Colour is everywhere in Tanzania, from the cloths women wear to the paintings sold in Dar es Salaam. Kanga, kitenge and Tingatinga make some of the most meaningful souvenirs you can bring home.
Kanga
A kanga is a rectangular cotton cloth with a bold border and central design, usually sold in pairs. One is worn as a wrap skirt and the other around the shoulders or head. Kangas are also used to carry babies, as aprons and as gifts.
Each kanga carries a printed Swahili saying, the jina. It might be a proverb, a blessing, a love message or a sharp remark aimed at a neighbour. Choosing which kanga to wear is a way to communicate without speaking. Ask the seller to translate the message before you buy.
Kitenge
Kitenge is a thicker cotton cloth with wax-style prints, often in geometric or natural patterns. It is used for dresses, shirts and bags, and tailors in markets will make clothes to order in a day or two.
Tingatinga
Tingatinga is a painting style begun in Dar es Salaam in the late 1960s by Edward Saidi Tingatinga. He painted animals and scenes in bold, flat colours on board, using bicycle paint. After his death in 1972, his students continued the style, and it became one of Tanzania’s best-known art forms.
Tingatinga paintings show animals, birds, village life and myths, with fine detail and bright backgrounds. The Tingatinga Arts Cooperative in Dar es Salaam still trains artists and sells work directly.
Where to buy
- Kanga and kitenge: markets in every town, especially Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam and Darajani in Stone Town.
- Tingatinga: the cooperative in Dar es Salaam, galleries in Stone Town and the Cultural Heritage Centre in Arusha.
Read souvenirs from Tanzania and culture and etiquette.
Frequently asked questions
A Swahili saying, called the jina, such as a proverb, blessing or message.
Edward Saidi Tingatinga, in Dar es Salaam in the late 1960s.
Kanga is a light cloth with a border and Swahili saying, sold in pairs. Kitenge is thicker, with wax-style prints, used for tailored clothes.
