Deputy Executive Secretary of the Planning Commission responsible for Business and Innovation, Dr Blandina Kilama (centre, in blue suit), and Stanbic Bank Tanzania Chief Executive Officer, Manzi Rwegasira (second left), listen to a local entrepreneur sharing views on product quality and challenges in accessing export markets during the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) graduation exhibition held in Dar es Salaam. PHOTO | SAID KHAMIS
The Biashara Summit is a new platform that would connect Tanzanian SMEs with corporate and government supply chains, fostering skills development, compliance, quality improvement, and market access, while promoting local entrepreneurship and regional economic integration under AfCFTA
Dar es Salaam. Over 180 Tanzanian entrepreneurs graduated from the Supplier Development Programme (SDP) during the inaugural Biashara Summit, held at the Hyatt Regency.
The event marked a key milestone in efforts to integrate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into national and regional supply chains.
The SDP, supported by Stanbic Bank, aims to bridge the gap between the drive of local entrepreneurs and the standards required by corporate and government procurement.
Over several months, participants received training in financial management, tax and labour compliance, quality control, and formal business practices. Many have already begun piloting their products and services.
A special track, delivered in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), focused on 50 women-led agribusinesses. These entrepreneurs received targeted support in food processing, packaging, and certification.
“Over 90 per cent improved product quality and safety, and many are pursuing Tanzania Bureau of Standards certification,” said the Head of Programmes at GAIN, Dr Winfrida Mayila. Notable innovations include sugar-free porridge, fortified children’s foods, and banana-waste honey.
Gracing the event, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Planning Commission, Dr Blandina Kilama, congratulated the graduates, urging them to remain compliant with national standards and regulations.
“This is not luck—it’s preparation meeting opportunity,” she said, encouraging businesses to scale up from microfinance to commercial and development finance.
A high-level panel called for stronger local-content policies, streamlined bureaucracy, and improved regional market access through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ambassador Mindy Kasiga from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored Tanzania’s strategic location in East Africa, urging entrepreneurs to leverage it for wider market reach.
Private-sector leaders, including TPSF CEO Raphael Maganga, highlighted that up to 75 per cent of operational costs are in procurement, making local sourcing critical for job creation and value retention.
For entrepreneurs, the graduation symbolises both recognition and a launchpad.
For Tanzania, it strengthens value chains, boosts employment, and supports the journey toward a trillion-dollar economy.
