Women entrepreneurs get legal tools to compete fairly in business

By Alfred Zacharia

Dar es Salaam. Women entrepreneurs are gaining new knowledge to protect their businesses and customers as they navigate Tanzania’s increasingly competitive markets.

The Fair Competition Commission (FCC), in collaboration with the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC), conducted a special training seminar aimed at empowering women-led small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a better understanding of fair competition laws and regulations.

Opening the session, FCC’s Director of Research, Mergers and Advocacy Ms. Zaytun Kikula, who represented the FCC Director General, said the training plays a key role in strengthening the country’s business environment.

“This platform allows us to directly engage with business owners, educate them on competition laws, and ensure they build strong, sustainable businesses,” she said. 

She believes that women entrepreneurs have a huge role in economic development, family welfare, and community growth. Empowering them has a direct impact on society.

The FCC official emphasized that protecting businesses from unfair competition, as well as ensuring consumers receive quality products and services, remains a core part of FCC’s mandate.

TWCC Vice President Ms. Mwalongo Kambewe urged participants to apply the lessons they had gained, noting that knowledge creates transformation.

“Every time you learn, you grow,” Ms. Kambewe said, adding that “I believe these women will see changes not only in their businesses but also within their families and communities.”

During the seminar, FCC’s Acting Manager for Competitor Agreements, Mr. David Herman Mawi, broke down the illegal business practices prohibited by Tanzania’s competition laws. These include price fixing, collective boycotts, output restrictions, collusive tendering, and market allocation.

“A free market cannot survive without a regulator,” Mr. Mawi said. “We need to protect businesses and consumers from unfair practices that often target smaller or new entrants in the market.”

He added that abusing market dominance, defined as controlling over 40 percent of market share for a sustained period, violates the law and risks harming both competitors and consumers.

The entrepreneurs also learned how to identify counterfeit products and avoid legal violations that could damage their businesses.

The training forms part of ongoing efforts by FCC and TWCC to equip Tanzanian women entrepreneurs with the knowledge they need to expand and succeed in an increasingly competitive market.