Tanzania is a warm and friendly country for expats but not without the possibility of daily adventures and challenges. You’ll know you’re an expat in Tanzania when:

1. Hamna Shida
Many people are familiar with the Swahili phrase “hakuna matata” meaning “no worries”. “Hamna Shida” is phrase more commonly used in Tanzania for the same meaning, and life is much less stressful if you truly believe it when you say it.

 

2. Greetings
A simple “hello” is not going to cut it in Tanzania. People take time to greet each other and once you get to know each other the greetings will become less formal and might include many different variations of local handshakes and hugs. No kisses on the cheek!

 

3. Business attire
Tanzanians dress conservatively. For women, often dresses or skirts below the knee, closed toe shoes and definitely no shoulders exposed. For men, ties and sometimes suit jackets or a “Nyerere” safari suit are common – hard for an expat to pull off that style!

 

4. Formal meetings
Meetings will often be very formal and hierarchical, and might include opening speeches and lots of photos, and may take time to get to the heart of negotiations and decisions. As an expat it will take time for you to earn the trust of your Tanzanian colleagues, so it is best to go with the flow and don’t try to rush the process. Remember “hamna shida”!

 

5. Tea
Meetings in Tanzania are rarely held without delicious local tea and the local brand of instant coffee “Africafe”. Tanzania produces very good coffee but it is mostly for export so if you are a coffee drinker you may have to seek out a true coffee shop to get your fix.

 

6. Small African Bites
The first time I saw a Tanzanian meeting agenda with the item “10:30 am – small African bites” I was a bit concerned we might be making an unplanned visit to the famous Serengeti before lunch time. In addition to plenty of tea and Africafe, at your meetings there will likely be the chance to sample some local “chakula” (food) at the morning, lunch and afternoon meeting breaks. You will likely get to try some hot food in the morning (“small African bites”) like samosas, chapati, sweet potato and maybe even chicken wings.

 

7. Road travel
Distances on a map in Tanzania can be deceiving with traffic jams, accidents and poor road conditions, rainy season, etc. Take your time and enjoy the amazing roadside markets, bus stops and activities. I have a favourite spot to stop for samosas in Chalinze and you will probably find your own.

 

8. Fridays
Dar es Salaam traffic is always bad, and especially at Friday prayer times downtown where there are many mosques.

 

9. Public transport options
The Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit system just began operations in May 2016 and is still working out the kinks, the “dala dala” minibuses are overcrowded and unsafe, the bajaji auto rickshaws are dangerous and riding a bike is not a wise choice. Using trusted taxis and careful planning of your day will likely keep you moving.

 

10. Internet challenges
High speed internet is not available in some places outside of Dar es Salaam. That being said, Tanzanians are very innovative with the use of mobile technology (the M-PESA mobile phone banking technology was invented in East Africa) and solutions for accessing mobile internet are available, just ask your local colleagues what they use. Remember: “hamna shida” (maybe tell your home office and family and friends back at home the meaning of that word too).

 

11. Email
Partly because of internet woes, keep your emails short and follow up by phone or text message or what’s app or all of the above.

 

12. Nyama choma
Cuisine in mainland Tanzania is not very spicy or exotic (head to Zanzibar for amazing spice and seafood), but the barbecued meat called “nyama choma” can be really good. Ask a local friend what their favourite place is and make sure it is fresh. If it is your first time having goat, don’t overdo it or you may have a goat hangover the next day!

 

13. Cultures and tribes
As an expat you will have the opportunity to have many safari adventures in the famous national parks or perhaps climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and of course enjoying the fabulous Indian Ocean beaches in Zanzibar and other places. But don’t miss out on the cultural tourism opportunities to learn about the diverse range of tribes (there are over 120 tribes in Tanzania) and cultures. There are several cultural village tours especially in the Arusha region. Your work colleagues will appreciate that you’ve taken the time to learn about Tanzanian cultures, and added benefit is that the profits stay in the local village community.

 

Special for ELM – guest writer Katie Orr

Have you already read what’s it like to be an expat in Australia?

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