Take a chance: what Tanzania taught me about storytelling, legacy and opportunity

Earlier this year, I contacted an aunt I hadn’t spoken to in seven years. She’d recently relocated to Tanzania in search of a different pace of life. I’d often overheard her boast that from her balcony in Moshi, she could see the misty outline of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak and a major tourist draw. 

With a son turning 18 and as someone who is obsessed with animals, I found the chance to visit the country appealing – but more importantly, it was an opportunity to repair a once-close bond with my aunt, lost to fear and misunderstanding. What I didn’t expect was how much it would open my eyes to the creative and cultural opportunities across the region. 

As founder of The TV Collective, a platform for global majority talent in the screen industries, I’ve worked around DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion) and content for nearly two decades. Being in Africa made it impossible to ignore the richness and diversity of the people I met and the wealth of untold stories I encountered. 

With African communities growing rapidly in the UK, I began asking: how well do we really know their stories? What threads connect us to our ancestral lands? And what potential exists for storytellers – on the continent and in the diaspora – to co-create and reach new audiences? With support from the BFI, I travelled to the 28th Zanzibar International Film Festival (Ziff) – one of the continent’s most respected film festivals. Founded in 1998, Ziff emerged in the wake of the collapse of cinema culture across Tanzania and much of Africa, following the removal of government subsidies under IMF structural reforms. The festival was created to keep cinema culture alive and offer African filmmakers a space to gather, share screenings and collaborate. At its peak, when the festival had the funds to run a huge touring programme across the island, Ziff had the capacity to reach up to 200,000 people. Its first winning film, Maangamizi: The Ancient One, was the first Tanzanian film ever to be submitted for an Oscar. Over the years, the festival has helped launch the careers of filmmakers such as Ekwa Msangi, Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo, Ahmed Samir and Martin Mhando. 

Although attendance has fallen as a result of funding cuts, Ziff’s role is more vital than ever – especially as the UK, Europe and the US start turning their attention to Africa’s creative and financial potential, boosted by the rise of digital platforms. One standout film this year was Zippy Kimundu’s documentary Widow Champion, about a Kenyan widow who becomes a fierce advocate for women’s rights after being thrown off her land by in-laws. A deeply human story that transcends borders, it is a powerful reminder that unmarried women in long-term relationships can still find themselves unprotected when a partner dies. 

After screening at Hot Docs, Tribeca and Munich – but yet to be shown in the UK – the film had its African premiere at Ziff, with more than 100 widows in attendance. “It was a really good decision to screen it at Ziff,” Kimundu told me. “The widows could really feel the film – they understood it deeply.” 

Another highlight was a panel discussion, ‘The Growing Need for African Stories: Are We Ready to Benefit?’, which explored the urgent need for African filmmakers to tell their own stories and be the first to benefit from them. The fight for ownership, authorship and fair compensation echoed challenges faced by global majority creatives in the UK. 

Cece Mlay, co-director of The Empty Grave, a powerful documentary following Tanzanian families reclaiming ancestral remains from German museums, said: “There’s been a real increase in young people entering film in Tanzania, thanks to better access to equipment and online learning. But challenges remain – funding, visibility and control over how our stories are told and received.” 

Tanzania is one of just eight countries expected to drive over half of global population growth by 2050, according to UN projections. Africa’s population is set to reach 2.5 billion – nearly 28 per cent of the world’s total – with a majority of that number aged under 25. Combine that fact with increased digital connectivity and a rising diaspora and the potential for collaboration and co-production is enormous. Nollywood, meanwhile, is now the world’s second-largest film industry by volume, producing over 2,500 films a year and contributing $7 billion to Nigeria’s GDP. In South Africa, companies such as Known Associates Group are becoming media powerhouses spanning production, post and studios and a private film fund. Meanwhile, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has committed $2 billion to Africa’s creative industries through its Canex programme – including a $1 billion Africa Film Fund. Together, they signal one thing: Africa’s creative economy appears to be on the verge of a global explosion.

Isaac Nartey, a former Sky UK producer now working with the digital financial platform Akuna Wallet as creative consultant, says: “There’s a wave of exciting talent coming through. What’s making the difference is infrastructure. Tools like AkunaWallet are removing barriers and making it easier for African creators to collaborate globally. The stories are here. The systems are catching up. The moment to build is now.”

Ahmed Harith, a journalist and business consultant who helped organise Ziff through the Zanzibar Entertainment Foundation, agrees: “There are huge opportunities for UK producers and filmmakers to collaborate with African talent – especially here in Tanzania. We’re attracting investment in studios, skills and creative infrastructure. The government is ready to welcome artists, investors and storytellers.”

Ziff’s organisers, including its chair Martin Mhando and festival director Hatibu Madudu, share that optimism. They estimate that just 6,000 international visitors could generate over $3 million in visa revenue alone – a major economic boost for Zanzibar. Their long-term vision is to transform Ziff into the go-to global festival for African and diaspora filmmakers, proudly rooted in African storytelling and leadership. 

And the impact is personal. Tanzania’s minister for culture, Tabia Mwita, observed that it was at Ziff – during a youth programme when she was 12 – where she first imagined herself in a leadership role.

Back in the UK, as DEI slips down the agenda and traditional TV viewership shrinks, global audiences are rising – especially across Africa. Like the misunderstanding with my aunt, our view of Africa is often shaped by outdated narratives. But when you go – and I urge you to go – you’ll see a continent bursting with creativity, history and potential. As I write this, I’m heading back to Zanzibar – to reconnect, to collaborate, and to keep discovering. Don’t just take my word for it. Take a chance.