We are a community of builders, entrepreneurs, and outside-the-box thinkers seeking to meaningfully progress human flourishing through technological and social innovation. From May 15 - June 21, 2024, we will bring together ~60-75 full-time residents to participate in a five week pop-up city in Fumba Town, Zanzibar.
Zanzalu Long-Term Housing OptionsYou can also book long- and short-term housing through Airbnb or Aura Spaces:
Zanzalu Startup WeekendPlease register through Lemonade Social:
This introductory wiki is designed to answer any questions you may have about Zanzalu. However, if you have any questions that are not addressed here, please reach out to any member of our organizing team. You can connect with us on Telegram: https://t.me/+9P9e-eWZ581jZDIx.
Table of Contents:
- What is Zanzalu?
- What is the programming schedule?
- What is your approach to community engagement?
- What is life like in Fumba Town?
- How do I get to Fumba Town?
- How much is a ticket and what is included?
- What is the housing situation?
- Will there be co-working space in Fumba?
- How is the Wi-Fi in Fumba Town?
- How can I get involved?
What is Zanzalu?
Zanzalu is a Zuzalu spin-off being held in Fumba Town, Zanzibar from May 15 - June 21, 2024. Zanzalu aims to help cultivate a growth ecosystem in Fumba Town by incubating experimentation, nurturing community, and inspiring intentional action. This mission has three distinct components:
- Connect African builders: By locating in Zanzibar, we aim to help build a Zuzalu community in Africa. There are not many opportunities for African builders, especially in the Web3 ecosystem, to meaningfully connect and collaborate with one another and the international community. Zanzalu seeks to help fill this gap and create a collaborative environment where African talent can thrive.
- Explore alternative forms of city organization: Cities are wellsprings of innovation. We are particularly interested in charter cities, pop-up cities, and the synergies between them. By bringing together city builders of all types, we can help build relationships and outline a set of best practices.
- Encourage people to build in Zanzibar: Lots of interesting stuff is happening on the Fumba peninsula! The Indian Institute of Technology opened their first overseas campus in October 2023. The African School of Economics is opening their first East Africa campus in 2024. The Charter Cities Institute is also partnering with CPS to turn Fumba Town into a full-blown satellite city, with a heavy focus on the knowledge economy.
If you are interested in learning more about Zanzalu as an organization, including our vision, mission, values, and theory of change, check out these information pages:
Vision, mission, valuesWhat makes Zanzalu unique?
What is the programming schedule?
Due to space constraints, we’re encouraging people to come as residents, not as visitors. Because we are focusing on residents, instead of strict programming, we will curate a vibrant community around themes and allow the discussions to flow continuously throughout Zanzalu.
However, each week will have a broad theme. The themes for Zanzalu 2024 are:
May 20 - May 24: Blockchain and Crypto
- Web3 is a new coordination mechanism that humanity is beginning to understand. This theme aims to explore the transformative potential of decentralized technologies such as crypto and blockchain protocols. Discussions will cover topics such as the mechanics of blockchain, the applications of smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and the future of decentralized governance. We want to experiment with technology that can help our community and others.
- This week will culminate in Student Weekend from May 24 - May 26. We are partnering with students and faculty from the State University of Zanzibar and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Zanzibar to provide a short ‘Intro to Web3’ workshop series.
May 27 - May 31: Charter Cities, Network States, and Programmable Politics
- Charter cities can help spur innovation and accelerate economic growth across the African continent. During the second week of Zanzalu, we will delve into the concept of charter cities, exploring their role in shaping the future of urban development and governance. We will also examine other innovative approaches to governance and decision-making, including network states and programmable politics.
June 3 - June 7: Digital Public Goods
- Innovation thrives when access to digital infrastructure is democratized. During this week, we'll dive into the realm of digital public goods to explore the ways in which open-source software, data, and standards can promote collaboration, innovation, and equitable access to technology for the benefit of society as a whole.
June 10 - June 14: Africa Tech Week
- The African tech scene is blossoming. Africa Tech Week is dedicated to exploring the essential ingredients for nurturing and sustaining successful startups across the continent. From access to capital and mentorship to fostering a culture of innovation, we'll delve into the key factors driving the growth of Africa's tech ecosystem.
- Startup Weekend, on June 14 and 15, will be a two-day sub-event of Zanzalu, designed to convene startups from across the continent to to network, pitch their enterprises, and hear from renowned speakers. The theme of the event is “Building a Startup Ecosystem.” The full line-up will be announced soon. Tickets will be free for general admission, but there will be a small fee for exhibitors. Reserve your spot through Lemonade Social.
June 17 - June 21: Art and Culture Week
- Zanzibar has an extremely diverse and vibrant cultural history. This week will be dedicated entirely to celebrating all the beauty that the island has to offer, including its music, art, and dance.
Not only will we connect innovators from around the world, but we will also explore new ways of incubating community among groups in the local network. We are connected to the Fumba Town community and dedicated to the growth of Zanzibar. Zanzalu will strive to engage members of the host community that may not be able to attend programming during the week. By producing community-oriented events, Zanzalu can more effectively support the aspirations and capabilities of the local community while engaging with and taking inspiration from its vibrancy. In this way, the cultivation of reciprocal and productive relationships with local partners will enable the Zanzalu community and the local host community to grow symbiotically.
What is your approach to community engagement?
