SUCCESS STORIES
SEECO – A Key Sustainable Energy Partner in the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), 2013
SEECO Company was one of the energy companies participated in the thirty-seven Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), which was organized at Mwl. J. K. Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds and this year the events started in 26 June 2013 and ended in 10 July 2013.
SEECO’s aim in this trade fair was to promote its products and services through demonstration and raising awareness to different stakeholders. SEECO worked in partnership with TaTEDO to display Sustainable Energy Products. The dispalyed products include improved stoves, efficient woodfuel ovens, solar PV systems, solar multicharging stations, briquettes, etc
SEECO-TaTEDO pavilion was the only place in the Mwl. Nyerere Trade Fair Ground, where stakeholders and public could get information on sustainable modern energy technologies and services. The information displayed was of the technologies and services offered these two organisations to the communities. These are biomass energy, solar energy, climate change, energy business/ entrepreneurship and energy information. Some of new technologies and services, which displayed and attracted many people, are: new efficient woodfuel stoves, Sustainable Energy Enterprises Centre, solar energy products
The Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair is a major promotional event organized by the Board of External Trade. The fairs enjoy patronage of the Tanzania business community who both exhibit and use it as a forum for business exchange. The Board of External Trade of Tanzania is dedicated to establish global business partnership through organizing and managing international and specialized trade fairs, solo exhibitions, product and market research, prospect development, trade missions, buyer-seller meetings and contact marketing programmes. The Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair has established itself over years as a shop window for Tanzania products as well as the East, Central and the Southern African Region.
SEECO – A Company for Meeting Needs of Sustainable Energy Technologies in Tanzania
SEECO aims at commercialising proven modern energy technologies and services. The company was registered in the year 2001. The goal of the company is to build capacity of entrepreneurship in modern sustainable energy services and produce and sell on a large scale, improved energy products including charcoal stoves, charcoal ovens, firewood stoves, biowaste stoves, solar cookers, fireless cookers, cake pan sets and baking pans. The company aspire to be a leading commercial entity of improved and efficient charcoal stoves and ovens in Tanzania.
According to the foreman of SEECO, in the interview conducted in 2010, there is definitely a much higher demand for the sustainable energy products than the capacity to produce, both within Dar es Salaam and other regions. This has necessitated increasing capacity through working with other small entrepreneurs currently engaged in the business of sustainable energy products. The main constraints have been limited capital for SEECO itself and entrepreneurs who would like to expand their production lines.
SEECO Company intends to penetrate to rural and urban areas of all districts in Tanzania to ensure all people are accessing sustainable energy technologies and services for improving their lives and income generating initiatives.
SEECO through its business enterprises anticipate to offer social institutions, households, emerging entrepreneurs in hotels, restaurants and commercial firms with secure costs reduction and/or profit margin by delivering renewable (RE) and energy efficient (EE) products and services at affordable prices and at a location convenient to the buyers.
The SEECO strategy is built on client’s needs and strengths in turning the vacuum in energy needs into business opportunities. It will focus in learning to learn from long experience in renewable energy and environmental conservation efforts which has been carried previously on commercializing the sustainable energy technologies and services
SEECO, which was formed to provide commercial income to support sustainable energy development initiatives in Tanzania, have managed to sell up to revenue of around Tshs 1,500,000 per month in 2010. SEECO is still a growing energy company and efforts are being made to secure SEECO’s commercial viability through:
-
Low-interest capitalization from institutions specializing in lending to energy projects
-
Product diversification, e.g. from traditional charcoal and wood stoves to more solar products
-
More mechanization of production processes
-
Cost savings through efficient management
-
Development of a clear product pricing policy
-
Sales strategies and income targets for each product and each service offered