Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Ltd (METL) is a Group of companies operating across such a diverse range of industry sectors that its business touches the daily lives of Tanzanians across the country. The Group manufactures and markets a colourful range of food products, beverages, cleansing materials, textiles, entertainment electronics, household appliances, and just about everything else that is essential for day-to-day living.

Our business was founded in the early 1980s initially as a trading company dealing in import and export, with an extensive portfolio that that has grown since then to include: wheat, maize, rice, sugar, edible oil and a wide range of consumer goods (for import) and cashewnuts, groundnuts, sisal, pigeon peas, coffee, cocoa and a wide range of other agriculture products (for export), as well as the trading in high value consumer goods such as batteries, automobile tyres and kitchen appliances to name a handful.

In 1998, the Group embarked on a major vertical expansion programme, expanding into manufacturing and agriculture (sisal, cashewnut, cassava, cotton and tea). Since then METL has grown dramatically and the company is now producing, among other products, edible oils, soaps, wheat flour, maize flour, milled rice, sweetened sugar, beverages such as juices and drinking water, fabrics including khanga and kitenge (the traditional dress of Tanzanian women), plastic packaging products, bicycles, sisal and cotton products.

As one of many on-going innovative initiatives, METL is currently developing a modern edible oil refinery combined with a fractionation plant and a soap manufacturing plant in close proximity to the harbour jetty in Dar es Salaam.

Building for the Future

Corporations throughout the world are undergoing momentous transformation to adapt successfully to the new global economy. In this rapidly changing, increasingly complex and hyper-competitive global environment, the rules of success have been altered dramatically, with meaningful growth harder to achieve and even more difficult to sustain.

Lew Platt, the Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard once said that “whatever made you successful in the past won’t in the future”. Nothing could be truer of global business in the 21st Century. In spite of our enviable track record and our already expanding portfolio, as we approached the new millennium, it was clear that the moment for rejuvenation had come, to ensure that we maintained competitive advantage and continued to grow our businesses. Sustainable growth through vertical integration was identified as the key strategic priority: this called initially for a change in mind-sets and from there, a strengthening of our portfolio and our processes. Change is never easy; and it can be yet more difficult for an already successful company.

Regardless, we have embraced the challenge and are well on our way towards building a bigger, better, more modern METL. Through a wide consultative process involving many different people within the organisation, a new corporate vision has evolved; our mission was redefined and realistic core strategies were formulated; we have identified and invested in products and corresponding markets in previously uncharted territories; and we are now structuring our business initiatives in key focus areas. In so doing, customer satisfaction has been adopted as a guiding principle.

Since the beginning, METL has firmly believed in the welfare of the society. On this basis we have developed some long-term community development projects focused on health, education, sports and humanitarian causes in the country. METL has been favorably rated by Dun & Bradstreet, an internationally acclaimed credit rating company. And yet, we have only scratched the surface.

There is a range of new business ideas in various stages of crystallization; there are many exciting miles to go; and go we shall, with determination, strength and a belief in our business and our customers.

In the following pages of this brochure we explain what our major business objectives and strategies are and provide a summary of each of our business areas. We look forward to doing business with you.