DAR ES SALAAM: BUSINESS leaders, development partners, and women entrepreneurs convened in Dar es Salaam for the inaugural Think Equal, Lead Smart (TELS) knowledge session, a strategic collaboration between The CEO Roundtable of Tanzania (CEOrt) and Vodacom Tanzania Foundation.
Held under the theme ‘The Future of Women-Led MSMEs: Inclusion, Challenges & Opportunities for Women-Led Enterprises’ at Serena hotel, the forum linked lived entrepreneurial experiences with the long-term national development agenda under Tanzania Development Vision 2050 (DIRA 2050).
The TELS platform was created to advance inclusive economic participation by fostering dialogue between the private sector, financial institutions, policymakers, and women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Through knowledge-sharing and policy-informed conversations, the initiative seeks to position women entrepreneurs as critical drivers of Tanzania’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the event, the Vodacom Foundation Manager, Sandra Oswald, emphasized the urgency of building systems that enable women-owned businesses to grow, formalize, and compete sustainably.
“Women MSMEs form the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, contributing significantly to employment creation, household income, and local innovation, yet continue to face systemic barriers that limit their growth. For Tanzania to achieve the ambitions of Vision 2050, women entrepreneurs must be fully integrated into the country’s economic growth strategy,” she detailed.
The session created a space for women entrepreneurs to speak openly about the realities they face, including limited access to affordable finance, digital exclusion, regulatory hurdles, market constraints, and weak business support ecosystems.
Participants shared firsthand experiences that revealed persistent gaps between policy intent and on-the-ground realities. These lived experiences mirrored structural challenges that require coordinated action.
Ms. Oswald further explained, “Think Equal, Lead Smart links the real experiences of women entrepreneurs with national development priorities. We are recognizing women MSMEs as central to economic transformation, innovation, and inclusive growth by aligning this dialogue with Tanzania Development Vision 2050.”
On her part, the Executive Director of the CEO Roundtable of Tanzania (CEOrt), Santina Majengo, stated that partnerships of this nature strengthen advocacy efforts and amplify the voices of women in business.
She highlighted the importance of sustained dialogue, capacity-building, and policy engagement to ensure that women entrepreneurs are not left behind in Tanzania’s development journey.
Speaking at the event, entrepreneur Nyakarinde Ndaro said the session reshaped her understanding of what it takes to run a successful business.
“This session was truly eye-opening. I used to believe that entrepreneurship only requires capital, but today I learned that knowledge can take you further when money cannot. I gained practical lessons that will help me manage my business more effectively,” she explained.
As the first in a planned series, the Think Equal, Lead Smart knowledge platform will continue to convene stakeholders around actionable insights, practical solutions, and policy-aligned strategies. Future sessions will deepen engagement across regions and sectors, ensuring that women MSMEs are recognized as central contributors to national prosperity.
The event concluded with a call for collective action, urging institutions, investors, regulators, and development partners to move beyond dialogue and commit to tangible reforms and investments that create an enabling environment for women-led enterprises.