Food vendors' digital registration underway

Dar es Salaam. Tiva, a locally registered technology-oriented company, is launching a nationwide initiative to establish an extensive digital database encompassing all food vendors in Tanzania.

The initiative is being carried out in partnership with the Association of Food Vendors in Tanzania (Chabamata), with the primary objective of empowering food vendors to overcome the daily challenges.

Chabamata, which was officially registered by the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2022, is keen on extending its registration to encompass members countrywide.

The association's chairperson, Anastazia Lyakura, stated that their intention is to unite all food vendors in Tanzania, enabling them to access business opportunities and overcome associated challenges, including securing business capital, health insurance, and many other needed services.

Speaking with The Citizen earlier this week in Dar es Salaam, Lyakura announced that the registration process will commence this week at the ward, district, and regional levels.

Aziz Mussa, the Secretary General of Chabamata, also shared insights into the challenges faced by food vendors, including customer harassment, delayed payments for services, fluctuating rental costs, and, at times, landlords forcing them to vacate their premises.

Fadhili Makundi, the facilitator of Chabamata, emphasized that the association aims to unite all food service providers, encompassing vegetable and cereal vendors, as well as cooks.

Once the database is complete, Chabamata members will be readily identifiable and locatable, which can help them secure capital from financial institutions and provide assistance to those in need, including facilitating negotiations for essential supplies if someone lacks the means to cook.

Makundi further disclosed that Chabamata would collaborate with Tiva, with members purchasing registration vouchers priced at Sh1,000 each to gain access to the database.

Joshua Mhingo, the Managing Director of Tiva, commented that in today's rapidly evolving globalized landscape, where the embrace of the digital economy is becoming a necessity, comprehensive data is indispensable. It serves as the bedrock for both small and large businesses, facilitating informed decision-making, streamlining operations, enhancing customer service, and bolstering data security.

Mhingo said that the process of registering all food vendors and entrepreneurs nationwide would span a period of up to three months. He elaborated that Tiva has entered into agreements with a multitude of community organizations, collectively representing over 15 million members. Leveraging one of their AI technologies, Tiva is poised to construct a world-class database within the three-month timeline.

Mhingo also emphasized that the formalization of food vendors would grant them opportunities such as transitioning from traditional cooking methods that produce harmful smoke to accessing convenient pay-as-you-go cooking gas kits or, upon verification, gaining easy access to credit through Tiva's network of financial partners. Additionally, formalization will provide improved access to healthcare through health insurance.