<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“[Burj Zanzibar] will support the tourism sector as the Burj Zanzibar will be an architectural landmark attracting visitors and will complement [Zanzibar’s] Stone Town as a World Heritage Site.”</blockquote>



By Inaara Gangji



The Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar aims high with plans for a 28-story, 96-meter tall apartment tower named Burj Zanzibar, designed in hybrid timber technology that its developers say will make it the first timber structure of its kind in the world.



The project, expected to be completed at the end of 2026, is to be located in Fumba Town, an eco-town developed by German-led engineering firm CPS.



Why timber? It reduces the carbon footprint.



“Burj Zanzibar promotes the use of timber for construction and contributes to the development of the local value chain using widely available timber resources in Tanzania,” says the project’s Dutch-born architect, Leander Moons, to FORBES AFRICA.



When complete, it’s expected to overtake the 86.6-meter Ascent Tower in Milwaukee, US, recently certified as the world&#8217;s tallest timber hybrid building.



“The Burj will create awareness for this new technology and combat carbon emissions from the construction,” says Sebastian Dietzold, CEO of CPS, to FORBES AFRICA.



The project will be executed by specialists from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Tanzania and the US.



“Apart from the materiality, we also included multiple design elements to further address sustainability. This includes passive design, for example, [from the] permanent sun shading provided by the facade to limit heat-gain on the inside, to the integration of roof gardens and planters,” says Moons.



“[Burj Zanzibar] will support the tourism sector as Burj Zanzibar will be an architectural landmark attracting visitors and will complement [Zanzibar’s] Stone Town as a World Heritage Site,” adds Dietzold.



However, the new concept does come with its challenges, being the first of its kind on the continent.



Yet the popularity and fast growth of Fumba Town as an investment opportunity is a possible indication of the increasing demand for more sustainable solutions that also benefit local communities.



“In Africa, over the next 50 years, millions of new homes will need to be built, and it is crucial to reduce carbon emissions from construction,” says Dietzold.



Tanzania’s top skyscraper is the 157-meter Ports Authority building in Dar es Salaam.

Screenshot 2022-10-07 at 19.25.15

Not Just The Beaches, Zanzibar Aims For World Record With Timber Tower

The sights, scents and sounds of
Zanzibar include a 73-year-old tale of the iconic late British
singer-songwriter.



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Dress conservatively when walking the streets of Stone
Town,” advises the tourist brochures in the predominantly Islamic society of
Zanzibar, yet, the tiny Tanzanian archipelago proudly claims Freddie Mercury,
the controversial frontman of British band Queen, as its own.



The singer, born in the windswept streets of Stone Town in
Zanzibar in 1946 and one of the world’s most iconic voices in pop-rock, is this
tourist town’s biggest currency-spinner. 



Stone Town, which is a maze of historic alleys and spice
bazaars with timber shutters, an old Arab fort, churches, mosques and
19th-century stone buildings, is a World Heritage Site overlooking the sea.
Within its dusty bowels, leading up from its myriad walkways, is Shangani
Street, starting with a white-washed, two-storied yellow building that was once
Freddie Mercury’s home.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 



There are countless tours offered to what is emblazoned in
gold outside as ‘Freddie Mercury House’, featuring four fully-furnished hotel
apartments with balconies overlooking the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="462" height="602" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SIA.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41340" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SIA.png 462w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SIA-300x391.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SIA-230x300.png 230w" sizes="(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px" /><figcaption> ‘Freddie Mercury House’, featuring four fully-furnished hotel apartments with balconies overlooking the Indian Ocean. Picture: Renuka Methil </figcaption></figure></div>



Outside are framed glass cases with sepia images of the
songwriter and vocalist, describing his famous connection with Zanzibar. Born
Farrokh Bulsara, Mercury’s family had immigrated to Zanzibar from Gujarat in
India. He was born to Bomi and Jer Bulsara who were originally Parsis (a
Zoroastrian community that migrated to the Indian subcontinent from Persia). In
1964, the Zanzibar Revolution forced the family to flee.



