November 25 – More than 200 young Dar es Salaam entrepreneurs have set out their stalls at the Kigogo market after Coca-Cola Kwanza completed the structures, which will provide the vendors with opportunities to grow their businesses.

Dar es Salaam’s Regional Commissioner, Amos Makalla, was full of praise for the firm at the handover event in Kigogo, an area previously known as Kigogo Dampo. This came just a few weeks after the subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa built structures at Coco-Beach to support food vendors.

Speaking at the handover and commissioning event, Coca-Cola Kwanza’s Managing Director, Unguu Sulay, said:

“We are here to refresh Tanzanians and make a difference in their lives by creating a more sustainable and better shared future. We are very focused on empowering youth and women and our recent community support aligns perfectly with the government’s efforts to relocate street vendors to more formal areas where they can get further support for growing their businesses.”

Elaborating on the project, Coca-Cola Kwanza’s Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability, Salum Nassor, said

“This modern market, with access to utilities like municipal water and electricity, will incorporate space for food vendors, shops, and a vegetable market, and in the near future will include a facility for the collection of post-consumer PET bottles for sale to recyclers, helping to clean our environment and also creating further employment opportunities.”

Mr Makalla, who was the guest of honour, said:

“The donation came at the right time, when the government is working towards reallocating street vendors to conducive working environments.

“On behalf of the government, I would like to extend our greatest thanks to Coca-Cola Kwanza Limited for coming at the right moment to join government efforts in empowering our citizens economically, targeting women and youth who are a majority group in our country. I call upon other institutions, stakeholders, and non-government organisations to benchmark what Coca-Cola Kwanza Ltd did by working together and supporting the government’s efforts in finding solutions to community challenges.”

The Kigogo market was handed over to Kinondoni Municipal Council and will be managed by the council. The government has undertaken to develop the market further to accommodate more formal space for street vendors.

ENDS