By Business Insider Reporter
Yas Tanzania is investing TSh300 billion to expand fibre connectivity to homes and businesses across Zanzibar, putting significant private-sector capital behind the islands’ rapidly growing digital economy.
President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has welcomed the investment, while challenging the technology sector to go beyond expanding connectivity and translate digital innovation and infrastructure into measurable economic results.
The landmark investment, being implemented in partnership with the Zanzibar Information Communication Technology Infrastructure Agency (ZICTIA), comes as Zanzibar seeks to strengthen digital infrastructure as a foundation for wider economic transformation.
The expanded fibre network is expected to support businesses, tourism and other sectors by improving access to reliable, high-speed internet, while creating opportunities for young people to develop digital businesses and reach customers and markets beyond the islands.
Sectoral analysts said the investment places connectivity at the centre of Zanzibar’s broader development ambitions – linking digital infrastructure not only to technology adoption, but also to business growth, job creation, innovation and the expansion of the digital economy.
Opening the Tech & AI International Expo 2026 at the Golden Tulip Hotel on Tuesday, Dr Mwinyi said technology must move beyond discussions and innovation showcases to deliver practical solutions to problems facing communities.
“This expo provides an important platform for exchanging ideas, forging partnerships, showcasing innovation, and exploring how technology can drive inclusive growth and shape the future,” he said.
The President said technology could improve healthcare, education and public services while opening opportunities for businesses and creating jobs. He also called for the benefits of digitalisation to reach women, young people, persons with disabilities and underserved communities.
The message gives the TSh 300 billion Yas investment a broader economic significance: Zanzibar is seeking to turn connectivity into productive infrastructure for businesses, entrepreneurs and public institutions.
Yas Tanzania Chief Business Officer Norman Kiondo said the company would continue investing in resilient connectivity and working with government and other institutions to expand digital services.
He said Yas had invested more than TSh 1.2 trillion in its network across Tanzania, with more than 4,900 sites and over 5,700 kilometres of fibre infrastructure.
In Zanzibar, the company’s partnership with ZICTIA is focused on extending fibre connections to homes and businesses, potentially giving enterprises faster and more reliable access to customers, suppliers and digital services.
For the tourism sector, stronger connectivity could help businesses improve services for visitors, while entrepreneurs could use digital platforms to reach customers outside Zanzibar.
The investment also fits into the government’s ambition to make digital entrepreneurship a pathway to employment and business growth.
Zanzibar’s Minister of Communication, Information Technology and Innovation, Mudrick Ramadhan Soraga, said young people should be able to use digital tools to build businesses serving customers both within and beyond the islands.
“A young person in Zanzibar should be able to take an idea, a device and an internet connection and build a business that serves customers here and beyond our borders,” he said. Minister Soraga said the government was putting policies and regulations in place to help startups develop their ideas and grow their businesses.
