TWO DECADES AGO, TELEVISION WAS A SYMBOL OF WEALTH

By Manish Jangra, Country Head, Samsung Electronics Tanzania.

Dar es Salaam - If you ask me to name the most common electrical appliance that Tanzanians had at home over the past two decades, I will tell you that it was the television.

You might be surprised, but that's largely the reality compared to the current situation where almost every household activity is done with a home appliance.

If you asked anyone during that time why they didn’t buy an electric stove, kettle, refrigerator, washing machine, blender, or air conditioner, they would tell you that it was a luxury to have them and that they increased electricity expenses, thus the cost of living.

But the situation has changed significantly; many people are considering different ways to simplify their daily lives, by doing multiple things within a short time.

According to Statista, in 2024, revenue in the household appliances market in Tanzania reached 3.03 billion US dollars. This market is estimated to grow annually by 5.54% (CAGR 2024-2028).

By 2024, online sales are expected to contribute 1.1% of all revenue in the household appliances market in Tanzania. In addition, the household appliances market is expected to experience a growth of 3.9% in 2025.

This is a good sign for the growth and increase in the use of home appliances, which has for many years, been advocated for by manufacturing and distribution companies of electrical appliances.

Tanzania is among the fastest-growing economies in the continent, and proper utilization of production time is a non-debatable issue now. According to the World Bank, on Tanzania’s economic outlook, the update shows the economy has been resilient, growing by 5.2% in 2023, compared to 4.6% in 2022. And the growth for 2024 is projected at 5.6%.

It is now common to find many Tanzanian families no longer using charcoal and wasting time preparing breakfast. The presence of home appliances such as kettles and stoves has simplified and saved the time that used to be wasted in the morning. For example, several years ago, a mother or housemaid had to wake up very early to prepare breakfast for the children before school. But now, it only takes about 10 minutes because there are appliances to facilitate it.

Also, I remember in the past when it would take people the whole day to do laundry, and if you had a large family, the task could take even two days or be postponed until the following week. It was a cause of suffering for mothers or housemaids because it would take them the whole day, leaving them with indescribable exhaustion yet other household chores awaited them.

Laundry has become easier due to the existence of modern machines with great capacity and user friendliness. One prepares for laundry by making minimal preparations, leaving time for other activities.

In summary, home appliances complement many tasks, and provide time to enjoy other activities that wouldn't have been possible simultaneously. For example, it was difficult to find time for family outings and enjoyment in the past due to the whole day spent doing chores.

These developments have largely been attributed to the increased penetration and consumption of electricity in the country. According to the Tanzania eCooking Market Assessment Report conducted by the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) in 2022, Tanzania has made significant progress in electricity penetration in recent years, more than doubling between 2010 and 2020 from 15% to 40%.

The government has ambitious plans for expanding electricity access and increasing production capacity, aiming for nearly 6000 MW to be added by 2026, 65% of which will be from renewable resources.

With these efforts, the fear that many customers have had in previous years will no longer be a challenge because the increase in production and access to electricity will go hand in hand with a decrease in costs. Thus, purchases and use of home appliances will further increase and reach many Tanzanians nationwide.

When discussing the use of household electrical appliances, modern technologies like AI to manage and control devices remotely will undoubtedly be included.

Manufacturers and distributors of home appliances have thought further ahead in simplifying people's daily activities. For example, with so much going on, how do you remember to turn off your home appliances? With technologies like the 3D Map View feature, first unveiled by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd at CES 2024 and now available in all countries with SmartThings access, you can now manage their usage remotely hassle-free.

If you are among those who are afraid of having many home appliances due to electricity usage and think it's luxurious, I urge you to abandon that old-fashioned mindset.

Think about the convenience and time you'll save every day by making minimal preparations and doing other things you think are impossible.