GS1 Tanzania is aiming to reach more than 18,000 businesses over the next 15 years as it accelerates efforts to strengthen competitiveness and improve access to domestic and international markets. The expansion represents a significant scaling up from the 7,000 enterprises the organisation has already served since its establishment 15 years ago. According to GS1 Tanzania Board Chairman Engineer Benedict Lema, the next phase will prioritise training and supporting small, medium-sized and large enterprises to adopt barcode technology, with a specific target of reaching at least 100 small and medium-sized enterprises in each of Tanzania's 183 local government authorities.
Mr Lema, speaking in Dar es Salaam ahead of the organisation's 15th Annual General Meeting scheduled for November 27, emphasised that barcode technology is becoming increasingly important for positioning Tanzanian products for wider market access by improving their identification, recognition and traceability. The expansion reflects Tanzania's broader development priorities, with GS1 standards becoming more relevant as the country pursues industrialisation, trade expansion and investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area and National Development Vision 2050.
Nearly 3,000 of the 7,000 businesses currently served are from Zanzibar, according to Tumai Soud speaking on behalf of the Board's Vice-Chairperson. The barcode services have helped formalise enterprises and improved their prospects of accessing wider markets, she noted.
GS1 Tanzania Chief Executive Officer Fatma Kange said the organisation was preparing to introduce two-dimensional barcodes, which can carry more product information and strengthen product identification and traceability across supply chains. The organisation will launch a new strategic plan during its 15th anniversary celebrations, scheduled for January 27 next year, aligning its services with manufacturers' requirements and Vision 2050 objectives. Ms Kange added that GS1 Tanzania was strengthening cooperation with regulatory authorities to integrate its standards into business and production processes.
For Tanzanian business owners and entrepreneurs, this expansion means greater access to barcode technology and support services that can help them formalise operations and reach new markets, both domestically and internationally.