I wake up to a sunny morning in Dar es Salaam, the six-million-strong coastal metropolis of Tanzania, and soak in the atmosphere of the last day before flying back home to Dubai.
Why am I here? Last year, we added six African countries to our website, where we began offering our services to ambitious entrepreneurs who decided to start a business in Africa. I am here to meet and strengthen cooperation with our partners in Tanzania who help us provide our services. For us at Benson Formations, the year 2025 is the Year of Africa, and we are very pleased that we can contribute to promoting this continent and its development with our services.
My journey began in Zanzibar, where I had the honour of attending the Vladimir Ekart Life and Work Mastery seminar (www.vladimirekart.cz) together with other amazing people. As a guest, Ms. Henda Pretorius from South Africa, a platinum coach under the world-renowned coach Tony Robbins (www.tonyrobbins.com), was invited to speak about relationships—not only romantic ones, but also family and business relationships—which was very interesting and broadened my horizons. Did you know, for example, that there are five languages of love? (i) love expressed in words, (ii) through physical touch, (iii) by spending quality time together, (iv) by giving each other gifts, and (v) by giving attention, even through small acts of service that one partner does for the other? The unforgettable two weeks were very inspiring and I feel that the new experiences and knowledge have helped me grow as a person.
Next, I moved to Dar es Salaam, the pulsing commercial center of Tanzania. Christians and Muslims live together in tolerant harmony, all speaking the common language Swahili—a good example for other countries to show that peaceful coexistence is possible. I felt safe in the city wherever I went. An unpleasant incident was that an ATM at a shopping center “swallowed” my card, but I asked for the ATM to be opened and the card returned, and the next day I had it back in my hands, without any paperwork or official red tape requests. I’m not sure if that would be possible in Europe.
Tanzania, apart from Zanzibar—which is a popular holiday destination—is not as well-known as, for example, Kenya or South Africa, but it has much to offer. It has 22 national parks, with the world-famous Serengeti certainly among them, it borders as many as eight countries, making it an important crossroads in East Africa. This gives the country—aside from its safety—a further advantage in attracting foreign investments in rapidly developing sectors such as logistics, tourism, mining and manufacturing.
What I had only suspected and read about before arriving, I experienced and saw with my own eyes. Africa has a great potential and unlike Europe, it has a young population that is driving its dynamic development. I must confess that I have become a fan of Tanzania, and I believe that I will return soon, not only for business, but also for holidays, to the Serengeti for a safari and to Zanzibar for a kitesurfing school.
Asante sana, thank you very much Tanzania, and see you soon.
Dar Es Salaam, 08.03.2025
MV