Local community members are active participants in organizing, producing, and attending Zanzalu. Several of the core organizers are currently based in Zanzibar. For example, Fumba Town’s Permaculture Design Company will host a sustainability sub-track to introduce Zanzalu participants to the basics of permaculture and compost, culminating in permaculture certification. Additionally, KwetuKwenu Chill - a waterfront restaurant in Fumba - will host weekly DJ nights on Fridays, movie nights on Tuesdays, karaoke nights on Wednesdays, and regular live music. In this way, active community engagement is at the very core of Zanzalu.
We believe there are three objectives that should guide the design of community events:
- Learn from and support local groups: Zanzalu seeks to help catalyze bottom-up spontaneous solutions for future growth within the community itself instead of imposing top-down initiatives that ignore local realities. We recognize that our role in the host community is, first and foremost, to learn from and support local groups. Once we understand of the needs and aspirations of the host community, we can then employ the expertise inherent in the Zanzalu network to help strengthen community capabilities.
- Facilitate new patterns of interaction between local community groups: Involving a multitude of local groups and individuals in Zanzalu will help create new patterns of interaction with and among residents, potentially resulting in the growth of collaborative relationships among community groups. By facilitating interaction between groups that may not often work with one another, Zanzalu can help spark the development of innovative solutions to community problems.
- Forge long-lasting, meaningful connections with local partners: Zanzalu must cultivate meaningful and reciprocal relationships with local partners that endure well beyond the end of each formal gathering. Through new social technologies and open channels of communication, we will strive to build an environment where the local community can reach out to Zanzalu members to continue conversations, share information, or collaborate.
Check out this doc you are interested in learning more about our approach to community events.
What is life like in Fumba Town?
Fumba Town is located on Zanzibar, a beautiful island off the coast of Tanzania. Although there is no beach in Fumba Town, it is about 30 minutes south of Zanzibar’s largest city, Stone Town and an hour away from Paje - a backpacker’s beach with kite surfing, cave diving, and a vibrant party scene. The entire island is generally safe, with a laid-back, do-it-yourself culture.
Fumba Town itself is a walkable town with an active civic life, friendly neighbors, and beautiful nature. There are a variety of amenities in Fumba Town, including four restaurants, a grocery store, a fruit vendor, a pharmacy and urban clinic, co-working space, and a multitude of green and blue spaces. The entire town is also a permaculture paradise, thanks to the fantastic work of the Permaculture Design Company.
Some scenes from around Fumba Town:
How do I get to Fumba Town?
Zanzibar has direct flights from many Middle Eastern hubs, including Doha and Dubai, as well as several European hubs including Istanbul and Paris. Fumba Town is 20 minutes from the airport; the taxi drivers at the airport will know the location (you can negotiate the fare, which should be about 12 USD or 30,000 TZS).
Tanzania does not require a visa for many countries in East Africa. For most other countries, nationals can get an e-visa or a visa on arrival, which costs 50 USD. However, Americans are required to pay 100 USD for a multiple-entry visa.
Nationals of some countries will need a referral visa, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan Republic, Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan), Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Somali land, Sierra Leone, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. If you are from one of these countries and would like to attend please let us know. We will try out best to assist with the visa process, but do not make any guarantees.
How much is a ticket and what is included?
Tickets for Zanzalu are default $500 per person. Weekly passes are also available for $100 per person. Tickets for African builders at $250 for all five weeks or $60 per week. Housing ranges from $1,200 - $1,400 for townhouse rentals, which can be split among multiple tenants to reduce costs. Studios and one-bedrooms are approximately $1,000. Unfortunately, we are not in a financial position to subsidize lodging and travel.
The ticket price includes access to Zanzalu-hosted events, common spaces, and daily breakfast.
You can apply for a ticket to Zanzalu through Lemonade. Please apply through Lemonade Social:
If your application is approved, you will be able to complete your ticket payment through Lemonade as well.
What is the housing situation?
Zanzalu Long-Term Housing OptionsTicket holders should reserve housing long-term housing by filling out the reservation form listed for each unit.
Housing costs are not included in the price of the ticket for Zanzalu. You will need to book housing either through us or through Airbnb, if you would like to be located in Fumba Town (highly recommended). Housing in Fumba will be on first-come, first-served basis. We anticipate having approximately 75-100 beds available in town. There are a variety of options available, including studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, and three-bedroom townhouses. The prices vary depending on the model and range from 800 USD per month for studios to 2,000 USD per month for three-bed townhouses.
Aura Spaces also has multiple units available for rent in Fumba Town:
Alternatively, participants can also book through Airbnb (see available units here).
Will there be co-working space in Fumba?
Yes! Aura Spaces recently opened up a beautiful co-working space in the heart of Fumba Town. The co-working building has an open central floor plan, two meeting rooms, a conference room, and a small library.
There are also various places around town that are well-suited to co-working. The central convening space on the rooftop of Pavilion will have indoor space and couches to accommodate working. KwetuKwenu Chill - the restaurant where daily breakfast will be served - also has ample space for co-working close to the water.
How is the Wi-Fi in Fumba Town?
Wi-Fi in Fumba Town can occasionally be unreliable. The connection can also be slow. We will provide SIM cards for those who are interested. It is worth noting that there are occasionally power outages, but Fumba Town has a reliable back-up generator system.
How can I get involved?
Zanzalu is a co-created experience, so we are excited to see how participants take ownership of the event and self-organize as it progresses.
