Revisiting Zanzibar - The Revolution Continues

Almost three years since my last visit, I met up with the World Mobile Team in Stone Town, Zanzibar. I was hosted by Baraka (Director), Mtage (FD), and Robin (Country Manager).  We met in the office before taking a walk around town to capture some much-requested photos of AirNodes.

A few things struck me immediately as we started chatting about what has been going on in Zanzibar over the last three years.

Here, the most important mission is to get people online. The team faces huge challenges every day. Some people prefer to use connectivity only when needed, while others are mindful of costs or see little reason to change their way of life. On top of that, infrastructure challenges such as power cuts and reliance on third parties for fiber make things even harder. Overcoming these challenges takes patience, flexibility, and working closely with the community.

All that said, Zanzibar continues to be a hub for testing and innovation both for equipment and services. More unique challenges appear - finding equipment that can transmit through coconut trees is one amusing example - but this unique environment is the perfect testing ground to help us roll out in areas such as Kenya and Malawi.

The Zanzibar operation is run very much as a business, not just from a financial perspective but from a Regulatory, Compliance, and Data Protection standpoint. There are well-documented processes and procedures, and the impressive CVs of Robin and Baraka tell me this should be no surprise - but it’s still great to see.

Team

The team is not large - a few well-chosen developers, customer service personnel, IT support, and sales professionals. A smaller team offers higher flexibility and the ability to cover 24/7, with someone being on call at all times. Customer service sometimes receives messages at home via WhatsApp, for example.

I’m also delighted to see that everyone from the sales team is out on the field, away from the office – a good sign!

Coverage

There are currently about 700 AirNodes across the island, with Nungwi and Paje showing the most prolific growth since I was last here. The team is focused on spreading out along the coast and capturing more of the tourist market.  

The entire island has been mapped with hexes, and the team has ideas on increasing coverage cost-effectively using new base stations and other potential solutions.  

Access to the network is currently via the app, which is available on Play Store.

Innovation

The team is constantly looking to add innovation to the offer. One such solution is the addition of adverts. I popped into the local mall to see a small perfume counter. This counter has a World Mobile internet connection, and customers can connect to it by filling in their details. Once they have submitted the form, a short advert for the store pops up before they get a period of free Wi-Fi access inside the mall.

This service has been well received by several other stores, and of course, can be monetized in the future.

Stone Town

Robin and I took a stroll around the town, and I captured a few AirNodes. Robin is quite well-known around here, and we stopped numerous times to shake hands with business owners while walking through the busy, sometimes very wet, streets.

The Revolution Continues

I enjoyed revisiting Zanzibar. The team’s dedication to the cause is impressive and highlights the uniqueness of our work here. As we leap across continents and bring hundreds of users online with the flick of a switch in Pakistan, it’s worth noting that Zanzibar will never be about numbers, as much as it will be about community and innovation.  

This is where it all started. The place remains a crucial testing ground for the future.