- On 6 February 2025, DURP hosted a one-day hackathon to identify innovative, tech-driven solutions to tackle waste management challenges in the city.
- The event was attended by FCDO, MTI Investment, Resilience Academy and FSD Africa.
- Three innovations have been selected for further development and refinement to achieve investment readiness in the coming weeks.
With over 10 million inhabitants, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania and one of the fastest-growing cities in all of Africa. However, with only one landfill, Dar es Salaam is struggling to manage the huge amounts of waste – totalling over 5,000 tonnes – generated by its residents every day.
The Dar es Salaam Urban Resilience Project (DURP), a flagship initiative of the Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme, is finding practical and sustainable solutions to improve waste management systems in Dar es Salaam. On 6 February 2025, DURP hosted a one-day hackathon to identify innovative, tech-driven solutions to tackle waste management challenges in the city.
The event brought together important stakeholders – including Abdalla Shah, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Climate and Nature Adviser – as well as representatives from leading tech incubators and investment hubs such as MTI Investment, Resilience Academy and FSD Africa.
During the hackathon, entrepreneurs presented eight waste management innovations, ranging from app-based platforms to internet-of-things-enabled smart solutions to enhance coordination and efficiency among waste workers. The DURP team then selected three of these for further development and refinement. These standout innovations have now been admitted into MTI Investment’s Elevate Blue Incubator programme, where they will be supported to achieve investment readiness over the next three months.
The winning innovations included RootGIS’ ‘Digital Waste Bank,’ which aims to create community hubs for efficient food waste collection and processing, transforming waste into valuable resources such as eco-friendly fabrics and organic manure. David Kazuguri’s ‘Recarbonize X’ is a software-as-a-service platform connecting Dar es Salaam's food service industry with carbon offset markets, enabling businesses to efficiently manage food waste, reduce emissions and participate in the circular bioeconomy. James David’s ‘Gulio Smart – Leo Leo’ is a data management tool digitising Tanzania’s agricultural supply chain, tracking food waste at local markets to inform reduction strategies and connect vendors with resources for processing organic waste into livestock feed and fertiliser.
The hackathon highlighted the growing potential of technology to address pressing urban challenges, the creativity and drive of young Tanzanian innovators, and the importance of collaboration and investment in creating sustainable, tech-driven waste management solutions. The event also attracted media attention, with coverage in The Citizen and Habitat Media.
This event marks a significant step forward in leveraging technology to address urban waste management challenges and build a more sustainable future for Dar es Salaam.
The UK’s Green Cities and Infrastructure Programme is tackling climate change and extreme poverty by accelerating the delivery of sustainable green cities and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Published
11/03/25