familial terms of address such as mother, father, grandfather or sister to refer to one another.
Relationships – Hospitality is an important element of Tanzanian culture and all forms of hospitality are held in high regard. Women will visit other women within their homes whereas men will tend to meet in public places. If you are invited to a Tanzanian home, a small gift is a nice token of friendship. When receiving a gift it is polite to accept it placing the left palm under the right so that your right palm touches the gift first.
Hierarchy – In Tanzanian culture, status is often closely linked to age. The way people greet each other varies depending on their age. Older and other highly respected persons are greeted by the term ‘Shikamoo’ which is followed by the response ‘Marahaba’. Young children are taught to kneel down or kiss the hands of older people when greeting them.
Spirituality – In a nation where death is still a prevalent part of life, ancestors assume an extremely important role in many ethnic groups in Tanzania. Spirits are believed to continue to influence the daily lives of the living and are remembered through various rituals. For example, a small amount of beer is often left in certain locations as an offering. In other situations, ceremonies which include animal sacrifices made to ancestors still occur.
Doing Business in Tanzania
Tanzania’s economy is largely supported by agriculture with four fifths of its economically active population employed in this sector. Much of this farming is subsistence with a small surplus left available for sale. The vast majority of earnings from export come from products such as coffee, cloves and cashews but in recent years, other sectors have become apparent as potential investment opportunities including tourism, energy, financial services, telecommunications and gold production. Recently, steps have been taken in order to liberalise the Tanzanian economy to encourage foreign and domestic private investment. In addition, competition among foreign commercial banks has led to improved efficiency and higher quality of financial services. Taking part in this growing economy requires an understanding of the unique business and social culture of Tanzania.
Part 1 – Working in Tanzania: Working practices in Tanzania
Gender and hierarchy in Tanzanian companies
Working relationships in Tanzania
Part 2 – Doing Business in Tanzania: Business practices in Tanzania
Tanzanian business etiquette (Do’s and Don’ts)
DO show interest in someone’s health and family when you meet them. Greetings are an essential aspect of courtesy.
DO dress conservatively. As a multi-faith country, Tanzanians tend to view immodest dress as a sign of disrespect. If possible, avoid shorts and women should take care to cover their shoulders and backs. Women in business tend to wear skirts and yet it is accepted that foreign women will often wear trousers. Lightweight suits are recommended for formal occasions.
DO bring a small gift when invited to somebody’s home. This is a sign of gratitude and will be appreciated. The situation often dictates what kind of gift is most appropriate but a token from your own culture is usually a safe option.
DON’T bring flowers when visiting someone’s home as they are used to express condolences and therefore may not be appropriate.
DON’T schedule business meetings between the hours of 12.00 and 14.00 as this is when Tanzanians tend to eat lunch.
Tanzanian Culture Quiz – True or False
1. In Tanzania, it is important to be able to control your emotions in public.
2. According to Tanzanian culture, the right hand is used to eat and the left is for receiving gifts.
3. After meals it is common to pass a bowl of water around for washing hands.
4. Mothers are commonly addressed by the name of their oldest child.
5. Pointing your foot in someone’s direction is a sign of respect.
Tanzanian Culture Quiz – Answers
1. True. Keeping control of your temper is very important and overt or excessive displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon, especially in rural areas.
2. False. The right hand is considered ‘clean’ and the left hand ‘unclean’. Therefore all eating and gift giving is done with the right hand as the left is usually considered to be reserved for hygiene purposes.
3. True.
4. True. Usually they are addressed by the name of their eldest son or eldest daughter (if a son has not yet been born). For example, the mother of Msafiri would be called ‘Mama Msafiri’.
5. False. Pointing your foot or shoe at someone is considered impolite. When doing business in Tanzania, take care not to prop your feet on tables or chairs.
Tanzania Today
Although Tanzania is one of the world’s least affluent countries, for the past 20 years it has remained relatively peaceful in comparison with many of its African neighbours. The combination of a shared language and strong leadership with a lack of political or economic dominance by any ethnic group has given Tanzanians a strong sense of cohesion and national pride that is reflected in many Tanzanian practices today. If your organisation is planning to conduct business with Tanzania, it is imperative to understand how traditional systems of social organisation are still of great significance in the daily social and business cultures of Tanzania.
