To some extent, many young people have very good GPAs because they attend university, but what they lack is soft skills. These are critical for building businesse.
Dar es Salaam . Universities and lecturers play a critical role in equipping young Tanzanians with the creativity, collaboration and soft skills necessary to succeed in the country’s growing start-up ecosystem.
These remarks were made by Sahara Ventures CEO Jumanne Mtambalike during the opening of Tanzania Start-up Week 2025, where he addressed investors, innovators and key sector stakeholders.
Mr Mtambalike emphasised that academic success alone is not enough for entrepreneurial growth.
“To some extent, many young people have very good GPAs because they attend university, but what they lack is soft skills. These are critical for building businesses,” he said.
He stressed the importance of collaboration, urging young entrepreneurs to find co-founders, view others as partners rather than competitors, and learn to accept constructive feedback.
“Innovation hubs, accelerators and incubators play a key role in bridging skills gaps,” he added, noting that many start-ups still rely on mentors for basic skills such as pitching, presenting and communicating with confidence.
Mr Mtambalike also called on educational institutions to cultivate creativity and critical thinking. “We want students to brainstorm, associate ideas, reframe problems and share opinions without fear of criticism,” he said.
Founding Partner at BANKABLE (T) Limited, Ivan Tarimo, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between institutions and start-ups. He urged public and private institutions to report annually on their engagement with innovators to scale support and formalise innovation.
On Tanzania’s roadmap to a $1 trillion economy by 2030, Tarimo emphasised investing in human capital. “If you pick three strategic priorities, one must be people and skills,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at MUHAS, Prof Bruno Sunguya, noted the transformative impact of student-led initiatives, while Coordinator at the National Digital Technology Institute, Dr Selemani Arthur, highlighted government investments in ICT infrastructure and capacity building to prepare students for the digital economy.
By combining policy, infrastructure and applied training, Dr Arthur said the government aims to provide a practical platform for the next generation of innovators.
