By Ronald Sonyo
Alexandra Manyika and Noah Jotum are among the thousands of street vendors in Tanzania's capital, Dodoma, but they have found a way to stand out from their rivals.
In a country grappling with high youth unemployment, the pair is selling perfume while elegantly dressed in suits.
As they move on the city’s streets, their faces have now become familiar to the locals who have given them different nicknames. Some are even calling them mawakili - the Swahili name for lawyers.
How it all started?
Their friendship dates back in college when Alex and Noah were pursuing teaching and nursing courses respectively. Upon completion, and having stayed for sometime without proper employment, they decided to hit the streets by selling perfumes.
"We both like to be properly dressed. But we asked ourselves, what should we do to differentiate us from others?” says Alex.
Alex said their smart dressing had endeared them to customers.
“Customers are attracted to us and they trust us because of the way we present ourselves,” said Noah.
Fashion vs income
But how are they able to sustain their fashion with their earnings from hawking?
Noah admits that most of their clothes are secondhand costing around $50 to $100.
“We take this business seriously. Through this, we have managed to expand and invest in other things," said Alex.
When asked how long does it take them to repeat clothes, they both laughed, then Alex interjected: "It might take a month, but sometimes, we would repeat the favourite ones at least twice a week."
Alex and Noah have become the talk of Dodoma as one would expect to bump into them any place and time. But their favourite spots include markets, offices, bars and public spaces where their products can easily attract customers.
“There are a lot of opportunities. The important thing is to make up your mind. It doesn't matter whether you are educated or not. Your education should help you be creative and add value to what you are doing,” said Noah.
“We meet more than 500 people per day, with different behaviour. On that basis, whenever we encounter challenges, we would discuss them as we head back home in the evening. And that is where we get to compare notes,” explained Noah.
From graduating in nursing and teaching to selling perfumes Alex and Noah are proud young Tanzanians who are doing something completely different from what they initially studied.
Their dream is to expand and give back to the community.
“We want to pay back our community. But that is until we have expanded our business and created jobs for others,” said Alex.
Fatuma Omary, a local, is one of their long-time client. Fatuma seemed happy to mingle with the hawkers saying their dress code is what attracts everyone to them.
“The perfumes they are selling are good, as the smell last long, but what I like most is the fact that they are neat compared to others,” says Fatuma, as she chooses her brand.
“At times, I have to call them to bring me perfumes at home or at my office,” she added.
