What if reaching more customers online was not a future goal, but a reality starting tomorrow?
For more than 1,400 young entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, that reality is already unfolding.
Through the Digital Business Program (DBP) under the Going Beyond Project, young women and men are not only learning how to exist online, they are learning how to grow, compete, and scale in a digital economy that increasingly defines opportunity.
Digital Skills That Translate Into Real Growth
Across Cohorts 2 and 3, a total of 1,415 entrepreneurs completed structured digital business training:
- 664 entrepreneurs in Cohort 3 (470 in Dar es Salaam, 194 in Morogoro)
- 247 entrepreneurs in Morogoro under Cohort 2
- 504 entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam graduating through the Business Development Services (BDS) pathway
Participants gained practical, market-ready skills to:
- Sell products and services online
- Manage social media as a business growth tool
- Track sales, payments, and business performance using simple digital tools
As one local saying reminds us: “Mitandao ni kijiji cha maendeleo” digital networks are villages of development. The program made that village accessible.
Beyond Training: Turning Skills Into Opportunity
Training alone does not grow business ecosystems.
That is why the Business Development Services (BDS) events were a critical milestone across all cohorts. These events went beyond celebration to unlock tangible opportunity by:
- Awarding certificates that strengthen business credibility
- Creating safe spaces for peer learning and experience sharing
- Connecting entrepreneurs directly with CRDB Bank and local government authorities
For many participants, this was their first direct engagement with financial institutions and regulators, an essential step toward formalization, compliance, and access to capital.
Linking entrepreneurs to financial institutions is not a side benefit, it is a growth accelerator.
During the graduation of 504 entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam, discussions with CRDB Bank and government leaders focused on:
- Access to loan products tailored for small and growing enterprises
- Compliance and licensing requirements for sustainability
- Financial literacy as a foundation for long-term scale
This direct linkage ensures that young entrepreneurs are not only digitally skilled, but also financially visible and investment-ready, a critical outcome for inclusive economic development.
Most importantly, they are turning learning into earning, transforming digital skills into income, resilience, and leadership within their communities.