How to find B2B customers in Tanzania
If you sell to other businesses in Tanzania — supplies, software, services — your next customers are already listed on Google Maps, on their own websites and on their social pages. Here’s how to find them, qualify them and reach them.
9 min read · Updated · KijaniHub
Start with one sentence about your best customer
Before searching, write one sentence: the kind of business, the place, and the sign that they need you. For example: “Private clinics in Dar es Salaam that only take bookings by phone.” Or: “Hardware shops in Mwanza that don’t sell online.”
The sign is what makes the list useful. “All clinics in Dar es Salaam” is a phone book. “Clinics without online booking” is a list of people with a problem you solve.
Where Tanzanian businesses can be found
Google Maps
For shops, clinics, restaurants, hotels, schools, workshops and offices, Google Maps is the most complete public directory in Tanzania. Listings usually include a phone number (often also a WhatsApp number), opening hours, a website link and photos — and they’re updated by the businesses and their customers.
Business websites
A website tells you what the business actually does, which services it highlights and what it lacks: no online booking, no price list, no Kiswahili version, an out-of-date product page. Those gaps are your opening line.
Facebook and Instagram pages
Many Tanzanian businesses are more active on Facebook or Instagram than on a website. Pages often list a WhatsApp number and an email address in the contact section, and recent posts show what they’re pushing this month.
Industry associations and trade fairs
Associations publish member lists, and events like the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (Sabasaba) gather exhibitors in one place. These are good for high-value targets you’ll approach personally.
How to qualify a prospect in two minutes
- Is it a real, active business? Recent reviews, posts or an updated website.
- Does it show the sign you’re looking for?
- Is there a way to reach a person — a published email or WhatsApp number on their own page?
- Is it the right size? A single shop and a chain need different offers.
Doing this by hand for 50 businesses takes most of a day. KijaniHub’s lead generation does the same checks automatically: it searches Google Maps and the web, reads each website, and keeps only businesses with a real contact published on their own pages.
Making first contact that gets answered
- Lead with something true and specific about them: “I saw your clinic takes bookings by phone only.”
- Say what you offer in one sentence and what it changes for them.
- Ask one easy question: “Would a short demo on WhatsApp help?”
- Write in the language they use on their own pages — often Kiswahili for local businesses.
- Send in the morning, their time. Avoid Friday afternoons and public holidays.
Most replies come after a follow-up, not the first message. Plan one polite reminder three or four days later — see how to follow up with customers automatically.
Respect people’s data
Tanzania’s Personal Data Protection Act (2022) sets rules for how personal information is collected and used. Keep to what businesses publish for customers to contact them, say who you are, offer a clear way to opt out and honour it immediately. That is good law and good sales: people who asked not to hear from you will never buy.
Questions
Should I buy a list of Tanzanian business contacts?
Usually not. Bought lists go stale quickly, are sold to many buyers and contain addresses that bounce, which damages your email reputation. Building your own list from current public listings works better.
Email or WhatsApp for first contact?
For many local businesses, WhatsApp gets a faster reply; for larger companies and offices, email is more formal and expected. Using both — politely and with an opt-out — works best.