This Week in Tanzanian Tech [Jul 6-12]
Here’s what caught our attention lately:
An AI startup seeking $250K
A new course training Tanzanian professionals to protect digital systems from cyber attacks
The government’s artificial intelligence plan
Plus three brief updates.
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1. Neurotech Simplifies WhatsApp Sales After Street Research
How it started.
Kalebu Gwalugano spent afternoons walking through Kariakoo Market, watching shop owners juggle dozens of WhatsApp conversations while manually tracking payments in paper notebooks.
He also witnessed similar situations in Sinza, Mwenge, and Makumbusho.
These SMEs were drowning in customer messages. spending hours answering basic questions about prices and stock levels.
That street research led Neurotech to build Ghala, a platform that turns WhatsApp chats into structured storefronts where merchants can take orders, collect payments, and track inventory without leaving the conversation.
Removing technical barriers.
Last week, Ghala became an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider.
This eliminates the complicated setup process that previously required merchants to navigate Meta Business Manager dashboards and create developer accounts.
Their new embedded signup flow lets business owners onboard using their existing WhatsApp Business numbers.
The platform processed thousands of transactions across 120+ merchants, generating over 25 million shillings in gross merchandise value within its first month.
Each order automatically captures customer details, matches payments, and sends receipts.
This replacing the manual juggling between WhatsApp, mobile money alerts, and handwritten records.
“We are not building on WhatsApp, we’re building with WhatsApp,” said Kalebu. “Real businesses don't always have websites or laptops, but they do have WhatsApp.”
Raising for expansion.
Neurotech is raising $250,000 in pre-seed funding to scale merchant acquisition and build embedded financial services using the transaction data Ghala captures automatically.
The company plans to partner with banks and insurance providers who can use verified sales data for credit decisions.
The funding will also support expansion across Africa through partnerships with local payment providers rather than obtaining licenses in each country.
Interested investors can contact kalebu@neurotech.africa.
2. Cybergen to Teach Security Testing
Testing locks before burglars arrive.
When banks launch new mobile payment apps or hospitals digitize patient records, they face the same challenge: ensuring their digital systems can withstand attacks from criminals who constantly probe for weaknesses.
Most organizations install security software and hope for the best, but few systematically test whether their defenses actually work.
Cybergen Training addresses this gap starting July 28 with a five-day course that teaches IT professionals to think like attackers.
You’ll legally and systematically find security flaws before criminals do.
Beyond installing antivirus software.
The Certified Penetration Testing Professional program teaches participants to evaluate the same systems Tanzanians use daily.
From banking applications and government websites to hospital networks.
If you participate, you’ll learn to:
Identify weak passwords
Test whether sensitive data is properly encrypted, and
Assess whether systems can resist sophisticated attacks.
This EC-Council certified course covers 14 modules, from testing web applications to evaluating wireless network security.
Participants practice on controlled systems, learning to document vulnerabilities and recommend fixes.
Why now?
As Tanzania’s government and businesses move more services online, the need for security testing expertise grows.
Cybergen has trained cybersecurity professionals across government ministries and private companies for over a decade.
It provides skills that help protect the digital infrastructure citizens increasingly depend on.
The program runs from July 28 through August 1, 2025.
3. National AI Strategy Underway
Building from the ground up.
Conference rooms in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar filled with heated discussions this year as government officials, university researchers, and tech entrepreneurs debated a fundamental question: How should Tanzania approach artificial intelligence?
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Mcommissioned UNESCO to conduct the country’s first comprehensive AI readiness assessment, involving over 240 stakeholders across three regions between February and April 2025.
The findings point to careful planning.
Participants consistently emphasized culturally contextualized AI frameworks that honor Tanzanian traditions rather than importing external models wholesale.
The assessment revealed significant infrastructure gaps—only 31.6% internet penetration and notable rural-urban digital divides—alongside growing technical capabilities at universities like UDSM and NM-AIST.
“Tanzania’s approach prioritizes national values, cultural contextualisation, and inclusive development,” the assessment noted, highlighting strong support for public-private collaboration in AI deployment.
A strategic foundation.
The government already enacted the Personal Data Protection Act in 2022 and developed an AI Policy Framework for healthcare.
The Tanzania AI Community has grown to over 700 members, while only 10% of AI-related postgraduate students are women.
The Ministry plans to finalize the National AI Strategy by early 2026, incorporating stakeholder recommendations for ethical guidelines and implementation roadmaps.
ADDITIONAL HEADLINES
Sahara Sparks Hosts 10th Anniversary Conference September 5-6
The innovation platform will celebrate at Mlimani City.
It’ll launch an impact documentary, host a marketplace where entrepreneurs showcase products, and feature live startup pitches under the “Impact Revisited” theme.
Partners include UNFPA, UN Women, COSTECH, and TSA. You can register at saharasparks.com.
Government Officers Complete AI Training at Investment Authority
Techforward’s Elias Patrick led a practical AI masterclass for 150+ senior officials from TISEZA. They focused on productivity improvements and data analysis applications.
The session was requested by Director General Gilead Teri as part of digital transformation efforts across government institutions.
Women in AI Breakfast (WIAB) Partners with Zanzalu Conference
WIAB’z third edition takes place July 25 from 8am-12pm at Kwetu Kwenu Chill in Fumba Town, Zanzibar.
Registration closes July 23 with limited seating available for the free event focused on AI-driven dialogue and gender-inclusive innovation.
The breakfast runs alongside Zanzalu 2025 conference programming.