How Samiha Ali took the entrepreneurial 'leap of faith'

Starting over is beyond nerve-wracking, be it in a career or life in its entirety, because of the uncertainty of what lies ahead of you.

However, taking a leap of faith in yourself and starting afresh can result in groundbreaking moments in your career.

Some three years ago, Samiha Ali made a grand decision to relocate from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar and start a financial consulting firm, a bold move by any measure.

Little did she know that this momentous move would, years later, open career doors for her that were once out of her reach.

She has never looked back. She is now the founder and chief executive officer of Sazali Consultancy.

Her story began during the time she was studying for a Master's Degree in Business Administration at Mzumbe University.

This was shortly after she finalised her Bachelor's Degree in Banking and Financial Services at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM).

She joined a transportation company as an assistant accountant, where she worked for its subsidiary firms that deal with hunting, mining and hospitality.

Afterward, she joined another firm as a tax consultant and supervisor accountant, where she worked for about two years.

At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, she quit the job.

"It was the kind of job where I used to only follow orders. There was no room for innovation and growth. This led to my disconnection from that role, so I chose to step aside and work for myself," she recalls.

Before she quit her job, Samiha was already working as a freelancer.

She decided to establish her consultancy with the same clients she was already working with.

She was doing bookkeeping for her clients when she received a request from a client in Zanzibar.

“He sought assistance in reducing his expenses to sustain his business amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. With businesses grappling to survive during this tumultuous period, I helped him devise cost-cutting strategies to ensure the continuity of his operations," she narrates.

This opened the door for Samiha to attract more clients who also wanted the same service from her.

"I crafted budgets for these clients that helped their businesses survive during the Covid-19 pandemic," she says.

She adds, “As an external consultant, I offered to work with service-oriented enterprises and governmental entities on various initiatives.”

In 2021, Samiha relocated to Zanzibar and moved in with one of her friends. She began working from home and at coffee shops across the island until she could stand up on her own.

"At the dawn of my career in Zanzibar, I got a call from an organisation that required a forensic audit service, something that was beyond my field at the time. I invested my time to learn about it, but I also worked with other consultants who were already offering that service," she explains.

This followed the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) issue, which saw banks pull out of giving financing to companies that did not have an ESG framework or policy. 

This situation motivated Samiha to study two online courses that advanced her knowledge of the framework.

She learned that it's a way of sustainably running businesses in a manner that is profitable yet environmentally friendly.

"I learned that it was a new policy not only in Zanzibar but also in Tanzania. I wanted to offer this product to companies. But I needed to learn about it before selling it," she details.

One of her friends advised Samiha to share her work on LinkedIn.

She began exploring the platform and this saw her connecting with professionals from different parts of the world.

"I started advertising investment opportunities on the island. My objective was to convince people on LinkedIn to invest in Zanzibar so that they could use my services. When my profile began getting traction, I realised that I was sharing a side of Zanzibar as a business hub and not the luxurious relaxation island the world knows it for, and many people were interested in learning about it," she reveals.

This led Samiha to work with the government of Zanzibar, particularly with ministries that are aligned with investment, to make sure that there is information about investment opportunities in different developmental sectors on the island.

Among the challenges that she faced at the beginning of her career on the island was that people ignored her due to her age.

"I was 26 years old when I relocated to Zanzibar and most people saw my age and gender before anything else. Another challenge was the island mindset, where the pace is not as fast as it is in Dar es Salaam," she explains.

She suggests that microfinance companies can invest in women by designing services or products that cater to women.

"Women in Tanzania do not hold a lot of assets and collateral like men due to the cultural barriers that were formed decades ago. The design of these products has to be in a manner that does not demand a lot of security or collateral so that it would be easier to lend to women," she advises.

Samiha also says that those microfinances have to assist women in making bankable plans for them to get finances.

"Charity starts at home. This means that women in higher ranks have to extend their hands to fellow women who aspire to get to where they already are. Unfortunately, this is not happening as much as it should. Women coming together for a bigger cause would inspire elevation and career growth for all parties involved," she details.