Editorial
Insights
Original, sourced research on Tanzania's commodity markets — production, trade, quality and origins.
September 27, 2026 · Origins
Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Pepper Grow in Zanzibar Too — They Just Never Became an Export Industry
Zanzibar's spice tours stop at the same six or seven plants every time: clove, of course, but also black pepper vines, cinnamon trees with their bark…
September 26, 2026 · Data Story
Tourism Earns Zanzibar 45 Times More Than Its Spice Exports — And the Gap Is Widening
Services exports, dominated by tourism, brought Zanzibar $1.54 billion in the year to February 2026; clove exports, its signature commodity,…
September 26, 2026 · Data Story
Zanzibar’s Clove Market Swung From Bust to Boom in a Single Year — Here’s What the Data Actually Shows
Export receipts collapsed 76 percent to $6.3 million in the year to September 2025, then climbed past $44 million by…
September 26, 2026 · Quality
Why You Can’t Just Buy Cloves Directly From a Zanzibar Farmer: Inside the ZSTC System
A 1985 law still makes the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation the only legal buyer and exporter of cloves grown on…
September 25, 2026 · Data Story
The Spice Island’s Missing Spices: What Zanzibar’s Trade Ledger Actually Shows
Nutmeg, pepper and cinnamon fill the tourist trail through Zanzibar's spice gardens, but almost none of them show up in…