Why coworking is the future of ambition: A case for more shared spaces in Dar
We’re living in a time where work no longer begins at 8 and ends at 5, where creativity doesn’t thrive under flickering fluorescent lights, and where your biggest business breakthrough could happen next to someone you just met at the coffee station.
Coworking spaces are no longer just a startup trend — they’re a cultural shift. From freelancers and consultants to founders and remote teams, the new generation of talent is choosing flexibility, inspiration, and community.
It’s less about desks and more about the energy — the feeling that your ideas are in motion, surrounded by others who are also building, testing, scaling.
In Dar es Salaam, this movement is slowly picking up momentum. But as someone who works in the creative and entrepreneurial space, I honestly think we're playing catch-up — and we shouldn't be. Our regional peers have already cracked this.
Take Nairobi, for instance, where coworking spaces like Nairobi Garage and Ikigai aren’t just shared offices — they’re innovation hubs. In Lagos, spaces like Vibranium Valley are fueling entire tech ecosystems. And in Cape Town, Workshop17 has redefined what it means to blend work and lifestyle under one roof. These cities understand that talent needs room to grow — not just physically, but socially and mentally too.
I believe we need to reframe what coworking really means, beyond the clichés of beanbags and free Wi-Fi.
It’s about access.
Coworking spaces democratize the workplace. No long-term leases. No sky-high deposits. No negotiating with landlords about water issues or broken ACs. With a decent laptop and a bold idea, you can plug into an ecosystem. For young professionals and small businesses, this levels the playing field in ways traditional offices never could.
It’s about community.
When you work in a silo, your biggest blind spot is often perspective. In coworking spaces, you find unexpected collaborators, future partners, or simply someone to bounce ideas off of. You realize you’re not the only one trying to figure it out. That energy — the hustle, the exchange — is contagious. It turns work into momentum.
It’s about wellbeing.
The post-pandemic professional doesn’t just want to work — they want to feel good while doing it. Coworking spaces are intentionally designed to promote comfort, natural light, movement, and balance. The freedom to step into a lounge for a call, to take a break in a quiet booth, to walk into a community workshop — that’s what makes work sustainable.
If we’re serious about nurturing innovation in Tanzania, then we need to start with the basics: where are people building from? What kind of environments are we offering our dreamers, builders, and problem-solvers? I say it’s time to give them better spaces. More open doors. Fewer walls.
If Dar is to truly grow its innovation potential, we need more shared spaces. More freedom to create. More cross-industry pollination. We need to blur the lines between office and lifestyle, between ambition and wellness.
Because great ideas don’t just need funding. They need room to grow. And that begins with reimagining where we work.
About the Author: Zainab Ola is a business and brand strategist, currently leading business growth and operations at Audience Agency. She writes about innovation, community building, and the evolving future of work in Africa.
