Zanzibar vs Rwanda

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Zanzibar and Rwanda are both in East Africa, but after spending three weeks in Rwanda and six days in Zanzibar, they felt like two entirely different worlds.

Zanzibar was exotic, vibrant, and alive with color and sound. Women wore long, flowing black robes with colorful scarves; some wore full black burqas. In Stone Town, where we stayed at the historic Palace Hotel, narrow streets were filled with people who lived in apartments above their shops.

 

Because about 90 percent of Zanzibar’s population is Muslim, we heard the call to prayer six times throughout the day. From our hotel balcony, I watched a man and woman step onto their rooftop patio and bow in prayer each evening around six.

 

Our half-day guide, Eric, had plenty of complaints about Zanzibar. He said many young people hoped for air-conditioned office jobs rather than outdoor work. Eric admitted that he would rather work in an air-conditioned office than guide tourists around Stone Town. He also complained about paying taxes twice, needing a permit to build his house, and seeing little evidence of how the government used the money.

 

That sounded familiar. In California, we pay federal, state, and local taxes. Building permits for a new house can take years, while governments sometimes repair roads that seem fine and ignore others filled with enormous potholes.

 

Rwanda gave us a very different impression. When we asked one guide what people complained about, he said most people did not complain about taxes because they believed the money was needed to improve the country. Every person we met in Rwanda loved the government. It was a striking contrast to what we heard from Eric.

 

Zanzibar has long benefited financially from its location and natural resources. It is one of the Spice Islands, earning income from crops such as cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. For centuries, the seasonal winds also brought dhows, traditional sailing boats, between India and Zanzibar. Their cargo once included ivory, slaves, and spices. Today, Zanzibar exports spices, fish, and seaweed.

 

Rwanda is much poorer and landlocked, with few exports. Instead, it is working to build a future in technology. President Paul Kagame has taken an international role in advancing responsible AI, including serving as a co-chair of the UN-backed commission on AI for Global Good. 

 

In Zanzibar, the people are lazy. People selling souvenirs in small shops might ask us once if we were interested in seeing what they have. If we say no, they let us be. Only 1 in 10 even bothers to ask. The men and women sit in front of their small shops and let us walk by. 

In Kigali, when we walked through a series of souvenir shops, gangs of people followed us around trying to convince us they had a better price or unique merchandise. 

 

Of course, Rwandans weren’t working every minute of their day. They stood around and talked before getting started, took long lunches. Breaks, and rested before making another trip up and down the roads. But people from Zanzibar seemed to be taking it much easier. 

 

The biggest cultural difference for me was music. In Rwanda, we repeatedly heard American music, mostly oldies or Country Western, and little else. Once, I asked the bartender to play African music. They did, but about 20 minutes later, country-western tunes had returned.

 

Zanzibar’s music scene felt completely different. In Stone Town, we listened to live African music every night. One evening, we went to a show so lively that nearly everyone was up dancing to the band’s original music. In a predominantly Muslim country, the music scene was energetic, social, and thriving.

 

However, there was one thing Geoff noticed in every country we visited in East Africa: the people love where they live because of their community. 

 

‘If I am walking and a friend sees me, he will stop and offer me a ride.’

 

‘When I get married, everyone in my village will come to celebrate even if I do not invite them, because they know they are welcome.’

 

‘I know everyone in my village. If I need $50 for food to feed my children, my friend will give me the $50. Then when he needs money, I will give it to him. I have heard it is not the same way in your country. You do not have good neighbors.’

 

I live in a town where very rich movie stars erect six-foot fences and put a locking gate in their driveway. I cannot imagine asking them for $1000 because I need it to build a fence around my house to protect my family. 

 

Sadly, it seems to me Americans value their money over a sense of community.