ZNZist Weekly — 11 October 2026

Alia: Welcome to ZNZist Weekly, your Zanzibar News Digest. I am Alia. Badru: And I am Badru. Let us start with a major real estate story out of Zanzibar this week. Alia: Habari Leo reports that Infinity Developments has officially launched Phase One sales for its Infinity Hills project, putting three hundred and fifty residential units and forty two commercial spaces on the market. Badru: This is a mixed use development being built in partnership with the Zanzibar Housing Corporation, and it sits close to Stone Town. The plan brings together housing, business space, education and recreation in one community. Alia: According to the company, Phase One includes studio units along with one and two bedroom homes, designed around natural light and efficient use of space. Market reports cited by Habari Leo describe strong early interest, with transactions already reaching billions of shillings. Badru: The project's Head of Sales, Hamida Swalehe, said that response from buyers and investors has been encouraging since the project was announced, and that early transactions reflect confidence in the location and long term value near Stone Town. Alia: One notable feature of the master plan is a planned GEMS international school inside the community, which the developer says is meant to make the project more attractive to families looking for homes, schooling and daily services in one place. Badru: Construction has not yet begun, according to the report, though preparations are underway and building work is expected to start soon. Project Manager Michael John Makoye said the company is focused on disciplined execution as it prepares for the next phase. Alia: A second phase is expected to add more housing along with a dedicated commercial building, with shops and food and beverage outlets on the lower floors and office space above. Badru: Infinity Group's Chief Financial Officer, Rohit Kapoor, argued that large projects like this tend to generate wider economic benefits, including jobs, opportunities for local businesses, and additional government revenue as the project progresses. Alia: Chief Executive Samuel Saba described the project as part of the company's long term commitment to Zanzibar, saying the goal goes beyond building homes to creating a planned community that also contributes to the island's economic development. Badru: If construction proceeds as outlined, this would mark a shift from planning documents to actual infrastructure work, which the developer says will be important for maintaining buyer confidence going forward. Alia: For now, the figures are sales announcements and company statements, so the real test will be whether construction timelines and economic promises materialize as the project moves ahead. Alia: Next on ZNZist Weekly, we turn to Zanzibar's judiciary, and a regional gathering that just wrapped up in Mtoni. Badru: Right, Daily News reports that the Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justices Forum, known as SEACJF 2026, ran from October fifth through October ninth at the Verde Hotel. It brought together chief justices and delegates from more than sixteen countries across the region. Alia: And the topics on the table were judicial reforms, digital case management, and strengthening how justice actually gets delivered to people. Badru: President Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who chairs the Revolutionary Council, officially opened the conference. Daily News also notes that Chief Justice Khamis Ramadhan Abdalla led the Zanzibar judiciary in hosting it. Alia: What stood out to me is the backstory. The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Zanzibar branch, says hosting this forum traces back to work it did jointly with the Zanzibar judiciary in 2022. Badru: That was the Holistic Assessment of the Judiciary of Zanzibar. According to THRDC Zanzibar, it flagged priority areas like improving internal performance, speeding up digital systems, and deepening regional and international cooperation. Alia: THRDC Zanzibar's coordinator, Suleiman Mujuni Baitani, said that assessment laid the foundation for strengthening the judiciary's systems and provided recommendations for strategic improvements. He called hosting SEACJF 2026 one of the outcomes of that work. Badru: He framed it as evidence of what he called the judiciary's genuine commitment to bringing about change. That is THRDC's characterization, worth noting since they helped conduct the original assessment. Alia: Baitani also said the conference gave Zanzibar a chance to share its own experience with judiciaries from across the region, and to learn from others as it works to improve access to justice. Badru: If that exchange translates into practical steps, things like faster digital case handling or stronger regional coordination, it could matter well beyond the conference itself. But for now, what we have on record is the meeting taking place and the stated goals, not yet concrete reforms. Alia: THRDC Zanzibar also congratulated the judiciary for successfully hosting such a large regional gathering. Badru: A notable moment for Zanzibar's justice sector, and one worth watching to see what