This Week in Tanzanian Tech [May 18-24, 2025]
WAGA unveils power banks, Tanzania drafts AI strategy, and 12 new tech jobs
We’re back with the latest from Tanzania’s technology ecosystem.
This edition features:
Private tech parties becoming the new venue for major product reveals
Three AI strategies
Multiple companies posting job openings across fintech, software development, and banking
Along with seven additional updates.
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1. EV Startup Unveils Power Bank Platform
Here’s what happened.
WAGA Motion demonstrated its upcoming power bank rental solution at an exclusive founder and friends meetup on May 19 in Dar es Salaam.
About twenty ecosystem players attended the invite-only event where CEO Gibson Kawago revealed the company’s expansion beyond EV charging into mobile device power solutions.
The platform.
Each machine holds 16 power banks with advertising screens on top, creating dual revenue streams for venue owners.
Users download an app, scan QR codes, pay through mobile money, and return devices at any participating location.
The system supports all phone types with USB-A, USB-C, and Lightning cables, targeting restaurants and bars in high-income districts first.
“We are targeting places like restaurants, nightclubs, and public places,” Kawago explained during the gathering.
“We also have bigger machines with larger screens for high-traffic areas like concerts and shopping malls.”
Fact.
WAGA Motion offers three partnership models. You can:
Receive monthly rent payments for hosting machines
Split advertising revenue when displaying WAGA’s ads on the screens
Buy the machines, pay software subscription, and keep all advertising revenue
What’s ahead?
The platform launches soon in upscale venues before expanding to wider market segments and institutions nationwide.
The move diversifies WAGA Motion’s revenue beyond EV infrastructure while leveraging Tanzania’s mobile money adoption for seamless transactions.
2. Tanzania Releases Draft AI Strategy Targeting Ten Economic Sectors
First, some context.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) has released a National AI Strategy draft.
It is targeting AI adoption across ten strategic areas including digital government, healthcare, agriculture, financial services, and tourism.
The 87-page document sets Tanzania's vision as becoming “a leading AI hub in Africa.”
While Kenya’s draft strategy focuses on AI model development and research centers, and the US government pursues “global AI dominance” through massive spending, Tanzania chose immediate business enablement over long-term research or geopolitical competition.
The sectoral approach.
The strategy identifies specific AI applications for each sector.
In healthcare, AI will assist disease diagnosis and drug discovery while providing personalized treatment plans.
Agriculture gets AI for crop yield prediction, pest detection, and precision farming.
The financial sector will use AI for fraud detection, credit scoring, and regulatory compliance monitoring.
Government services will deploy AI for citizen service delivery and resource management.
Fact.
OpenAI’s proposal to the Trump administration recommends over $50 billion in annual AI infrastructure spending to maintain technological supremacy, while Tanzania’s entire approach costs a fraction and prioritizes local business development over global competition.
Next steps.
MCIT is collecting public feedback through stakeholder workshops.
Implementation will follow a phased approach starting with policy development and data center investments, followed by pilot projects in priority sectors before full-scale deployment.
3. TGDC Advances Five Projects Worth $916 Million
Here’s the pipeline.
Tanzania’s geothermal company has unveiled details of five strategic projects totaling 200MW capacity across four regions.
They represent $916 million in combined investment opportunities.
The projects span from 5MW binary plants suitable for direct industrial use to 70MW facilities targeting grid-scale power generation.
The development stages.
All five projects completed detailed exploration and environmental impact assessments, with several obtaining drilling permits and EIA certificates.
Ngozi Geothermal in Mbeya leads with 70MW planned capacity and $336 million investment, while Kiejo-Mbaka targets 60MW for $288 million.
Smaller projects include 5MW facilities at Songwe and Luhoi, each requiring $32 million investment and designed for both power generation and direct heat applications.
“The projects aim to contribute to the energy generation mix and increase the renewable energy uptake into the country’s energy system,” according to TGDC project documentation.
Fact.
TGDC structures all projects for Public-Private Partnership or Independent Power Producer financing.
Hence, creating opportunities for private sector participation in Tanzania's geothermal development.
What’s ahead?
Ngozi begins its three-well drilling program in June 2025.
Reliable geothermal power could enable Tanzania’s tech sector expansion by providing stable electricity for manufacturing, data processing, and digital infrastructure operations.
ADDITIONAL HEADLINES
Ennovate Launches Mwanza Startup & SME Meetup Series
The first session is scheduled for May 30 at Olympic Building in Tanzania’s second-largest city.
It will feature keynote speakers and panel discussions focused on business growth from 4 to 7 pm.
Swahilies Co-founder Launches Cap Brand with Social Mission
The fintech executive announced Cap for Impact (C4I) on May 24.
They're taking pre-orders for TZS 25,000 caps that donate 20% of profits to girls’ education and youth mental health.
C4I targets delivery within one week and operates with an 80% women team.
Medikea Nominated for Award
The Tanzanian health-tech startup received a nomination for African Health Brand of the Year 2025 on May 23.
Public voting runs until June 18 through a dedicated online platform.
Tanzania Startup Association Completes India VC Study Mission
TSA officials joined representatives from the Ministry of Finance, CMSA, TRA, and TIC for a recent learning trip to India’s venture capital market.
The delegation studied India’s Fund-of-Funds model and regulatory frameworks.
The goal? To inform Tanzania’s upcoming VC/PE regulations and design of the Tanzania Venture Capital Fund (TVCF).
Beem Engineers Judge School Hackathon
The communication platform sent two software engineers to serve as judges at Moringa School’s technology competition on May 24.
Engineers Mureri Ntwiga and Abdallah Maawy evaluated student projects featuring AI and modern technologies.
Participants demonstrating real-world problem-solving skills during the one-day event.
LP Digital Academy Receives NACTVET Certification
The digital skills training provider announced on May 23 that it received full registration status from Tanzania’s National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
LP Digital Academy can now offer nationally recognized certificates in 10 areas.
These include coding, AI, digital marketing, and UX/UI design, after reaching over 20,000 youth and women since 2018.
Tech and Finance Companies Post New Job Openings
AzamPesa announced applications for a Merchants Manager role in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar with a May 25 deadline.
Ellipsis Digital opened three software engineer positions for property management and point-of-sale platforms.
TRI continues recruiting for a Corporate Finance Manager in Dar es Salaam for e-mobility operations.
KCB Bank launched recruitment for eight graduate trainee positions across nine Tanzanian cities, accepting applications until June 2.
For real, I so excited and impressed with the AI strategy framework.
The country has shown quick response, informing and even calling for natives to dive deep in AI,
This has been well and nice since ever, where we have been lagging behind technology adoption.
For, real am proud and thanks for sharing....