International Minerals, Ltd. Arusha, Tanzania. 2008. Mixed media photography collage.

Collage of the manager's office (with magazine cutouts on the wall) at International Minerals Ltd., and a model wearing a dress designed by Adama Kai, a fashion designer from Sierra Leone, photographed by Katrina Manson. (Part of the series from Economica Tanzania Unlimited, Ltd. (Business as Unusual))

I am an enthusiastic media consumer, a world traveler, and a curious citizen, and yet I was ignorant about Africa's economy. What do I know about African business? What does it look like? I decided to create a series of images that portray Tanzania's economy, to learn more and add new dimensions to the popular image of Africa and African business. Tanzania's economic development increases opportunities for its citizens. More Tanzanians are starting their own companies, and some foreign companies offer career opportunities for skilled local staff. The project also reflects on the challenge of balancing the interests of local communities with those of international companies. In a world where the condition of one country's economy has major effects on the global economy, it's essential that we recognize Tanzania for its economically varied profile and the modern, multicultural, thriving, and even progressive country that it is.