President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has urged participants at the Tech & AI International Expo 2026 to turn their discussions into practical partnerships, as Yas Tanzania outlined its plans to continue supporting Zanzibar’s digital growth.
Opening the expo at Golden Tulip on Tuesday, Dr Mwinyi said technology could improve healthcare, education and public services, while opening up opportunities for businesses and creating jobs.
“This expo provides an important platform for exchanging ideas, forging partnerships, showcasing innovation, and exploring how technology can drive inclusive growth and shape the future,” he said.
The President urged innovators to work on problems facing their communities and said the benefits of technology should reach women, young people, persons with disabilities and underserved areas.
Zanzibar’s Minister of Communication, Information Technology and Innovation, Mudrick Ramadhan Soraga, said young people should be able to use digital skills to build businesses that serve customers beyond the islands.
“A young person in Zanzibar should be able to take an idea, a device and an internet connection and build a business that serves customers here and beyond our borders,” he said.
Soraga said the government was putting policies and regulations in place to help startups develop their ideas and grow their businesses.
Yas Tanzania Chief Business Officer Norman Kiondo said the company would continue investing in connectivity and working with partners to bring digital services to more people and businesses. In Zanzibar, Yas is working with ZICTIA to extend fibre connections to homes and businesses, supported by a TZS 300 billion investment.
Kiondo said Yas had invested more than TZS 1.2 trillion in its network across Tanzania. The company has more than 4,900 sites and over 5,700 kilometres of fibre infrastructure, he said.
He said stronger connections in Zanzibar could help tourism businesses serve visitors, entrepreneurs reach customers and public institutions deliver services.
“We will continue investing in resilient connectivity and digital infrastructure. We will continue supporting businesses with technology solutions, working with government and institutions,” Kiondo said.