April 8, 2025

Football Fever

2027 Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa

Africa’s biggest football tournament is coming to East Africa in 2027. Rumours have it that Zanzibar might yet become one of the hosts.

For the first time the biennial soccer competition, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be held in three different countries in 2027 – in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Each country has proposed 2-3 stadiums with seating capacities between 20,000 and 60,000, according to AFCON – Zanzibar is currently not among them. Construction of new stadiums in Arusha and Nairobi are underway; Dodoma is planned. But sources say Zanzibar could still be added, in which case a new stadium might be built on the Fumba peninsula. The Zanzibar Investment Promotions Authority (ZIPA) carefully signalled: “We believe that one of the stadiums with international standards will be in Zanzibar.”

Would it be a blessing or headache for the island, given the demands on infrastructure, roads, lighting, public transport? “Zanzibar as a whole and Fumba Town in particular would almost certainly benefit from the attractive event”, insiders say. Next question: Can an entire, not yet-planned new stadium be erected in just over two years?

Soccer – a way of life

Certain is: Zanzibar would have enough soccer-fans to watch the spectacle. Soccer here is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life. The best local team KMKM (Kikosi Maalum cha Kuzuia Magendo), nicknamed “Wazalendo” (The Patriots), easily draws crowds that fill Zanzibar’s Amaan Stadium with its seating capacity of about 15,000. Everywhere in villages, young and old gather around kiosks with TV when Manchester United plays, Zanzibar’s favourite English Premier League club.

This year’s Africa cup 2025 will kick off in Rabat in Morocco in December. The tournament was first held in 1957 with only three nations participating, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup’s history. Today, 16 teams are competing. Tanzania has taken part three times.

April 14, 2025

Meet me on Sunset Drive

The streets of Fumba: named after flowers, Tanzanian classics and Swahili spices With more and more roads paved, a stunning highway-like entrance and about 1,400 homes sold, Fumba Town is ready to get street names. Signboards in green and white are in the making. It was the community that chose the names. On a Sunday

April 8, 2025

The Glass Miracle

Chako upcycling creates 50 jobs There are bottles everywhere. Of course. This is Chako’s raw material! Chako (Swahili for yours) is the oldest glass collection company in Zanzibar creating handcrafted art products from waste. When we visit the factory near Bububu, more than 50 women and men are busy cutting used bottles into new shapes;

March 24, 2025

The Big Make-over

Who and what is behind the ongoing facelift of Stone Town of Zanzibar’s historic heart? By Andrea Tapper The historic quarter of Zanzibar is undergoing a massive overhaul and facelift. Exclusively for THE FUMBA TIMES, state conservator Ali Said Bakar and private investor Samuel Saba revealed their plans for the evocative make-over during a discovery

March 21, 2025

New Chance For Stone Town

EXCLUSIVE – Two men on a joint mission to beautify Zanzibar’s historic heart By Andrea Tapper Never before has there been a concerted action like this: The whole of Stone Town and several of its historical icons are being dusted-off, renovated, modernised, repaired and repainted. Two men have vowed to tackle the mammoth task. From

March 20, 2025

Enjoying Zanzibar during Ramadan

What visitors should know about the Holy Month By Winnie Mollel Contrary to what some people may think, Zanzibar is not off limits to tourists during Ramadan. In fact, the most holy month of the Muslim calendar can be an especially enlightening time. Ramadan (also written Ramadhan) is the fasting month in Islam, a time

February 25, 2025

My Beautiful Launderette

The figures hit us straight away. When we heard that Pure Laundry, a new enterprise in Fumba Uptown, could wash, dry and neatly fold 7.2 tonnes of laundry per day, we knew that THE FUMBA TIMES had to visit the place. 7.2 tonnes – that’s about 1,000 normal household washing machine loads. Per day! Behind

February 3, 2025

Street Art Explosion

Watch street art live in the making from 3-17 February, 2025 in Fumba Town, workshops for kids included. Black gorillas on the wall of the mall, a giraffe in a restaurant. Eight public spaces and two private houses are being converted into colourful objects during a very first ‘Street Art Festival’ in Fumba Town in

January 27, 2025

Urban Planners love Fumba

The first university poised for Fumba Town in Zanzibar, the renowned African School of Economics (ASE), opened with an extraordinary diploma course on urban planning. The first university poised for Fumba Town in Zanzibar, the renowned African School of Economics (ASE), opened with an extraordinary diploma course on urban planning. Around 40 participants are taking

January 15, 2025

“We Saved our Forest"

New: biking and walking tours in Masingini Forest Students of Kawa, a hospitality school in Stone Town sponsored by the TUI Care Foundation, are re-growing and protecting a whole forest in Zanzibar – thus creating a new tourist attraction. Abu is leading the way. The student of Kawa training centre, also known as TUI academy,