This is the outside outlook of the DITF ground which is usually written with a welcoming message such as the 32nd year of the trade fair over the main gate. It has been like this since the 1st year of the event when its second inauguration took place in 1976The first inauguration was held in 1962 a year after the country attained its independence.
The latter gradually withdrew between 1970 and 1980 years respectively when serious work aimed to put the fair at the international scene came into the minds of the government through its organizers. But this was not enough to transform it into what it is today. Products at the DITF enabled the fair not only to have international recognition, but also rendered outsiders to bring in their products for exhibition.
Traffic police officers deployed for security reasons in reception of the country’s Prime Minister, Mr. Mizengo Pinda and his delegation to the fair ground. This was on the third day since the fair started.
The opening ceremonies of the DITF in the past were being graced by neighboring African Presidents, but for the 32nd occasion was graced by Tanzanian Prime Minister Mr. Mizengo Pinda (standing center) who was the guest of hounour during the official opening of the fair ground. The occasion is normally accompanied by giving out certificates of participation as well as other prizes to organizations participating in the fair. Here a representative of the Tanzania Telecommunication Company (TTCL) comes down the stage after he had received a trophy handed to him by the Premier on behalf of his company which had become an overall winner in the ICT category. On the Premier’s left is the Minister for Trade, Industry and Marketing Dr. Mary Nagu while on his right is the BET’s Director General Mr. Ramadhani Khalfani.
Prime Minister Mr. Mizengo Pinda being taken around few pavilion whose organizations won prizes in the fair.
This is the main entrance to the DITF ground that is thronged by show goers as they can be seen off the main road going to Mbagala.
Through this change, it has been for Tanzanians not only to learn from what others are doing, but also to sell what they produce. During the 1970s, the dominant features in the fairs of those days was the presence of parastatals with their exhibited products produced on a collective basis.
The entrance of the DITF grounds is normally decorated with national flags of the countries represented by international companies participating in the fair.
When BET took over the organization of the DITF in 1976, it had a foresight in its mind of changing its character and outlook. BET embarked on the fair grounds improvement and modernization as its first and major strategic work. This included the macadamizing of avenues and increasing the number of pavilions.
As you enter the gate, the first building you come across is the BET pavilion which faces the main gate, and it’s in this pavilion whereby announcements are made now and then to keep people abreast with what is going on. The messages relayed to show-goers are crucial as some are about the recovery of a lost property.
In 1983, the government gave a grant which enabled all streets within the fair grounds to be tarmacked. BET couldn’t however get extra funds to build new pavilions and instead it continued to renovate and made some improvements on the existing ones. To do this drudgery work, it invited and encouraged more private firms to take part in the trade exhibitions. It’s at this point that the epoch of private firms began and their influence in participating in the fair started to be felt.
People lined up to cut their tickets, adults were paying Tshs. 2,000 (US$ 2) while children went in after paying Tshs. 500 (US$ 0.5 cent)
The Saba Saba Trade Fair, as it is now called has over the period grown from a mere domestic exhibition of agricultural produce to an international phenomenon with a wide range of international exhibitions ranging from manufactured products to modern computer soft wares and automobiles. It is quite of this that a new era and global trade was ushered in Tanzania with the beginning of International Trade Fairs organized from a local perspective
Behind BET’s building as you are walking along Taifa Avenue towards PTA hall, extreme left is a large pavilion that houses the University of Dar es Salaam. There were so many people along the street.
Going on its 32nd year now since its second inauguration in 1976, DITF has been enjoying support of the government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Marketing, the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CTI), Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) as well as other institutions. Despite of a strong criticism which has been leveled against DITF’s performance that it’s a place of show casing business merchandise, the exhibitions have made a good number of strides since their establishment 32 years ago. Not only that the fair has been transformed in terms of name, place, ministry, number of participants and nature of business, but also it has changed in terms of structure, scope and exhibited products.
There were some concerts that looked so funny to the people, like in this case, a man who changed his physical appearance and looked like a European was an attraction to the people. You can see him performing a dance while surrounded by people who became interested to look at his performances.
The fair grounds, since inaugurated by the late Mwalimu J.K Nyerere (First Tanzanian President) in 1962, it had 10 days of exhibition with the last day being climaxed on 8th of every July each year. The exhibitions are being held at Mtoni SabaSaba suburb in Temeke district, Dar es Salaam region at a place known as Mwalimu J.K Nyerere Trade Fair grounds. Otherwise known as SabasSaba in Kiswahili language, this is because of the date inherited from Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) to signify the latter’s establishment on July 7th 1954. (TANU is the first political party formed in the then Tanganyika territory which drove the majority of Africans in the struggle of independence). The fair has moved from a mere agricultural exhibition to one dominated by parastatal organizations to an International phenomenon currently driven by the private sector.
