Investment

Women in Business: Tanzania’s Female Entrepreneurs Changing the Game

 

Across Tanzania—from Dar es Salaam to rural towns—women are rising as business leaders. They're creating successful ventures, lifting communities, and rewriting traditional gender roles. These are stories of heart, courage, and creativity—and a roadmap for anyone seeking inspiration.

Let’s meet these trailblazers, explore community investment models, and see how Tanzanian women are reshaping business.

 

1. Susan Mashibe: Taking Flight with Aviation

Born in Kigoma in 1973, Susan Mashibe dreamed of the skies. She studied aviation and engineering in the U.S., then returned home to start VIA Aviation. In 2003, she launched Tanzania’s first private jet services—providing refueling, catering, logistics, and more. Today, her company handles official aircraft for heads of state and global executives in East Africa. Her success shows that women can break into tough, male-dominated fields. 

 

2. Ann Kihengu: Lighting Up Villages with Solar

At just 26, Ann Kihengu started Prian, distributing solar lamps and phone chargers to rural Tanzania. Working with D.Light, she created a network of young women as solar distributors who traveled between villages. Her initiative not only brought clean light to families but also offered real income and entrepreneurship training. Her distribution model became a lifeline for many communities. 

 

3. Victoria Kisyombe: Micro-Leasing for Widows

After losing her husband, Victoria Kisyombe—a veterinary scientist—founded Selfina in 2002. This micro‑leasing company offers small, low-interest loans to widows and young women who lack collateral. With her support, thousands of women have started businesses—buying livestock, tools, or working capital. She’s been honored globally for empowering women through finance. 

 

4. Women in Digital Fintech: Laina Finance & Mipango

Tanzania’s fintech world is getting stronger thanks to women-led startups. Laina Finance creates flexible loans and credit specifically designed for women and youth, many of whom lack formal collateral. Mipango Finance, founded by Lilian Makoi, developed a financial literacy app for women. Their gender-aware design helps close the finance gap and empowers digital independence. 

 

5. Umoja Group Ventures: Recycling Industry by Hellena Sailas

Hellena Sailas is the founder of Arena Recycling Industry, a business turning waste into building materials. With support from the FUNGUO investment program and others, she doubled her production and now recycles hundreds of tons monthly, employing many women in clean energy and eco‑jobs. Her work demonstrates how women-led businesses can tackle economy and environment at once. 

 

6. Agribusiness & Community Funds: The Her Money, Her Life Model

CARE Tanzania’s Her Money, Her Life project empowers smallholder women tea farmers through collective investment models. Nearly 30,000 farmers (80% women) joined savings groups (VSLAs), pooling capital to invest in specialty tea production and market access. Women like Sarah Ruben from Usambara mountains lifted their farms into organized spice cooperatives, gaining fair prices and community respect. 

 

7. Fashion & Media Innovators: Branding with Purpose

• Fatma Mussa founded Wazi Wazi Fashion, blending traditional fabrics with modern design. She employs over 50 women and sells locally and internationally, preserving craft and sparking jobs. 
• Amina Ibrahim runs Kipepeo Media, producing digital content on women’s health and rights. Her media platform has reached hundreds of thousands, giving women a voice and visibility in East Africa.

 

8. Digital Entrepreneurs: Instagram to Success

Women like Agnes Kinyami began selling fashion online via Instagram. With just a smartphone and styling talent, she built a following of over 30,000 and opened her own shop in Dar es Salaam. Similarly, Anastasia Newman launched an aromatherapy brand online, growing a business without ever renting a store. These digital-first ventures show how e-commerce democratizes opportunities. 

 

9. Tourism with Local Impact: Women Leading Safari Camps

At Tanzania’s Dunia Camp in the Serengeti, women now fill every role—from ranger to camp manager. Led by Angel Namshali, this all-female safari camp challenges stereotypes and creates career pathways in a male-dominated sector. It’s not just a tourist lodge—it’s a social experiment in empowerment. 

 

10. Support Systems: Clinics, Clubs, and Finance Hubs

Change doesn’t happen alone. Women’s groups, training clinics, and finance networks are vital:

• Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) held a national Financial Services Clinic in 2025 to boost financial literacy and connect women to credit and training. More than 250 women attended from across the country. 
• The Cherie Blair Foundation’s Business Women program trained hundreds of female entrepreneurs in Tanzania—with 92% reporting sales growth, and 70% improving children’s education thanks to increased incomes. 

In addition, Government and IFC’s Anaweza: She Can initiative launched in 2023 to support women-led businesses across sectors like agribusiness, tech, and tourism. 

 

How These Women Are Changing the Game

✹ Closing Gender Gaps

From aviation to honey farming, women are entering sectors once considered men-only. Their success shows that with the right tools, they can lead and innovate.

✹ Community Impact

Many of these businesses are not solo ventures—they employ dozens, train peers, and reinvest. Selfina helps widows; Arena recycles waste and employs women; digital entrepreneurs inspire youth.

✹ Creative Financing Models

Micro-leasing, village savings groups, fintech loans—these tools help women start without needing collateral. Brands like Selfina and Laina Finance offer practical models that other countries can copy.

✹ Tech and Social Media as Equalizers

Instagram, mobile payment platforms, and e-learning mean women don’t need big capital to begin. They just need visibility and consistent effort.

 

Tips for Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs

1. Start small: A smartphone and social media can launch a business.
2. Join savings groups or VSLA: Pooled funds help with startup capital.
3. Seek mentorship and training: TWCC clinics, UN Women, Cherie Blair programs offer support.
4. Build community impact: Hire local women or source materials locally to grow together.
5. Be persistent: Few success stories were overnight—most took years of hard work.

 

Challenges Still Ahead

• Access to capital remains limited. Although impact funds exist, traditional banks still require collateral.
• Balancing roles: Many women entrepreneurs manage family duties along with business—requiring resilience and reliable networks.
• Cultural expectations: In some regions, starting a business may conflict with gender norms.

But initiatives like UNCDF’s gender-intentional fintech and VC models are closing those gaps bit by bit. 

 

These Tanzanian women aren’t just running businesses—they’re rewriting the rules. From flying jets to building spice cooperatives, from solar lamps in villages to recycled bricks for homes—their stories show bold creativity, resilience, and real change.

Their growth doesn’t just uplift themselves. It lifts families, communities, and regions. They show that women-led businesses are not just good—they’re transformative.

So whether you're in Tanzania or rooting from afar, celebrate these women. Share their stories. Support their brands. And remember: change often starts with one bold woman and one good idea.