Today, we spotlight: a poultry management app, vehicle breakdown prediction system, and tech policy changes.
You’ll also find seven additional headlines worth your attention.
For Your Calendar
The Zanzibar Tech & Investment Summit returns July 3-5. Speakers include founders from SenjaroPay, WAGA Motion, and BitcoinSafariTz. Events span startup pitches, AI masterclasses, an RnB/Afrobeats networking night, and dhow sailing trips.
1. Primax Launches Poultry App After 800 Farmers Use Cost Calculator
The planning problem.
Primax co-founder Brayan Kimaro started raising broiler chickens three years ago without understanding total costs.
After two months, his birds were underweight and unprofitable, leading to debt and the difficult decision to sell off the flock.
This experience in Arusha led Primax to create the Fuga Calculator. It’s a free web tool helping farmers estimate expenses before starting operations.
Since January, 800+ farmers downloaded budget projections for flocks ranging from 100 to 10,000 birds.
A startup idea tested cheaply.
The calculator’s success showed farmers needed more than cost estimates.
They needed ongoing management tools.
So, Primax developed the full Fuga mobile application tracking feed consumption based on actual flock size and telling farmers exactly when supplies will finish.
What Fuga does.
Input 250 chickens and 4 bags of feed, and Fuga calculates duration while sending alerts before depletion.
The system tracks vaccination schedules, daily expenses, and mortality rates instead of scattered notebooks and WhatsApp messages.
Early results.
Over 100 agri-businesses downloaded the app since launch last week, with users reporting less feed waste through precise tracking.
The pre-launch wait-list attracted 8 times more signups than expected, while poultry farm-owners are actively submitting feedback through the company’s website to improve features.
Market validation.
Tanzania produces 95.6 million chicks annually and exports 2.7 million birds to 10 African countries, generating foreign exchange in a sector that agritech startups typically ignore in favor of crop farming.
With 78% of Tanzania’s farmers raising chickens and poultry serving as the main protein source in the national diet, digital management tools can address business needs across millions of farming sites.
2. CTRLX Develops Early Warning System for Vehicle Breakdowns
From personal frustration.
Elisha Bulalu’s BMW developed recurring faults almost every two weeks.
Mechanics charged him 400,000 shillings for “programming” repairs they couldn’t explain.
The constant breakdowns and vague diagnoses pushed the programmer (Elisha) to build his own vehicle diagnostic system.
And eventually creating CTRLX.Africa: a fleet management platform that reads internal vehicle data to predict failures before they happen.
Beyond basic tracking.
CTRLX connects directly to vehicle computer systems through diagnostic ports.
It extracts real-time data on engine performance, fuel consumption, and fault codes that basic GPS trackers miss.
The system identifies specific problems like failing sensors or engine stress patterns weeks before breakdowns occur.
Tanzania’s transport sector, which processes licenses for over 49,000 goods-carrying vehicles annually, relies heavily on reactive maintenance rather than predictive analytics.
Bulalu’s platform now monitors diverse vehicle types from TATA trucks to Caterpillar equipment.
Safety imperative.
The recent (June 28) Same district accident that killed 38 people after a bus tire burst highlights gaps in vehicle monitoring systems.
While LATRA’s vehicle tracking system (VTS) monitors over 5,000 intercity buses for speed violations, it cannot predict mechanical failures like tire deterioration or engine problems that cause accidents.
World Bank data shows 270,000 annual road deaths across Africa, many from mechanical failures and driver fatigue.
Commercial development.
CTRLX currently operates pilot programs with logistics companies while building features for dispatch management, maintenance scheduling, and automated service alerts.
The platform addresses operational challenges where fleet managers track vehicles across multiple spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups.
It closes communication gaps that delay responses to mechanical problems and route changes.
Tanzania eliminated import duties on electronic fiscal devices (EFD), smart cards, and optical fiber cable materials in its 2025/26 budget.
This reduces costs for businesses purchasing revenue accounting equipment and telecommunications infrastructure.