These two people had put on their faces and got seated in front of a pavilion selling beer and other drinks. Their presence attracted mostly children who all the time could stand close watching them.
A current show-goer of the DITF would be surprised to learn that the products displayed in those days were agricultural, livestock, natural resources produce and cultural products. These are contrary to what one could see today.
DITF has traveled a long way from a local stage for farmers and livestock keepers to an organ that carries many of Tanzania’s trade aspirations to the wider global horizon. Serious work aimed to put the fair at the international scene was done between 1980 and 1990 with foreign countries participating in large numbers and a variety of goods and services were displayed, and this is enough to transform it into what it is today. Products at the DITF enabled the fair not only to have international recognition, but also has rendered outsiders to bring in their products for exhibition. Since its inauguration, BET has gained a wealth of experience in supporting Tanzanian exporters in their efforts to export more.
These are not people, but rather plastic made to look like people placed at the entrance of the Sahara Communications Limited pavilion. The company brought household materials for exhibition.
The role of BET in promoting Tanzania exports has become even more prominent with the emergence in large numbers of small and medium, entrepreneurs keen to enter export markets. The experiences gained has been instrumented in increasing a large number of foreign enterprises in doing business with Tanzania, since the fair is a recognized and approved event by the Union of International Trade Fairs officially known as the Union Des Foires Internationasles (UFI).
Among the most fascinating things at the DITF are animals like a male lion, leopards, hyena and cheetah. But were also stuffed animals like this one I had time to stand beside it at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion
According to fair organizers, the exhibition hall facilities range from individual own pavilions to large exhibition halls of up to 4,000 meter square gross area. The fair grounds have rentable spaces amounting to about 30,000 meter square net. In addition to the halls/pavilions, open space are available for exhibits requiring outdoor display. The range of exhibit includes the following:- Agricultural products, Food and Beverages, Textile, garments and yarns, Manufactured products and construction materials. Other range of exhibits are Automobiles, Electrical goods and appliances, Chemical and cosmetics, Timber and Furniture, Trade service, Engineering products, Machinery, Information technology, Gifts articles and handicrafts, Consultancy and Training. To make the trade fair active throughout the year, various non-exhibition activities take place. Due to location, size and convenience of the halls, the fair grounds are widely used for social functions such as wedding ceremony, international boxing tournaments, parties, music shows and concerts, religious functions, new products launches and etc.
This is a pavilion belonging to the police force whereby they had enlighted the public on mostly how they take care of the civilian safety in the country. They also showed people various police ranks which starts from a Police constable to Inspector General of Police.
There are several restaurants offering services during the trade fair. Both African and International cuisine are served. In additional to the high class restaurants, there are also middle class restaurants offering mostly local dishes. The DITF has a large car parking lot which is situated outside the fair complex. Although the security for cars is in place, parking is at owner’s risk and owners are charged for using parking spaces. Parking inside the complex for special purposes costs more.
Since independence in 1961, the police force in the country had had eight Inspector Generals who were arranged in order of their seniority as you can see them inside police pavilion. IGP Said Mwema is the current holding a position in the force.
The fair grounds complex in general s being supplied with ample water for various purposes, electricity is in constant supply, pavilions have enough sockets and overhead lighting. Telephone services are found at the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL) pavilions. The company is a regular participant of the fair.
This is the pavilion belonging to the National Kiswahili Council. The council is remembered for the role it played in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, Computer Science department in the development of Kiswahili ICT software in a project known as Kilinux which was established by ICT researchers at the dept of the Computer Science at the University of Dar es Salaam. The first Swahili software was converted from Mozilla Fire fox of the USA and is now workable after it was translated into Kiswahili language.
I visited the place and here is what I can give you as my perspective. You can find pretty things as much as you want and walking around the pavilions is another story altogether. The streets are very narrow and to some areas within, they become so congested to accommodate a large multitude of the people who walks along visiting each pavilion after the other. The exercise makes people becomes tiresome and worrisome even though it’s just a mere look at the majority of the promotional exhibits that is designed to attract potential buyers and curious passerby to see of what local and international entrepreneurs have to offer.
This is a large pavilion named after the first President of Zanzibar, the late Abeid Karume. It’s in this pavilion that most foreign companies and their representatives hired to show case their products
As you enter the DITF grounds, at Karume stadium grounds on your left is the expensive grass thatched Kizota inn. Nothing really happens there during the day except for a few people eating the common African staple food, Ugali with fish or meat and other typical dishes at the restaurant-cum bar. Show goers once are briefed of the types of foods and their prices, they raised complaints about the expensive food sold there. But the real action starts there in the evening when the beer companies kick off their promotions. A crowd of people gather to sip their beers as they enjoy live performers. At that time, Kizota inn turns into a full fledged bar, whether mostly the social elite clad in trendy casual wear. For the beer company is a business, but for the crowds it’s a spot to kick back and relax, catch up with other fair attendees and sway to the music.