The island community’s lucrative tourist trade is even today
cashing in on Mercury’s global image, with tours offered at the Zoroastrian
Fire Temple where the Parsi family once worshipped, and to a restaurant named
Mercury offering fresh seafood.



“Imagine, Freddie Mercury played on these white sandy beaches and clear waters at one time,” says my tourist guide, Amour, proudly, before taking me on a two-hour walking tour of Stone Town. He points to the domed white Zanzibar High Court where Mercury’s father once worked as a cashier. 



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His house on Shangani Street, where the first settlers arrived, is a hub of activity, with tourists, and touts selling everything from icecream to tanzanite jewelry and African bric-à-brac. Just a few steps up, is the Shangani post office and buildings boasting Indian, African and European architecture, where you discover your own Bohemian Rhapsody.



Amour helps me weave through the heaving mass of human
traffic in the busy streets, to a fish and vegetable market in Stone Town that
also sells spices in pretty bamboo gift-packs. The fish is sold fresh and the
spices overpower the stench.



“Zanzibar used to be the largest exporter of cloves in the
world, but from 70 percent, it’s only nine percent now,” Amour rues, thrusting
a packet of cloves into my hand, “and that’s sad, because of declining prices,
more competitors and the poor encouragement of farmers.”



Earlier, I had visited the spice farms Zanzibar is so famous for, finishing off with lunch in a Swahili home stationed on a peak in one of the scented valleys. It was modest home-cooked fare but with aromas as strong as the spice farms the ingredients came from: a banana dish with coconut milk and cardamom, flavored cassava from the fields, fried tuna, rotis and the most fragrant pilaf (rice dish) I have ever eaten, watered down with lemon grass and ginger tea.  



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I had been to the Muyuni village in the south tasting the sweetest mangoes and bananas in all of Africa, passing seaweed-strewn beaches, paddy fields and potholed roads with bullock carts, dala dala taxis and motorbikes. 



In the lush mangroves of Jozani, I encountered the endangered red colobus monkeys. In the spice plantations, down slippery forest paths, I tasted nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves off the trees. 



The natural treats along the way also included lemons and sweet green oranges. As we passed the red mahogany trees, “beware of the green mambas or pythons”, my host had warned. A vendor in the middle of the forest showed us his wares in a wicker basket: soaps and perfumes made from the Ylang-Ylang trees by the womenfolk. 



“In Europe, Chanel No. 5 is made from this. Here, we call it
Chanel No. 0, our products have no chemical or alcohol,” he says, pointing to
the tiny bottles filled with red liquid. “These farms are so rich in spices
that the chicken running around are already spiced, you don’t need to flavor
them when you cook them,” laughs Amour, towards the end of our outing. From
Freddie Mercury to the farms, Zanzibar beckons the senses.