follow up actually emerges from it. Alia: This week on ZNZist Weekly, we are following President Hussein Ali Mwinyi's diplomatic push abroad, as Zanzibar looks to widen its investment base. Badru: Right, Daily News reports that Dr Mwinyi left for Doha, Qatar, on October seventh, on a working visit meant to strengthen economic cooperation and open new development and investment opportunities for Zanzibar. Alia: According to the report, he was received in Doha by Tanzania's Ambassador to Qatar, Habibu Awesi Mohamed, and his programme included meetings with international investors and business leaders, with tourism flagged as a particular area of focus. Badru: One concrete meeting Daily News highlighted was with Omar Hussain Alfardan, president of Alfardan Companies. The talks reportedly centered on tourism, hotels, hospitality services, and residential and commercial developments, areas where Zanzibar is actively courting private capital. Alia: That fits with what the President's Office told Daily News about government policy for the twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven period, which places emphasis on boosting private sector participation in business and industry. Badru: Dr Mwinyi also toured The Pearl Island, a major mixed use development by Qatar's United Development Company. Per the briefing he received at the project's sales centre, The Oyster, the development sits on reclaimed land covering about four million square metres, with roughly twenty five thousand residential units and a population of about fifty two thousand people. Alia: It is worth being clear that this was a study visit, not an announced investment deal. Daily News frames it as an opportunity for Dr Mwinyi to learn from a large scale model combining residential, business and hospitality facilities, the same mix Zanzibar is promoting to investors. Badru: After Doha, the President was due to travel to Madrid on October ninth, where his programme was expected to include talks with international stakeholders on investment, as well as football and youth talent development. Alia: So two very different stops, one centered on property and tourism capital in the Gulf, the other touching sport and youth development in Spain. Badru: If any of these conversations do translate into actual agreements, that would be the next thing to watch, since for now the reporting describes meetings and site visits rather than signed commitments. Alia: Still, taken together, the trip signals how actively Zanzibar's government is working to position the isles internationally, particularly around tourism, hospitality and residential development, the same sectors driving much of the real estate activity we have been tracking at home. Alia: Zanzibar is about to host a very different kind of luxury getaway. According to Hotel and Catering, a new wellness residency called House of Aurora times ENVI Paje is launching on Paje Beach, running from the twenty ninth of October through the second of November twenty twenty six. Badru: This is not your typical beach retreat, Alia. The outlet reports it pairs high end island hospitality with advanced diagnostics, personalised biological testing and biohacking therapies, things like hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapy, PEMF, IV drips and cold immersion. Alia: And it is built around something called the SDRT methodology, standing for strain, defend, recover and thrive. That framework comes from longevity specialist Elie Abirached of The Limitless Human, who is quoted saying longevity should never follow a generic formula, and that it starts with understanding how your own body responds and recovers. Badru: According to the report, guests will actually begin their health profile before they even land in Zanzibar, through bloodwork and private consultations. That baseline is then used to shape a programme once they arrive, mixing functional movement, nervous system work and recovery sessions with ocean views and private villa comfort. Alia: The whole ENVI Paje property will reportedly be reserved just for this, with only twenty two private villas available, so capacity is intentionally small. The organisers say that is meant to allow for privacy and closer personal attention than a typical group retreat would offer. Badru: It is also described as an ongoing relationship rather than a one off trip. Participants are said to leave with a personalised lifestyle protocol, with optional follow up check ins at thirty, sixty and ninety days afterward. Alia: The experience is curated by House of Aurora, which the report describes as an all female team of event producers and creative directors with a track record organising large scale wellness festivals in the region. Badru: If this format succeeds, it could matter for Zanzibar's broader tourism positioning, since it is aimed squarely at what the report calls discerning health travellers from the UAE and beyond, rather than conventional beach holidaymakers. Alia: The report also notes a preview event is planned in Dubai ahead of the retreat, giving potential guests an early look at the villas and the programme before committing. Badru: Worth watching whether this edition becomes a