New Expat Hotspots and Jobs in Tanzania
Arusha and Other Expat Hotspots Jobs in Tanzania
The second-largest expat hub in Tanzania is Arusha, located in northeast Tanzania close to the border with Kenya. It is the country’s third-largest city and has a population of 416,000 (739,000 if you include the surrounding metro area). Many people find tourism jobs in Arusha, as the city is located near several of the country’s (and continent’s) most famous destinations, such as Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, and Mount Kilimanjaro, to name a few.
Many expats working in Tanzania also come to Arusha due to its status as a major international diplomatic hub. They work at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the headquarters of the East African Community. There are also many jobs available in NGOs that specialize in topics such as HIV and AIDS awareness, children’s education, or microfinance.
Other cities with sizeable expat communities include Mwanza, Tanzania’s second-largest city and a major trading center, Dodoma, the country’s legislative capital, Moshi, located at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar City, located on Unguja Island, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago.
READ New A step by step guide to finding a job in Tanzania
The Job Search
The majority of expats in Tanzania work in the education, manufacturing, construction, hospitality, and wholesale and retail trade sectors. Common jobs include working as English teachers, IT project managers, software developers, oil and gas workers, and telecommunications contractors. The cost of living can be quite high in Tanzania, especially if you want to buy imported Western foods and live according to Western standards, so you should keep this in mind when you are negotiating your contract.
The following online search engines are a good place to start looking for a job in Tanzania:
Challenges for Expats in Tanzania
According to Tanzania’s National Bureau of Statistics, foreign workers make up just 0.8% of the workforce. Most of these expatriates come from other East African Community countries, with smaller numbers from India, Europe, the US, Canada, and South Africa. Despite this small percentage, the current Tanzanian government is worried that this number is too high. It is true that about 90% of the CEOs in the country are expats, largely due to a lack of sufficient skills among the local population. Current laws already require the deputy of a company to be Tanzanian if the CEO is not and an expat quota of five persons is put on a company during its start-up period.
Recent trends seem to point the way towards tougher restrictions on expats working in Tanzania. In October 2013, the government ordered over 1,500 foreign teachers to leave due to expired work permits and illegal immigration. A bill, called the Act for Foreign Workers’ Permits, was also passed in June 2015. This act centralizes the work permit application process, allowing it to be more easily supervised and controlled in the hope that the number of foreign workers in Tanzania will decrease. This bill, together with increased work permit costs in October 2012 and the work permit crackdown in October 2013, show a growing move towards protectionist policies when it comes to hiring expatriates.
Tanzania: Taxes and Business Etiquette
Taxes and Social Security: A Slightly Confusing System
Legal residents of Tanzania who are present in the country for 183 days or more in one calendar year must pay taxes in Tanzania on their worldwide income. The amount of income tax you will have to pay ranges from 0% to 30%, depending on your income. If you are an employee, taxes will be deducted directly from your paycheck.
Social security and public health insurance contributions may also be deducted from you paycheck. Making contributions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is mandatory for all employees. Both you and your employer must contribute 10% of your gross salary to the NSSF. Check with your employer before you sign your contract for more information on what exactly will be deducted from your paycheck. Even if you are contributing to the NSSF, you will probably want to make additional payments into a private retirement savings account.
The Dos and Don’ts of Social and Business Etiquette
Tanzania is still a very traditional male-dominated society. Traditional social customs and taboos are much stronger in rural areas than urban ones. It is common to see two men holding hands in public. This is a sign of friendship, rather than of sexual preference. Homosexuality is still a taboo in Tanzania.
Although expat women will generally not be held to the same standards as locals, it is respectful to dress modestly, especially in Muslim areas such as Zanzibar. Wearing shorts is never appropriate for men or women at any time. During Ramadan, you should try to avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public.
Business Meetings
A handshake or bow is usually an appropriate greeting in Tanzania. If a Muslim man greets a woman, a bow is appropriate; non-Muslim men should wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Greetings in Tanzania are very important and should not be rushed. Take a few minutes to make small talk. Good topics include family and work.
When you do get down to business, don’t be too direct. Tanzanians equate directness with rudeness. If they want to ask for help, for example, they would tell you a story about their recent problems, from which you could infer what they really want from you. Along with not being too direct, the ability to control one’s temper and emotions in public is greatly valued. Building humor and jokes into a conversation is often a good communication technique.
Punctuality is usually not a big priority among Tanzanians. Those used to working with expats will try to make an effort to be on time, but you should not show your frustration if they are late. In big cities, traffic congestion often makes it very difficult to schedule an exact time for a meeting to begin.
More Helpful Tips
Here are some additional etiquette tips to ensure your smooth transition into Tanzanian culture:
- Don’t use your left hand for anything, including picking out fruits and vegetables at the market.
- Never beckon for someone to come to you with your palm facing upwards. This is only used for animals. You should instead hold your hand with the palm facing down and make a scratching motion with your fingers.
- Wearing camouflage clothing in public is illegal. You will be fined by the police and asked to change.
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