gettyimages-823663848-594×594

Stone Town: From Freddie Mercury To The Farms

There is a difference between travellers  and tourists; a difference between a trip and journey.
If you fall into the latter category in both instances, then perhaps a jaunt to Jambiani in Zanzibar is worth considering. In three-and-a-half hours, direct bi-weekly flights (if traveling out of Johannesburg in South Africa to Zanzibar) transport the intrepid and the intrigued to another world distinctly different from the metropolis you have left behind. From the shopping malls and high rises of the city of gold heading northeast to six degrees south of the equator and, to some extent, back in time, you arrive in the spice islands of Zanzibar.
For most, the first impressions are that of the old-world Stone Town, a UNESCO World heritage site in Zanzibar city, where one loses oneself in excitingly-confusing narrow streets filled with vendors bent on selling you everything from cashew nuts and badly-recorded CDs of local music to local art and craft (the best of these being the wood works). You will find no malls here, no fast food franchises and very little to remind that you are actually in the 21st century. You become aware that almost every structure is made of coral stone featuring elaborate wooden doors, for which Zanzibar is particularly famous, guarding mysterious and rich cultural heritage within the walls.
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It is now time to head east, crossing the island, toward Jambiani where the melting pot of Arabic, British, Persian, Portuguese and other previous colonial influences give way to real rural Africa. Within an hour ($50 by road in a sedan), you arrive in Jambiani, the village that snakes its way for 10 kilometers up the southeast coast of the island. Leaving the only tar road and arriving in the village via bumpy dirt roads laden with goats and chickens, you are struck by two things. First, the mesmerizing colors of the ocean lightly covering the immense sandbar and, second, the village itself, which is beyond modest and a stark reminder of the fact you are now in one of the poorest parts of the planet.
This can be disconcerting at first, until you notice the smiles, the almost euphoric shouts of jambo (hello) from the children and the genuinely-welcoming demeanor of the people. Jambiani is different from other parts of Zanzibar in that virtually all the hotels are owned by locals, and where there are foreign-run properties, these are almost always in association with the natives either as landlords or equal partners. It is the latter that’s most appealing for travelers looking to support the local community but wanting a level of service and facilities that may be not be present in purely local accommodations.
The three-star Coral Rock Hotel here is roughly $100 per night, and offers the facilities (like Wi-Fi) and services one expects. It’s sandwiched between the ever-changing tides and colors of the Indian Ocean on the one side and the quaint working village of Jambiani on the other.
Whilst the villagers work the beach, ocean and sandbar, you will most likely be spending your time sunbathing, exploring, snorkeling, diving, kitesurfing, kayaking or eating fresh seafood and fruits. The food is enjoyable and the atmosphere relaxing whilst the climate seems to constantly stay sunny and between 28-32 degrees Celsius.
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No need for high heels and formal attire, they are wasted here. Just remember to cover up the bikinis whilst walking in the village or when walking past a mosque. The prime activity and raison d’etre is relaxation. A week here seems like the antidote to the fast-paced rat race in the city. It’s a place where you feel safe and can get away from it all.

Far From The Madding Rats

Gleaming white sands, crystal waters and luxury beach villas are all part of Zanzibar, but there is a lot more to the island than that.
Zanzibar has a rich history—the island is home to the first mosque in the southern hemisphere, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. From the 1st century AD, it was a trading post for Arabian and Indian merchants.
There are two main islands: Unguja, or Zanzibar Island, and smaller Pemba Island; plus 51 islets. The Zanzibari archipelago offers rich pickings in terms of accommodation, ranging from private boutique villas to large, internationally branded and managed hotels and resorts—of which there are many. If seclusion is what you’re after, some of the smaller islands present the perfect spot. Set among a series of coral atolls, Mnemba Island Lodge, on Mnemba Island—4.5km from Zanzibar Island, has 10 individual ‘bandas’, or chalets, in a beach forest. The bandas are constructed using hand-woven structures made from natural material. Each has its own sprawling bedroom, verandah and private walkway that leads onto the beach. While there is a selection of activities to choose from on Mnemba Island, a trip to the island when the green turtle lays its eggs in February is a must.
<div id="attachment_577" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-577" class="size-large wp-image-577" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/New_Mnemba2-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="316" />Dive Centre</div>
There are plenty of hotels in Zanzibar but most tourists prefer the north-west and east coast of the island, with the Diamonds range of hotels among the nicest.
Your stay in Zanzibar would be incomplete without a trip to Stone Town, where the island’s early Arabian and Indian influence can be seen in the architecture. Stone Town, or Mji Mkongwe—Swahili for ‘Old Town’—grew into what was a booming city center during the height of its spice and slave trade in the 19th century. UNESCO named Stone Town a World Heritage Site in 2000 and it forms part of the New City, Ng’ambo, meaning ‘the other side’. Most entry and exit points into Zanzibar are in, or close to, Stone Town so planning cleverly will allow for a few hours to be spent browsing through the East African city’s history.
<h3>The logistics</h3>
Set 35km off the coast of Tanzania, the Zanzibar islands can be reached either by boat or air. KLM (with Kenya Airways), Gulf Air, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Mauritius fly regularly to Zanzibar International Airport. Be prepared for a lot of traveling if you’ve chosen Zanzibar and any of its surrounding islands as a holiday destination. Car hire is an option for those individuals feeling brave enough to navigate Zanzibar’s poorly maintained roads, but there are also minibuses, operating from Stone Town, that take sightseers to visitor hotspots around the island.
Tourism in Zanzibar peaks in July and August, the dry season, and again between December and February, so a more expensive trip during these months can be expected. Zanzibar offers splendid scuba diving and snorkeling, particularly during the hot, humid months from December to February, and it is well worth paying the higher rates, as the warmer waters attract a wide variety of marine life.

