How to start a tech startup in Tanzania

Tech companies have changed the way we search for information and how we connect with friends. Tanzania’s huge population and strategic coastal location makes it perfect to be the place where new startups are created by Tanzanian entrepreneurs who want to tackle new opportunities and to change the way the country operates. Tech startups that favour a mobile element on the consumer side have more than 19.8 million Tanzanian Internet users who could be their customers. What is the tech startup that you want to launch?

Here are my top tips to follow if you want to launch a tech startup in Tanzania

1) Look for a problem and make sure it is a problem: One problem entrepreneurs have is many believe that just because they have a problem means it is a problem for everyone else. You need to make sure that the problem you have found is a problem worth solving and one that consumers care about when it comes to looking for a solution.

2) Spend time creating a memorable name: The success of your startup depends on the name. Choose something memorable that is easy to pronounce in Swahili or English so that many people can remember it. Make sure that your name is original so that many people can remember it.

3) Find customers: One of the most important things you will need to create when you start your tech company is a customer base. Whether you are launching a mobile app in Tanzania or a consumer tech brand, you need customers. You have to obsess about the customer acquisition cost, better known as CAC, in order to find customers who will use your app over and over again. The more repeat customers you have, the easier it is to find new customers because your acquisition costs will decrease.

4)Acquiring capital: One of the most important elements of starting a tech company is access to capital. You can save the money yourself or look for investors. Another low cost way of doing this is working with partners and you all invest time into the startup so you can lower costs.

5)Marketing your startup: The old saying of ‘if you build it they will come’ no longer applies in the world of technology. You need to have a clear cut social media strategy to promote your startup if it targets consumers. If you are creating a tech solution for B2B companies, you need to understand their buying processes and when they open their budgets to purchase goods and services.

With these top tips, you can create a tech startup in Tanzania. Don’t forget that starting your company is the easy part. Building the technology, finding customers and growing your startup are just some of the things you need to do after starting. Are you ready to launch and grow? Let me know.