The Republic of Kenya had been represented by over 15 companies and had their compartments inside Karume pavilion.
Across from Kizota inn is the Board of External Trade (BET) exhibit facing the gate where music booms from speakers on top throughout the day until the fair closes at 06:00 pm. Apart from music, the speakers outside there are used to air out messages to would be show-goers. Several announcements are made to highlight new things to the people or if sometimes something like a lost property is recovered, or a child is lost and found somewhere alone or anything related to it.
People who had thronged at Kenya pavilion to see what types of goods they had brought with them for the exhibition.
The two roads leading to the grounds’ major activity are clustered by loitering teens, middle aged potential customers and mothers accompanying excitable young children, all donning newly acquired promotional T-shirts and caps from the various exhibits. Indeed, if there is one word to characterize sabasaba. It’s without doubts ‘giveaways’
This is a US Embassy pavilion which had been decorated with well known statue, “Liberty Statue”. It’s one of the great seven wonders of the world. Its height is 112 meters, weighing unconfirmed kilograms. The Liberty Statue which is a well known structure throughout the world is a female gender that is crowned, a MOCI VI. The statue was given to the people of the United States of America by the French government was stationed on its current position in New York city in 1776.
Dar es Salaam is a well situated habour that gives the DITF an advantage as the doorway for international businessmen to access the neighboring interior landlocked African countries that includes Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo. To that effect, the fair also has attracted a significant number of exhibitors from Japan, Spain, Korea, Syria, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among others.
The US government is a great donor to Tanzania’s most development initiatives. Statistics shows that, up to June 2008, the US government has donated about US$ 662 million to the government of Tanzania and out of this, about US$ 400 million were directly donated. The country leads in the fight over famine in the world, and up to now about half of the food donated worldwide comes from USA.
From other countries among the above, who turned up to show case their products, faced with difficulties of a language barrier between them and Tanzanian customers. Many of these international exhibits had neither a translator nor a representative who could speak English or Kiswahili. Despite of these difficulties, still entrepreneurs managed to carry out business with them, this was mostly through stilted conversation and elaborate gesturing.
The US government is the leading donor in the country’s health sector. A Presidential program in the fight to reduce HIV/AIDS spread is a great effort which is being shown by the US government to Tanzania and it aims at fighting against the scourge. In doing this effectively, the US government has contributed the sum of US$ 817.1 million to the government of Tanzania in the fight against HIV/AIDS disease.
All along the street built within the fair grounds, one could come across large multitude of people walking in single file, you may wonder the majority attending the fair are women and young children, but there are also a number of youths some dressed smartly as if on a special outing.
The showcasing of ICT tools was not left behind, computers are tools that speeds up development and stores information. This photo depicts a local firm based in Dar es Salaam that is engaged in the sale of computers and other ICT accessories.
I came across many youths, young ladies and boys who are hired by some companies and many of them had been solicited to perform or dance at various pavilions to attract customers to companies’ outlets. While others seemed to have drawn to the pavilions simply to enjoy the entertainment and might score a fee prize not necessarily to buy anything or subscribe to any service as might be the companies’ intention. I came across that big building constructed along the main Taifa Avenue which this time housed the University of Dar es Salaam pavilion. I saw several books written by senior lecturers that includes a research works and other collections, such as those done by the current Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing, Dr. Mary Nagu, as well as a research work by the current Minister for Livestock and Fishing activities Mr. John Pombe Maghufuli. The pavilion also promoted the Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication and the student’s radio station which transmits from University of Dar es Salaam, Mlimani area.
These are stuffed heads of various animals which had been placed over the walls of a pavilion belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
I moved to the southern side of the fair ground to a place known as Soweto where the majority of eating joints are located. As I moved along with my eight year old daughter who had felt hunger by that time, she asked for food. I decided to look for a nice restaurant but the food available at the fair ranges from low cost to very chic and pricy options. There are a variety of mini-restaurants but you might expect few only with cheaper eateries.
These are school kids of one of the academy schools in Dar es Salaam who were brought along by their teachers for what was termed as a study tour and learn about the fair. They were interested to take a photo while standing near the stuffed lion inside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion.
Everybody who popped in that place became perplexed after being briefed of the menu and the prices of food sold there upon their arrival. It’s in this place whereby people took time to talk about the fair as a place of business. After having taken little food that consisted of fried potatoes as well as drinks, I left the place and on my way I met few other journalists each one of them carried a handbook that signified to me they were at work.
