one of our manufacturing hubs

SATO gained entry into the Tanzanian market through a license partnership with SILAFRICA Tanzania in 2017 who manufacture and distribute SATO locally as well as export to neighbouring countries like Malawi and Zambia. Since inception, our products have helped improve sanitation for over 1.2 million people in Tanzania. While this is impressive, we still have plenty of ground to cover in this vast country, and we remain focused on scaling accessibility of SATO solutions.

With Dar es Salaam as the manufacturing hub, SATO products are currently available in 26 regions across the country, and we continue to grow our footprint. To support the demand, we count on over 2,500 masons who are trained to install the units in these regions.

the first market in africa to launch the sato tap

In October 2022 Tanzania became the first country in Africa to launch the SATO Tap commercially.  Less than half of the population in Tanzania have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water – an estimated 30 million people – according to the World Bank. We believe there is a significant opportunity for the affordable, accessible, and innovative water-saving SATO Tap to make access to hand hygiene easy for all.

no decent house without a toilet

Our goal of improving 100 million lives by 2025 is directly in line with the Tanzanian government’s objective of enhancing sanitation coverage from its current 62% to 85%, while also eradicating open defecation.  To achieve this, the government introduced the National Sanitation Campaign known as the ‘ NYUMBA NI CHOO’ which means ‘There’s no decent house without a decent toilet.‘

To support this initiative, SATO partnered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) through WaterAid Tanzania and UNICEF. So far we have trained 58 masons, 48 health officers, and 219 teachers and installed 2,949 SATO toilets in schools, benefitting 132,941 students. 

our STEP programme

We work to make change at the heart of communities. Through our School Toilet Enhancement Programme (STEP), we are impacting not only students and teachers, but also the broader community. In Bombambili Primary School in Kivule, Dar Es Salaam, we installed our award-winning sanitation solutions for the school’s 3,500 pupils and teachers who previously shared one toilet or sometimes used the toilets of neighbouring homes. Since installing improved toilet, the teachers and pupils can now focus on what’s important: education. As well, the community benefits because the school is now a gathering place that can accommodate a variety of local events.

Through STEP, nine schools in Tanzania have so far benefitted from toilet upgrades, impacting 10,000 children. These students now have safe, clean toilets to help ensure they can achieve their educational goals.

supporting our export markets

With Tanzania as a hub, we export SATO units to Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar, and Mozambique. In Malawi, the SATO business is handled by Phalombe hardware, our main distributor with locations in Blantyre and Lilongwe. Venture Investments is our sub-distributor in this market. As in other SATO markets, partnerships contribute to the success of SATO sales in the region. In Malawi, we are working with Hygiene Village Project, Water For People, PDI, and Yvone Chimera to create demand and enable sustainable supply chains the region.

In Zambia we work with ANSCO Water Tec, Rapha Nissi, and Federal Engineering to improve sanitation for households in Lusaka through a project supported by World Bank. Water Aid and PSI are our main partners in Mozambique and have been instrumental in piloting and introducing SATO units to the country.

Our Local Network and Contacts

If you would like to find out more about our work in Tanzania, please contact:

Justin Mbowe

Leader, SATO Tanzania
justin.mbowe@lixil.com