The government cut EFD import duties from 10% to 0% and removed the 25% duty on smart cards used for national identification. It directly lowers technology acquisition costs for companies and government agencies.
Digital transaction discounts.
Businesses now charge 16% VAT instead of 18% on online sales to customers, provided the customer confirms payment invoice accuracy.
This 2-percentage-point reduction aims to shift consumers from cash payments to digital transactions.
Hence supporting the government’s three-year digital financial services strategy while improving tax compliance through electronic payment records.
New revenue streams.
The government introduced annual fees targeting digital platforms: Sh200,000 for local music streaming companies and Sh2 million for foreign platforms like Spotify operating in Tanzania.
Online marketplace and network marketing platforms now fall under expanded “online intermediation services” taxation.
Money transfer services outside traditional banks face new 10% excise duties.
Revenue collection impact.
Electronic fiscal devices and integrated information systems contributed to domestic revenue collection reaching 15.8% of GDP in 2024/25, with the government targeting 16.7% for 2025/26.
Finance minister Mwigulu Nchemba specifically credits “appropriate use of modern integrated ICT system” as a significant factor in revenue growth.
What we see.
Tanzania has created incentives for technology infrastructure while expanding its tax base to capture digital economy revenues.
The approach reduces barriers for essential tech imports and ensures digital businesses contribute to government coffers.
This shows the dual role of technology as both economic enabler and revenue source in the country’s development strategy.
FUNGUO Green Catalyst Applications Close August 15
The forestry-focused funding window targets enterprises in Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma, and Lindi regions.
Up to Sh100 million is available per venture. And 40% of funding is reserved for women-led businesses.
Meanwhile, FUNGUO teams are conducting outreach visits to connect with local entrepreneurs ahead of the August deadline.
Selcom’s duka.direct Adds Cooking Gas and Car Parts Delivery
The e-commerce platform now serves automotive and energy needs alongside grocery shopping and restaurant orders.
You can also pay utility bills for LUKU, DAWASA, and DStv through the same app.
duka.direct covers over 1,000 products across 25+ categories throughout Dar es Salaam. Payment options include mobile money and cash-on-delivery.
FUNGUO Hosts Weekly Application Webinars Through July
The innovation program has announced virtual information sessions every Tuesday (Jul 1, 8, and 15) at 4PM.
It aims to guide startup applicants through funding requirements and eligibility criteria.
FUNGUO has supported over 2,200 startups (61 being investees) since 2021.
Their combined efforts have helped create nearly 5,000 jobs through EU, UK, and Finland-backed funding streams.
ITRACOM Group Opens Tanzania Subsidiary
The Burundi-based company has officially launched a Dodoma fertilizer plant with projected capacity of one million tonnes annually.
Operating quietly since 2022, the subsidiary employs 1,500 people with plans to expand to 3,000 workers.
Presidents Samia and Ndayishimiye inaugurated the cross-border agricultural investment on June 28.
School Conducts AI Training for Teachers
Rightway covered practical tools for lesson planning, assessment, and adaptive learning.
Educators participated in hands-on workshops where they built AI-powered teaching resources. They also reviewed case studies from schools using modern tech to improve student performance.
The June 25 session addressed ethical considerations and data privacy protection strategies for classroom AI implementation.
Entrepreneurship World Cup Applications Close for $1.5 Million Competition
The global startup competition attracted thousands of participants from hundreds of countries.
Dozens of Tanzanian entrepreneurs applied for the program, which takes winners to pitch at BIBAN 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
The competition provides mentorship access, investor connections, and support for international expansion across AI, DeepTech, and SpaceTech sectors.
Muhimbili Introduces Alternative to Fibroid Surgery
Tanzanian doctors have developed a new procedure that treats non-cancerous growths in the uterus.
They use tiny particles to block blood flow to the tumors.
This technique achieved 97.3% success rates across 38 patients in three years at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH).
Women can now avoid removing their uterus entirely while preserving their ability to have children.
MNH’s procedure also has faster after-recovery times compared to traditional surgical operations for this common reproductive health condition.