An attendant inside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion standing near a stuffed leopard to make sure that it’s not touched by people or children, despite of the instruction on a paper written in Kiswahili language, ‘Usiguse’ meaning don’t touch.
They were all sweating and as you know walking along the vast compound for a journalist is a usual thing, though they had nowhere to rest down. I thought hurriedly in my mind that it was necessary for the organizers to arrange a special area on which they could build a media center whereby a handful of them who comes for normal coverage would get an easy access to file on their stories to their editors. Imagine with all these buildings around, you can’t find even an internet café.
Looking on with a cheerful face is my 8 year old daughter who spent long hours walking along with me as I take note to few but interesting points about the fair.
Justina Tumbo, a newly recruited journalist with an English daily paper in the city also wondered why the BET does not think of that, however, she goes outside the fair grounds or sometimes travel all the way back to her newsroom and begins writing up a story, an aspect according to her is time wasteful.
This is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion which was busy throughout the day because of many people who had turned up to see what was inside. There were two passages one for entry and exit to control a mass movement of the people inside who thronged the pavilion. Analysts say that, about 80 percent of DITF show goers becomes interested to see animals which are rarely seen in their every day’s life.
Most people were impressed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion that became the most fascinating place to all visitors. It’s here that I took most of my time to learn new things about animals that I can’t have time to narrate in paragraphs or explain into details.
This is not a real human being, rather it’s a statue strategically placed at the entrance to an area temporarily called as an animal zoo of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism where there were animals, birds and reptiles inside a zoo.
At the back of a pavilion, was constructed a temporary passage through which people passed round to see a man made animal zoo, this is an area set apart for the Ministry of Natural Resources to showcase animals of different species ranging from birds, reptiles, and fierce animals like a male lion and a leopard.
These are birds of the flamingo species inside their makeshift cage.
As I passed through the gate entering the zoo, a statue made of a human being was stationed at the gate as though directing people which way should they follow.
People tend to squat down a little bit close to a lion’s makeshift cage while taking photographs for the memory. A cameraman who is not seen focus them while directing his camera where a lion is.
It was made in such a manner that it had carried a small placard on which an arrow was drawn to signify the direction to which people should follow while entering the area. When I entered inside, I saw flamingoes and Ostrich, these were the types of birds brought this time by the Ministry, then there were a monkey and a chimpanzee.
A lady is taking a photograph of a monkey species.
This is another monkey species which was an attraction to the people who visited the place. It had clung on the bars of a makeshift cage when it saw people passing along.
This is a male lion as it moves around but its movement is only confined within its makeshift cage. According to an attendant, a lion eats up to 25 kilograms of fresh meat a day.
Other animals were a lion, a leopard and a hyena, these are predators according to their nature of creation. For reptiles were a number of snakes of different species all placed in one cage that was partitioned. Each one of these was put inside a makeshift cage that people were able to see them from outside through a transparent glass strategically placed to separate them. There was also a python which was left in an open space but its movements were only confined within the cage onto which it was built. A python is the type of a snake that became an attraction to the visitors as it’s rarely seen. It seemed as if almost everybody was for the first time seeing such a creature.
People looking at a python, a snake which was brought and placed at an open space but surrounded inside a makeshift. A python like one here is over 10 feet long.
As I came out of the animal zoo, I head straight back to the Ministry’s pavilion and walked inside of it. There were stuffed animals like a lion, leopard and others stuffed in half way and hanged on the wall off a pavilion house. These were an attraction to the people especially children who took an advantage of taking photographs while standing close to them.
This is a stuffed lion that became an interesting artifact to show-goers inside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pavilion.
My general views in this event might have looked so different from others in terms of thinking and creating ideas, though there might be one who might have had come up with more brilliant ideas, but I don’t know. I actually didn’t see anything new which I had never met in my life before in this event which I could presume to be unique. I thought I could come across something that would probably help cut down the expensive life of an ordinary Tanzanian. But I saw there was none other than being a place of extravagance and expenditure. Could I have come across any technology that would help a mere Tanzanian get out of poverty, then I would have appreciated the move. But nobody or an organization ever came with a new technology to show case and that if applied by Tanzanians would get out of abject poverty. From this point of view, I really felt pity to especially few whom I saw but to my understanding had expected to experience a new change in their life out of this event but virtually gained nothing. With the majority of show goers who are still poor and earn one US Dollar per day, I thought of passing this message to the organizers that, they could change their mind and try to organize the fair whereby people would be allowed to enter free of charge. They could only depend on the amount of money charged from participants which of course is a lot to make it existing. But all that I can judge is that, DIFT is indeed a place of showcasing business merchandises specifically for certain group of people. The organizers, the BET should at least in this era of globalization think in terms of playing round with new technologies that is emerging and which would help our people adopt for their future life.
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