Fireworks, music and big business as Saba Saba golden jubilee begins

By Alfred Zacharia

As the clock struck midnight on Saturday, the skies above the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds erupted into a dazzling display of fireworks, replacing darkness with bursts of colour that drew cheers, laughter and countless smartphone cameras.

For a few minutes, business took a back seat.

Music echoed across the exhibition grounds, people danced without waiting for an invitation, pointing excitedly at the exploding lights overhead, while every spectacular burst was greeted by a chorus of "woooow!" from the growing crowd. 

Some visitors joked that the fireworks were determined to wake up anyone who had already gone to bed.

The midnight spectacle marked the official beginning of the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), popularly known as Saba Saba, setting the tone for what organisers hope will be the largest and most commercially significant edition in the exhibition's history.

But beyond the celebration lay a bigger story.

The fireworks marked the official start of the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), popularly known as Saba Saba—an exhibition that has grown over five decades from a domestic trade showcase into one of East Africa's largest platforms for commerce, manufacturing, technology and investment.

This year's Golden Jubilee edition comes at a time when Tanzania is pursuing an ambitious industrialisation agenda, expanding regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and encouraging businesses to embrace digital commerce.

Speaking during the launch ceremony, Temeke District Acting Administrative Secretary Bertha Minga, representing District Commissioner Sixtus Mapunda, urged Tanzanians to view the exhibition as an opportunity to learn, innovate and build business partnerships rather than merely a day out.

"The trade fair creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, discover new technologies and establish business relationships that can help grow their enterprises," she said.

TanTrade Director General Dr Latifa Mohamed Khamis said the Golden Jubilee celebrates not only the exhibition's history but also its contribution to Tanzania's economic transformation over the past five decades.

"This milestone reflects how the trade fair has grown into an important platform for promoting trade, investment and industrial development," she said.

The exhibition runs until July 13 and is expected to attract thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of thousands of visitors, reinforcing its role as Tanzania's flagship trade and investment event.