When is Saba Saba Day?
Saba Saba Day is a national holiday in Tanzania on July 7th.
This holiday commemorates an important date in Tanzania's journey to statehood in 1954 and is also known as Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair Day.
History of Saba Saba Day
Saba Saba means "seven seven" in Swahili, the national language of Tanzania. This was an important date in the history of the country as it was on July 7th 1954 when the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) was founded. TANU would go on to play an important role in the journey to independence and the merging of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to create the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964.
These days, the most notable event on Saba Saba Day is the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF). The fair has been held since 1976 and takes place at the Mwalimu J.K.Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds. It is located along Kilwa Road, south-east of Dar es Salaam.
From humble beginnings, the fair has grown to become an important event for business in Eastern and Central Africa with over 3,500 exhibitors and attracting around 700,000 tourists. DITF runs for two weeks around Saba Saba.