Tanzanian Culture - Key Concepts and Values
Time – The concept of time is quite flexible in Tanzania with even Tanzanians joking about ‘Swahili time’. Not only is punctuality not considered as vital as in some other cultures but time operates based on a 12 hour clock with 1 to 12 representing daylight hours and 1 to 12 again representing the night time hours. The daylight hours start at the hour of sunrise which is 6.00. So 6.00 in English time is 0:00 in Tanzanian time, 7.00 is 1.00, 8.00 is 2.00 and so forth. Equally, 19.00 is also 1.00. Although this may seem confusing at first, as Tanzania is close to the Equator and daylight is usually between these hours, the system does actually make sense.
Unity – Although there are over 120 tribes residing in Tanzania, the common language, Kiswahili, serves to unite Tanzanians so they identify themselves as Tanzanian first and as members of their respective tribes second. This sense of unity is further illustrated by the fact that people with similar ethnic backgrounds, especially those living in the same village, often use familial terms of address such as mother, father, grandfather or sister to refer to one another.
Relationships – Hospitality is an important element of Tanzanian culture and all forms of hospitality are held in high regard. Women will visit other women within their homes whereas men will tend to meet in public places. If you are invited to a Tanzanian home, a small gift is a nice token of friendship. When receiving a gift it is polite to accept it placing the left palm under the right so that your right palm touches the gift first.
Hierarchy – In Tanzanian culture, status is often closely linked to age. The way people greet each other varies depending on their age. Older and other highly respected persons are greeted by the term ‘Shikamoo’ which is followed by the response ‘Marahaba’. Young children are taught to kneel down or kiss the hands of older people when greeting them.
Spirituality – In a nation where death is still a prevalent part of life, ancestors assume an extremely important role in many ethnic groups in Tanzania. Spirits are believed to continue to influence the daily lives of the living and are remembered through various rituals. For example, a small amount of beer is often left in certain locations as an offering. In other situations, ceremonies which include animal sacrifices made to ancestors still occur.
Doing Business in Tanzania
Tanzania’s economy is largely supported by agriculture with four fifths of its economically active population employed in this sector. Much of this farming is subsistence with a small surplus left available for sale. The vast majority of earnings from export come from products such as coffee, cloves and cashews but in recent years, other sectors have become apparent as potential investment opportunities including tourism, energy, financial services, telecommunications and gold production. Recently, steps have been taken in order to liberalise the Tanzanian economy to encourage foreign and domestic private investment. In addition, competition among foreign commercial banks has led to improved efficiency and higher quality of financial services. Taking part in this growing economy requires an understanding of the unique business and social culture of Tanzania.
Part 1 – Working in Tanzania: Working practices in Tanzania
Gender and hierarchy in Tanzanian companies
Working relationships in Tanzania
Part 2 – Doing Business in Tanzania: Business practices in Tanzania
Tanzanian business etiquette (Do’s and Don’ts)
DO show interest in someone’s health and family when you meet them. Greetings are an essential aspect of courtesy.
DO dress conservatively. As a multi-faith country, Tanzanians tend to view immodest dress as a sign of disrespect. If possible, avoid shorts and women should take care to cover their shoulders and backs. Women in business tend to wear skirts and yet it is accepted that foreign women will often wear trousers. Lightweight suits are recommended for formal occasions.
DO bring a small gift when invited to somebody’s home. This is a sign of gratitude and will be appreciated. The situation often dictates what kind of gift is most appropriate but a token from your own culture is usually a safe option.
DON’T bring flowers when visiting someone’s home as they are used to express condolences and therefore may not be appropriate.
DON’T schedule business meetings between the hours of 12.00 and 14.00 as this is when Tanzanians tend to eat lunch.
Tanzanian Culture Quiz – True or False
1. In Tanzania, it is important to be able to control your emotions in public.
2. According to Tanzanian culture, the right hand is used to eat and the left is for receiving gifts.
3. After meals it is common to pass a bowl of water around for washing hands.
4. Mothers are commonly addressed by the name of their oldest child.
5. Pointing your foot in someone’s direction is a sign of respect.
Tanzanian Culture Quiz – Answers
1. True. Keeping control of your temper is very important and overt or excessive displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon, especially in rural areas.
2. False. The right hand is considered ‘clean’ and the left hand ‘unclean’. Therefore all eating and gift giving is done with the right hand as the left is usually considered to be reserved for hygiene purposes.
3. True.
4. True. Usually they are addressed by the name of their eldest son or eldest daughter (if a son has not yet been born). For example, the mother of Msafiri would be called ‘Mama Msafiri’.
5. False. Pointing your foot or shoe at someone is considered impolite. When doing business in Tanzania, take care not to prop your feet on tables or chairs.