repeatable model, since organisers are already calling it Edition One, suggesting more could follow if demand holds up. Alia: This is ZNZist Weekly, and we want to begin with a heartbreaking story out of Pemba. Badru: According to Jamhuri Media, Zanzibar's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has confirmed the death of a Form One student, fifteen year old Raiyan Hemed Amour, who attended Kizimbani Secondary School. Alia: The ministry says the boy went missing while he was on his way home from school, and was later found dead. The report, published on October fifth, does not detail the circumstances of what happened in between. Badru: In its statement, the ministry described the death as a cruel and inhumane act. That is strong language from a government body, and it signals how seriously officials are treating this case. Alia: The ministry extended condolences to the student's family, relatives, teachers, fellow students, and the wider community, calling this a heavy loss for everyone connected to the school. Badru: Importantly, the ministry has not named any suspects or confirmed a cause of death. What it has done is formally appeal to Zanzibar's security and safety organs to carry out a thorough and swift investigation. Alia: The ministry specifically asked that anyone found responsible be identified and face legal consequences. That is a direct call for accountability, even though the investigation itself appears to still be in its early stages. Badru: The ministry also urged members of the public to cooperate with authorities by sharing any information that could help the investigation move forward. That suggests officials believe there may be witnesses or details in the community that have not yet surfaced. Alia: It is worth being careful here. We only know what the ministry has stated, there is no confirmed timeline of events beyond the student going missing and later being found dead, and no official cause has been released. Badru: For families across Pemba and the wider Zanzibar archipelago, a case like this raises real concern about the safety of children travelling to and from school, especially until investigators can clarify what actually took place. Alia: As this story develops, any findings from security authorities will matter a great deal, both for the family seeking answers and for a community now waiting to understand how this tragedy occurred. Badru: For now, the ministry's position is clear, it is treating this as a serious criminal matter and is pushing for a fast and transparent inquiry. Alia: Zanzibar is placing real weight on this week's COP12 gathering in Dar es Salaam, where member states of the Nairobi Convention are marking forty years of cooperation on protecting the Western Indian Ocean. Badru: According to Daily News, Zanzibar's Secretary General for Education and Vocational Training, Khamis Abdulla Said, said the conference gives countries a chance to review progress from earlier meetings and shape new strategies for marine and coastal conservation. Alia: Habari Leo reports that fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, shipping, ports, and even oil and gas have all been flagged as investment priorities tied to the talks, with officials describing them as part of a wider blue economy push. Badru: Zanzibar's own Minister of State for Union and Environment affairs, Khamis Juma Khamis, told the gathering that unity among coastal nations is essential, since pollution and coral destruction threaten both fish breeding grounds and community livelihoods. Alia: That matters for Zanzibar specifically, because its economy leans heavily on fishing and ocean-based tourism, so decisions coming out of COP12 could shape future funding and protections for those sectors. Badru: Daily News also quoted UNEP's Executive Director, Elizabeth Mrema, who stressed the need for public education on ocean conservation, pointing to plastic waste as a major threat to marine life and the communities that depend on it. Alia: Organizers say more than seven hundred participants are attending, and for the first time in COP12's history, Tanzania has arranged dedicated sessions for women and young people to engage with blue economy opportunities. Badru: That youth focus was echoed by entrepreneurs at a side forum, including Badru Yassin, a Zanzibar-based sea cucumber farmer who said joblessness pushed him toward marine farming back in 2019, a venture that has since grown to ten members. Alia: His experience reflects a broader theme from the conference, that coastal communities need better access to financing and clearer regulations before marine ventures can scale up commercially. Badru: None of this guarantees immediate change for Zanzibar's fishing or tourism sectors, but officials are framing COP12 as a chance to turn years of discussion into funded, practical projects. Alia: Whether that translates into real resources on the ground will likely depend on commitments made before the conference concludes. Alia: Turning to travel news this week on ZNZist Weekly, British Airways has announced it will add new direct flights from London Gatwick to both Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, according