Zest For  Zanzibar

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Sometime in 1987 on the streets of the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, Joe Kusaga had his two feet planted firmly on the ground, but his head was as much in the clouds as Mount Kilimanjaro. The 21-year-old barely had two shillings to rub together, but dreamed of making a vast fortune by getting his fellow Tanzanians dancing to his beat.
More than 20 years later, Kusaga has the ear of East Africans; a multi-million dollar turnover; three radio stations; a magazine; two music ventures; and a promotion company which employs 170 people. His company, Clouds Media Group, turns over $3 million annually and plans to expand beyond East Africa. In a recent national survey, KPMG ranked the company 17th in the top 100 best-performing mid-sized companies in Tanzania.
“In a few years, this turnover should read double digits,” says Kusaga.
Kusaga made his fortune from the liberalization of the Tanzanian airwaves, in step with the freeing up of the economy after decades of socialism, in the 1990s. He decided Tanzanian radio was far too conservative and started to recruit young, funky broadcasters at his tiny
studio in Dar es Salaam in a bid to take the airwaves by storm.
“It was not easy at first. It’s a risky business, and sometimes we had to invest our little funds at the time to make things happen without any sponsorship,” he says.
In 1998, Kusaga took a deep breath and borrowed just over Tsh40 million ($24,660) to start his company with a business plan aimed at reaping the advertising dollars that came with the growing young and affluent middle-class. He founded Clouds FM in the same year and in 2002 added Choice FM, an easy-listening English radio station, and Coconut FM, Zanzibar’s first commercial radio station which is dedicated to Zanzibari music and culture, to his repertoire.
“We offered a platform for our young people to create employment for themselves. It was a take-off for many things musical in this country,” he says.
It was the bend in a long road that began in 1987. “I had just finished school and I began by managing some nightclubs, organizing theme nights,” says Kusaga.
He graduated to promoting shows as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo in a risky business that took timing, perseverance and passion—a perfect grounding for his foray into the tough radio business.
As the new century dawned, there came Clouds TV, which is projected to have coverage across the entire country by the end of this year.
Since then, Kusaga has founded the first digital music recording studio in the country, from where he manages the Smooth Vibes record label in Dar es Salaam and is responsible for authorizing music from Tanzanian artistes for iTunes.
You could say this media group has shaped how Tanzanian youths look and listen to the world. In the last few years, he has brought names like Eve, Fat Joe, P Square, Shaggy,  50 Cent, Kevin Lyttle, Koffi, Jay Z with MTV Base, Ja Rule, Hugh Masekela, Mya, Miriam Makeba and Youssou N’Dour to the East African country.
A little stardust from an entrepreneur with his head firmly in the clouds can go a long way.
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Tag: Zanzibar

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Not Just The Beaches, Zanzibar Aims For World Record With Timber Tower

Stone Town: From Freddie Mercury To The Farms

Far From The Madding Rats

Zest For Zanzibar

Ear For Profits