By Charles Mkoka
Zanzibar. In the labyrinthine streets of Mwembenjugu, where the ocean breeze carries the tang of citrus and spice, Shadida Abdallah Othman’s laughter rings out above the hum of midday traffic.
Known to her thousands of TikTok followers as KGT Shedee, has become a local icon not for chasing trends, but for building a thriving business from one of Zanzibar’s most humble ingredients: the palm fruit tende
Her journey from a struggling vendor to a car-owning entrepreneur reveals both the possibilities and persistent barriers facing women in Zanzibar’s informal economy.
Shedee’s story begins not with gambling, but in the bustling Michenzani neighborhood, where she once sold trinkets and household goods. When a cholera outbreak (kipindupindu) paralyzed small businesses across the islands, she was forced to rethink her survival.
"I had a few palm fruits at home, the kind people snack on casually," she says, "I thought: why not turn this into something more?"
What began as 20 experimental bottles of tende juice has since grown into a daily operation moving hundreds of units, funding her first car (an IST model), and later, a delivery motorbike.
Breaking Taboos: A Woman in a Man’s Market
In Zanzibar, where street vending is often considered male territory, Shedee’s success has drawn both admiration and ire. Palm products that are typically sold by men in tende stands carry unspoken gender lines.
"Men would tell me, ‘Go sell clothes or cosmetics instead,’" she recalls, loading cans onto her bike. "But I refused. This juice paid my children’s school fees."
Even at home, her work sparked tension. Her husband, a sailor, initially opposed the business. "When he’s ashore, I pause out of respect," she admits. "But when he’s at sea? I’m back at it."
TikTok Fame and the New Face of Hustle
Her breakthrough came unexpectedly. A TikTok video of her preparing juice while urging women to "work hard to avoid dependency" went viral, attracting customers from locals to tourists.
"Social media changed everything,"* says Shedee, showing off her phone with its constant stream of orders. "Now even tourists seek me out."
The Bigger Picture: Women’s Shifting Roles
Shedee’s rise aligns with a quiet revolution in Zanzibar. A 2023 report by the Zanzibar Statistical Agency notes a 17% increase in women-led informal food businesses since 2020, though cultural resistance persists.
"Women dominate Zanzibar’s informal sector but face systemic hurdles," explains economist Fatma Said at the State University of Zanzibar. *"Entrepreneurs like Shedee force us to ask: why should tradition limit opportunity?"
"My message is simple," she says, handing a chilled bottle to a customer. "If I could do this with just tende and determination, imagine what others can achieve."
As the sun sets over Stone Town, she revs her motorbike for one last delivery proof that in Zanzibar’s evolving economy, resilience tastes sweet.