to rustourismnews dot com. Badru: The report says the airline is expanding its Africa network, with both routes launching in the summer twenty twenty seven season, strengthening British Airways leisure focused operation at Gatwick. Alia: For travelers, that matters because Kilimanjaro International Airport is a key gateway to northern Tanzania's safari circuit, giving access to Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. Badru: Meanwhile Zanzibar remains one of East Africa's best known beach destinations, combining resorts with Stone Town, diving, sailing and cultural tourism, the outlet reports. Alia: rustourismnews dot com notes the two new routes could create a natural twin centre trip, letting visitors start with a mainland safari after landing at Kilimanjaro, then fly on to Zanzibar for a beach stay, a combination already popular among tour operators. Badru: The site frames this as part of a wider British Airways push to grow leisure flying from Gatwick, separate from its larger Heathrow hub, with exact schedules and fares still to be confirmed as summer twenty twenty seven booking opens. Alia: Jamhuri Media offers some additional context, reporting that British Airways announced on October seventh, twenty twenty six, that it would restore direct flights between the United Kingdom and Tanzania, though that report points to a May twenty twenty seven start date, a detail that differs slightly from the summer timeline described elsewhere. Badru: According to Jamhuri Media, the announcement came from Moran Birger, British Airways head of markets for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, speaking at a UK Tanzania investment forum at the Peninsula Hotel in London, which was opened by Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba. Alia: Birger reportedly said the decision reflects growing traveler numbers to Tanzania alongside the country's economic growth and investment appeal. Badru: Prime Minister Mwigulu welcomed the move, telling roughly three hundred forum participants that peace, stability and steady leadership remain Tanzania's biggest assets for attracting investors, while also pointing to reliable electricity, road infrastructure, the standard gauge railway, ports and airports as drivers of development under the country's Vision twenty fifty plan. Alia: Planning Minister Kitila Mkumbo added that the government has set out clear policies aimed at driving economic growth for both individuals and the nation as a whole. Badru: Together, the two reports suggest British Airways sees renewed demand for travel to Tanzania, even if the precise launch date for the new routes is not yet fully settled. Alia: A group of thirteen tourism agents from India recently wrapped up a familiarization trip to Tanzania, with Zanzibar forming a key part of the itinerary. Daily News reports the visit was organised by the Tanzania Tourist Board together with the Tanzania High Commission in New Delhi, running from September twenty eighth through October fourth. Badru: According to Travel Trade Journal, the delegation included representatives from several Indian travel companies such as Kesari Tours, Thrillophilia and TravClan, along with content creators who help shape how Indian audiences see international destinations. Alia: Their journey started on the Tanzanian mainland, taking in Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, where they joined game drives and even a hot air balloon safari over the plains. Badru: From there, the group flew to Zanzibar for a three night stay. Daily News says they explored Forodhani Gardens and watched cultural performances at Makachu, while also taking a walking tour through Stone Town. Alia: The itinerary included Safari Blue, a marine excursion highlighting Zanzibar's coastal waters, along with a visit to a beach resort property, giving the agents a direct feel for what island based tourism here offers. Badru: Business to business meetings were held both on the mainland and in Zanzibar, connecting Indian agents with local tourism operators to discuss marketing packages that combine safari experiences with Zanzibar's beaches and culture. Alia: Himanshu Patil, president of India's Outbound Tour Operators Association, told Travel Trade Journal that his organisation deliberately promotes emerging destinations to its members, pointing to a similar push in Kenya two years ago that was followed by more than thirty one percent growth in Kenyan arrivals from India. Badru: Patil said there is interest in exploring a future association convention in Tanzania, which he suggested could help sell the destination more effectively within the Indian market, though no firm decision has been announced. Alia: For Zanzibar specifically, this kind of exposure matters because India remains one of Tanzania's key source markets, and these agents now have first hand knowledge to pass on to Indian travellers. Badru: Whether this translates into measurable increases in Indian visitor numbers will depend on how these business connections develop in the months ahead. Alia: That brings us to the end of this episode of ZNZist Weekly. Badru: Thank you for listening, and we will be back with more news next time.